Posted on 09/01/2006 8:50:56 PM PDT by rightgrafix
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 — An enduring mystery of the C.I.A. leak case has been solved in recent days, but with a new twist: Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the prosecutor, knew the identity of the leaker from his very first day in the special counsel’s chair, but kept the inquiry open for nearly two more years before indicting I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, on obstruction charges.
Now, the question of whether Mr. Fitzgerald properly exercised his prosecutorial discretion in continuing to pursue possible wrongdoing in the case has become the subject of rich debate on editorial pages and in legal and political circles.
Richard L. Armitage, the former deputy secretary of state, first told the authorities in October 2003 that he had been the primary source for the July 14, 2003, column by Robert D. Novak that identified Valerie Wilson as a C.I.A. operative and set off the leak investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Excellent! I had forgotten about the media adulation that enveloped Jeffords. I think we should all start referring to Lieberman as "flinty."
Agreed.
This was the line that got me too. Fitz had no legal right to prohibit Armitage from telling anybody what he had done in the matter, nor had Armitage any obligation to follow Fitz's illegal "order." Armitage has proved that he is an immoral, untrustworthy person and will never again have any credibility. That, apparently, is all the punishment he will get. But Fitz has done much worse. Although he has been accused of prosecutorial misconduct on this thread, that is far too mild a condemnation; the man is a dangerous criminal who belongs in jail.
The Constitution provides for impeachment or expulsion of any government official therein named (i.e., executive, judicial, or legislative). Although it is silent on non-Constitutional officials, if the courts are looking for and finding "penumbras," here's one ready to spring into action: impeach the lying SOB for starters.
Mr. and Mrs. Clintons' blackmail factory neither started nor stopped with the FBI files.
The Arkansas state troopers who were on then Governor Clinton's protection detail told us way back before Filegate that Gov. Clinton would often tell them to see if they could "dig up a little dirt" on whomever was irritating the governor at the time.
Remember back to Senator Thompson's Governmental Affairs Committee investigation into the Clinton fundraising scandal. A friend of President Clinton, Cody Shearer, hired a private investigator (Terry Lenzner of IGI) to dig up dirt on Senator Don Nickles (R-Ok) and his family. Nickles was a member of the Senate Republican leadership and also served on the Thompson committee. Lenzner testified that he had submitted a bid to do the "opposition research" into Nickles and his family, but the bid was rejected by the Indian tribe that Shearer had tried to manipulate.
What's the difference between opposition research and digging up dirt for blackmail and extortion? The only difference is in how the information is used, and it doesn't much matter whether the source is an illegally manipulated FBI or a PI firm.
Some people think the Clintons stopped having people dig up dirt for their use against opponents, but I think it's a way of life for them and it will continue as long as they think they have something to gain from it.
But it doesn't say that Fitz ordered Armitage not to say anything. It says he asked. Apparently, Armitage willfully complied.
Oh, now there's a really good question.
I'm sure Old Media types are just waiting to pounce on Armitage and Fitzgerald with that one.
The detail at the bottom of the article on who in State knew what, is pretty interesting, too.
If we go way back before the flop-sweat-news-conference which shocked and opened the eyes of so many of us, there were several of us who believed that tracking down the people who tipped off the Islamofascists to the impending raid was the REAL purpose of Fitz's investigation.
Fitz had a very good reputation before that news-conference. I remember Joe diGenova saying on TV that Fitz was a very hard and thorough investigator, but totally fair. Flop sweat day surprised him, too.
I can't remember her name and I think she got banned, but there was a Freeper who used to post all the time that the desk jockey outing was a cover for a really important investigation involving some of the same people. I completely agreed with her... until flop sweat day.
I even thought maybe he was looking into the CIA leftwingantiAmerican cabal that was trying so hard to bring down a President and CIC during a war.
Hope springs eternal, but as John Cleese said in that movie, (paraphrasing) You can live with the disappointments; it's the hope that'll kill you.
placemark
Note that they are doing this right before a long holiday weekend, in an attempt to bury it.
If Tony Snow doesn't make a big deal of it, when he returns next week, this thing will be pretty much gone forever after this weekend.
Fitzgerald owes the American taxpayers THREE YEARS BACK PAY!
Please don't forget Ronnie Earl. All three should be disbarred.
Fitzgerald needs to be fired, disbarred and then tried for sedition and abuse of his powers.
What a miserble rotten POS, Fitzy is. He and the NY AG, Spitzball, are poster girly boys for left wing/vicious attorney's who use their power to push liberal agendas.
There will be a trial. Remember that Plame still has her lawsuit going against Cheney, Rove, etc. It'll be beautiful when the lawyers get to cross-examing Plame and Wilson. They'll be destroyed.
I'd like to know that, too.
Mo1 brought that up days ago!
I took the WaPo turn on Wilson/Plame to be a loud and clear signal--no nuance and no subtlety--to all the rat skanks to cut bait and run RIGHT NOW because they don't want Timmy, Andrea, et al to have to testify and expose themselves and each other or open themselves to perjury charges, not to mention the coming storm with Jefferson/Wilson...
I hope that if Fitz gets the message--drop the charges or we'll rip your guts out, too--Libby counter sues.
What surprised me was that some of the smarter rat skanks didn't get it. Alan Colmes had some dork on last night and they both made asses of themselves trying salvage some kind of attack on the right from this sinking garbage barge.
You are right: ...the left fears revelations at the trial. They all got the memo, but apparently some of them can't read.
It also distracted them from coming up with ideas. They've been so bent on getting W they have no agenda. This is why they keep losing.
I read last week that the book was supposed to be released in October...maybe to try to influence election??
BUT, the article I read said it "was rushed" to be released this week..although it didn't explain why.
If it was "rushed", might something else be about to happen, or something that would have exposed this before October...and Corn and Isikoff didn't want their book to be scooped?
Attempt at damage control?
My fantasy is that GW will unload a lot of info before the elections and save the day ...is that merely a fantasy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.