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 ...
I don't know, but I never would have thought of Niger as a plum vacation spot. Is it?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
So where does Richard "Skeedadler" Armitage fit into this?
It was Ari said the ONLY time they had lunch together andit was because Ari was leaving his post.
So....if Sandy Burglar said under oath he took copies, when he took originals, he lied and must now be prosecuted for perjury, right?
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.
Judith Miller testifies today, and I wonder.....
does double jeopardy apply? Just doesn't seem right if they could jail her twice.
She cut a deal. Saying she would be willing to testify. If she refused again, then she would be in violation of that agreement.
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!
If you need a "deal", you've done something wrong. Ari was a piece of cr**.
Yes, prosecutors had the discretion to charge him. I forget what plea deal he agreed to.
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