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Fleischer: Plame came up over lunch ["Ambassador Wilson was sent by his wife," Fleischer recalled..]
Yahoo ^

Posted on 01/29/2007 10:34:34 AM PST by Sub-Driver

Fleischer: Plame came up over lunch

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer 39 minutes ago

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer testified Monday that then-colleague I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby told him over lunch that the wife of a prominent war critic worked at the CIA.

Fleischer said the conversation happened June 7, 2003, days before Libby told investigators he was surprised to learn about the CIA operative from a reporter. That discrepancy is at the heart of Libby's perjury and obstruction trial.

Fleischer, who was the chief White House spokesman for the first 2 1/2 years of President Bush's first term, said Monday that Libby invited him to lunch to discuss Fleischer's planned departure from the White House. He said it was the first time he and Libby had eaten lunch together.

They talked about Fleischer's career plans and their shared interest in the Miami Dolphins football team, Fleischer testified. He can't remember who brought it up but he said the conversation then turned to the growing controversy over former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who accused the White House of ignoring prewar intelligence on Iraq.

"Ambassador Wilson was sent by his wife," Fleischer recalled Libby saying. "His wife works for the CIA."

Fleischer said Libby also used the woman's name, Valerie Plame, and told him it was "hush hush."

"My sense is that Mr. Libby was telling me this was kind of newsy," Fleischer said.

Fleischer testified under an immunity deal with prosecutors and arrived in court with his attorneys. He sought the deal because he discussed Plame with reporters. Libby's attorneys plan to argue during cross-examination that the immunity deal makes Fleischer's testimony less credible.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ari; bs; cialeak; fitzmas; fleischer; getbush; libby; partisanwitchhunt; plame; plamegate; showtrial
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To: Ditter

I don't know, but I never would have thought of Niger as a plum vacation spot. Is it?


101 posted on 01/29/2007 3:50:53 PM PST by retMD
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To: retMD

I don't know anything about Niger either but I know a whole bunch of people who vacation in various parts of Africa when ever they can.


102 posted on 01/29/2007 3:53:57 PM PST by Ditter
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Comment #103 Removed by Moderator

To: Baynative; Sub-Driver
It's also vastly different than saying "Wilson was sent to Africa by Valerie Plame".

Quite cleverly the defense attorney completed his questioning by getting Ari to admit he couldn't be certain that Libby used the woman's name.

104 posted on 01/29/2007 7:00:32 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: redgirlinabluestate
Immediately after the first plane hit the first tower on 9/11 I began reciting quietly to myself what I was doing and what cases we were working on and who was where (just in case we weren't able to get back together for a few days).

I even pulled a couple of CDs I'd made containing our current work effort and stuffed them in my jacket pocket. Took a laptop home with me, and reciting all the way what I'd just done, was actually prepared to start work the next day on 9/12.

Turned out my co-workers were not as well prepared. For the next 6 months I had to remind many of them of where they'd been on 9/11 (and for the week before that day), what they were doing, and what happened to various cases.

It's absolutely amazing what people can forget when tossed into a high stress situation ~

If the case revolves around what order Libby talked to different people, I'd suggest Fitzgerald forgot what his job was. Must have been the stress.

105 posted on 01/29/2007 7:08:23 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: Sub-Driver; Howlin; Lancey Howard; STARWISE

106 posted on 01/29/2007 7:20:38 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: bondjamesbond
It says in the article that Fliescher and Libby only had lunch together once and the matter came up over that lunch

No, it does not say that. Read it again, please. It says it's the first time they had lunch together, not the only time.

107 posted on 01/29/2007 7:39:18 PM PST by Shethink13
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To: Dave S
"You dont get to be top man on the Vice Presidents staff if your memory is that bad."

I am sometimes just about convinced by this line of argument, except that then Libby seems unbelievably STUPID. Supposedly, he is neither stupid nor devoid of memory, so his aspect of the Pflamegate investigation always baffles me. Why testify to anything specific unless you have a high degree of certainty???? Otherwise you say you're unsure of the chronology, etc. My Lord, in my business, if I screwed up so completely what clients had said and when, I'd be out of business quickly..... and I'm not dealing with great affairs of state, where one would hope for the highest levels of diligence and accuracy. I've lost a lot of respect for Libby from seeing how careless/reckless he was in his depositions, though that does not make me have any more respect for Fitzgerald's idiotic conduct of the Pflamegate investigation.
108 posted on 01/29/2007 7:48:39 PM PST by Enchante (Chamberlain Democrats embraced by terrorists and America-haters worldwide!!)
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To: piasa

Libby as McCord? Walton as Sirica? I'm betting against it; the jury will be unable to reach a verdict due to defense demonstrating faulty memories of key witnesses, IMO.


