IS THAT ALL THERE IS?

New York Post ^ | October 29, 2005 | John Podhoretz

[AliVeritas]

October 29, 2005 -- SO, after 28 months, what we are told is this: Scooter Libby, the vice president's chief of staff, lied about his conversations with two reporters. He lied about those conversations first to FBI investigators in the fall of 2003 and then to a grand jury in the spring of 2004. And in telling those lies, says independent counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, Libby sought to impede the investigation into the public exposure of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson.

That's all, folks. The grand jury in the most hotly watched Washington political-legal investigation since Whitewater concluded its business yesterday by returning charges against one man and one man alone — who, the grand jury alleges, didn't tell the truth about when and how he discovered a piece of classified information.

Scooter Libby was not charged with the misuse of that information, or with the unlawful exposure of an undercover agent, or with involvement in a conspiracy to reveal her identity. He is, it is worth repeating, charged only with lying about his knowledge of it.

Here's how it breaks down. Libby testified that he first heard about Valerie Wilson's identity in a phone call from NBC's Tim Russert when, the indictment flatly alleges, he never discussed her with Russert. In any case, according to the indictment, Libby had learned Wilson's identity at least a month earlier. That's the basis of two of the five charges.

[katykelly]

I keep reading Libby's notes contradict his testimony.

I remember during one of the clinton scandles, maybe Travelgate, one of the clinton lackies testified before congress and it contadicted his diary. He then testified he lied to his diary. Of course the dems/MSM just thought that was perfectly natural.

[lugsoul]

"The prosecutor also claimed Libby lied when he said he heard the info about Plame from several reporters. Again why are the reporters telling the truth and Libby not?"

That one is pretty easy. Because at least a half-dozen administration officials testified that they spoke with Libby about Plame before he talked to the reporter he claims he first heard it from...

[Eagles Talon IV]

But as I remember, Nixon was involved in a cover up. Had he immediately acknowledged and condemned the break in and fired those involved, he would have finished out his term.

Bush is in no way connected to this non event.

[Eagles Talon IV]

Ok,thanks. That makes Libby pretty damn stupid for someone who is a lawyer.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

I sadly have to agree with you on that one. :(

[etlib]

Finally, I will NEVER understand how a charge can be brought against an individual during the investigation of a crime that in fact never occurred.

Because lying can hinder the investigation into whether a crime occurred or not. Such lies can make it seem like a crime was committed (in order to frame someone else) or they can be intended to misdirect an investigation when the individual is not sure whether the investigation will determine that a crime was committed. I am sure there are other possibilities.

[pepperhead]

I start to think Volcker did a good job... Imagine, he issued a final report after only about a year...

And I think Fitzgerald said during his press conference there will be no report for his investigation.

[pepperhead]

Has anyone thought to ask Bob Novak?

I am wondering when he is going to tell all like he said he would.

[USS Alaska]

It is legal in DC to record every phone call of anybody without either party knowing of they taping, and the NSA does it every single day. Somewhere in the bowels of the NSA on a disk backup system attached to the Thinking Machine {or it's latest replacement, whatever that happens to be, probably IBM there is possibly a recording of all of these phone calls. If one party was using a cell phone, then for sure it was recorded. Since all of the phone traffic is examined by computer, it may have determined {by the computer} that the conversations were not significant and the data may have since been deleted. There is a finite amount of storage, and most phone traffic is insignificant. I don't know if the non secure land line phones in the WH are monitored on a regular basis, but I would suspect that they are. Too bad it won't be able to be used, even if it exists.

[carola]

I've been listening to WBAL and they have now moved on from the fact of the indictment every half hour to some legal scholar's conjecture that Karl Rove must be quaking in his boots as a result of the indictment of Libby and the trial and further disclosures to come.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Nixon should've burned the tapes, too.

[Piquaboy]

They are going to start a new GJ investigation.

[Eagles Talon IV]

Really, a new GJ investigation? I certainly would like you to link me to a credible source with a quote from the only person on the planet that can convene a new GJ, Fitzpatrick.

What he did say is the bulk of the investigation is over and rarely if ever do new indictments arise after the GJ is released. The only reason he said the investigation remains open is because the trial of Libby might bring new evidence to the fore and THAT may lead to charges. As far as the prosecutor himself continuing the investigation that won't happen as he said he was on his way back to Chicago.