Posted on 11/17/2005 2:49:48 AM PST by The Raven
Bob Woodward's just-released statement, suggesting that on June 27, 2003, he may have been the reporter who told Scooter Libby about Joseph Wilson's wife, blew a gigantic hole in Patrick Fitzgerald's recently unveiled indictment of the vice president's former chief of staff.
While that indictment did not charge Mr. Libby with outing a CIA covert operative, it alleged that he lied to investigators and the grand jury. As we have stated earlier on this page -- and unlike many conservative voices then -- we believe perjury is always a serious offense (even in a political setting). And if sufficient evidence exists to support a conviction, then Mr. Fitzgerald's indictment of Mr. Libby was fully warranted.
However, the heart of his perjury theory was predicated upon the proposition that Mr. Libby learned of Valerie Plame's identity from other government officials and not from NBC's Tim Russert, ...
--snip
However, given Mr. Woodward's account, which came to light after the Libby indictment was announced, that he met with Mr. Libby in his office -- armed with the list of questions, which explicitly referenced "yellowcake" and "Joe Wilson's wife" and may have shared this information during the interview -- it is entirely possible that Mr. Libby may have indeed heard about Mrs. Plame's employment from a reporter. ...
--snip Accordingly, Mr. Fitzgerald should do the right thing and promptly dismiss the indictment of Scooter Libby.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Slam dunk... should we how about some apologies from the lefties...
This makes no sense -- if Libby learned about Plame from woodward, why wouldn't he have already told that to Fitzgerald?
>>why wouldn't he have already told that to Fitzgerald?
"....Given the fact that the conversations in issue -- the one with Tim Russert and the one with Bob Woodward -- were separated by less than two weeks, and that officials like Mr. Libby juggle literally hundreds of matters on a daily basis, it is entirely plausible that he confused the two reporters. "
"...Walter Pincus, the longtime Washington Post reporter and one of several journalists who testified in the Valerie Plame case, said he believed as far back as 2003 that Bob Woodward had some involvement in the case but he did not pursue the information because Woodward asked him not to. "
Libbys indictment had nothing to do with the truth. Fitzgerald simply was trying to hurt the administration. He was aiming to Cheney.
It's priceless to the President because Libby will be calling the media hacks to testify.
Yeah, two giant lib reporters who are both bent on destroying anybody they can whether its deserved or not. I love Rush and Laura Ingraham, and I don't understand how they can fall all over themselves gushing about Russert. He tosses way more soft balls to the likes of Schemer, McCain, the Swimmer, Hairless Reed and other democrats than he ever thought of tossing to Republicans.
The left is aroused. It's a sign! Surely this means it's another Watergate. The end of Bush!
Sure.
Just as that idiot Kerry running as a Viet Nam war hero released a truthful accounting of that era -- yes he served and he deserves respect right up until, like Benedict Arnold, he switched sides -- offering Watergate is going to backfire.
Too many people are coming out saying Mrs. Wilson's employment was no secret. It's the same as knowing that bugging political opponents was SOP, LBJ bugged Goldwater for example. No need to cover up though, the MSM never made it an issue.
Watergate just ain't here -- the free press is not going to let the MSM ignore facts, lie to the American public, and do cover ups of their own. Finally, the MSM get impeached!
The more I hear about this, the more I am convinced that Joe Wilson and his wife were just not as important as Joe Wilson would like everyone to believe. Hearing the fact that his wife worked at the CIA and may have had a role in sending him to Niger was just not a significant event to everyone, and they truly just don't remember from who, or when they found out about it. It just didn't matter.
BTTT
Exactly. Libby gets in trouble and his good pal Woodward lies to bail him out IMHO.
Libby is asked in front of the GJ who told him about Plame.....he said reporters....Fitz asks which one....Libby...it was Russert....Russert then tells Fitz it wasn't him....Libby is lying. Fitz hauls Libby back before the GJ asks again...who told you....Libby replies .....reporters but I'm not sure of which one.
There is your perjury.
Libby told Fitzgerald that he learned of Wilson's wife from Tim Russert. Russert denies it. Libby may have confused Russert and Woodward. Fitzgerald is trying to prosecute this possible confusion as a willful lie and cover-up.
Seem like Woodward came forward now to keep Timmy (Go Bills) Russert from getting completely skewered on the stand if not facing his own set of charges. If Woodwar dknew Russert probably knewsalso and Mitchel's original statement ambout common knowledge among reporters at the time was accurate.
So Woodward had information that may have proved Libby innocent and he withheld it? Something is fishy here. Fire up the blogs.
What strikes me is that Fitzgerald wants to prosecute Libby on the technicality that Libby's recollection may not be 100% accurate, while Fitzgerald does not hold himself to the same standard of accuracy.
Exactly.
Woodward always saw the case as about nothing more than Washington gossip. He didn't want to be involved.
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