109 posted on 01/29/2007 8:15:14 PM PST by gusopol3
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To: dogbyte12
Remember, at the time Libby testified, it was thought that the reporters were going to get away with refusing to testify. So he decided to lie about what he knew, blame it on somebody who wouldn't testify to contradict him

Yes, but what about all the WH people he should have known would/could contradict him as well? Why would he risk that? If he is that bumbling... no wonder things have not been going so well at the WH in the PR dept.

Like someone else said, it may be difficult to convince all of the jurors that his "error" was intentional beyond a reasonable doubt.

110 posted on 01/29/2007 8:42:33 PM PST by redgirlinabluestate
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To: Dave S
Basically its lying to federal investigators (FBI agents) and to a federal grand jury. Nothing to do with whether Plame is covert so that doesnt matter.

Apparently not.

Fitzgerald does not possess the integrity to to act as any prosecutor. He knew no crime was committed, and at that point, he should have closed the case. But Fitz kept the case open to entrap particular government official(s) over subjective and inconsistent testimonies.

At best Fitzgerald used poor judgement to bring this case, at worst, he used his position to commit a political witch hunt to benefit himself and his political party of favor. The latter is the likely case here.

Patrick Fitzgerald abuses the public trust for which he does not deserve.

111 posted on 01/29/2007 8:45:47 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Sub-Driver

So where does Richard "Skeedadler" Armitage fit into this?


112 posted on 01/29/2007 8:52:50 PM PST by cookcounty (The "Greatest Generation" was also the most violent generation.)
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To: Shethink13

It was Ari said the ONLY time they had lunch together andit was because Ari was leaving his post.


113 posted on 01/29/2007 9:00:27 PM PST by the Real fifi
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To: Dave S
" Regardless of whether investigators determine a law was broken, you cant lie to an FBI agent or to a federal grand jury. Libby did both, multiple times."

So....if Sandy Burglar said under oath he took copies, when he took originals, he lied and must now be prosecuted for perjury, right?

114 posted on 01/29/2007 9:05:52 PM PST by cookcounty (The "Greatest Generation" was also the most violent generation.)
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To: rickywonka
There's one BIG problem here.

It should have only taken Fitzgerald 15 minutes to determine that a crime was committed that Plame was an active covert agent and then "outed". And as soon as he found the truth- Plame's job at the CIA being classified as unclassified, the investigation should have ceased.

But surely as the the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Fitzgerald abused his prosecutorial position by continuing this farce to see how many Bush administration he could entrap.

115 posted on 01/29/2007 9:06:26 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Sub-Driver

Judith Miller testifies today, and I wonder.....

does double jeopardy apply? Just doesn't seem right if they could jail her twice.


116 posted on 01/30/2007 3:14:39 AM PST by YaYa123
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To: YaYa123

She cut a deal. Saying she would be willing to testify. If she refused again, then she would be in violation of that agreement.


117 posted on 01/30/2007 4:41:03 AM PST by dogbyte12
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To: Dave S

What PROOF is there that Fleisher is telling the truth so he can avoid being the "leaker?" Or Russert or Cooper? When they speak, it's taken as the truth, but when Libby says something different, he's a liar. It's he-said, he-said, and this is nothing more than a witch hunt, with Cheney and Bush as the main targets!


118 posted on 01/30/2007 5:19:57 AM PST by IrishRainy ("There's not a single solitary nuclear missile pointed at an American child tonight." Oct. 96)
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To: Sub-Driver
Ari worked for the Whitehouse and the conversation was obviously meant to stay within the White House. Ari went outside the Whitehouse. He's a traitor. I believe it is against the rules for him to meet privately with reporters.

If you need a "deal", you've done something wrong. Ari was a piece of cr**.

119 posted on 01/30/2007 6:34:33 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: cookcounty
So....if Sandy Burglar said under oath he took copies, when he took originals, he lied and must now be prosecuted for perjury, right?

Yes, prosecutors had the discretion to charge him. I forget what plea deal he agreed to.

120 posted on 01/30/2007 6:42:10 AM PST by Dave S
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