Posted on 02/09/2007 1:32:24 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, an unrelenting interrogator as host of NBC's "Meet the Press," said Friday it was painful having the tables turned on him by lawyers defending former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby against perjury and obstruction charges.
The day after Russert spent five grueling hours on the witness stand in Libby's trial, the NBC newsman took questions in the much friendlier setting of an interview on the set of the "Today" show with his network colleagues. Asked how it felt to be on the other end of rapid-fire questioning, Russert said, "It's a lot of easier to throw grenades than it is to catch them. I've got to tell you.
"Sitting in that witness box is very uncomfortable because on 'Meet the Press' or the 'Today' show, you have a chance to finish your thought and complete your sentence. That's not the case in a court of law. The defense lawyer will say, 'Yes or no, yes or no' and you're trying very hard to listen intently to the question to make sure you answer as precisely as possible," he added. "Otherwise it can be played back the next day. ... It's not pleasant, I have to say."
Russert said, though, he kept a mind a lesson learned in the 7th grade, that "if you tell the truth, you'll live to remember one story, and that's what I did."
In the "Today" interview, Russert reiterated what he had said on the stand: he did not discuss the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson with Libby in a conversation they had in July 2003 and he said he did not at that time know about Valerie Plame, Wilson's wife, who was outed subsequently as a CIA operative.
"I did not know she worked at the CIA. I did not know any of that until the following Monday when I saw all in (newspaper columnist) Robert Novak's column ... We simply did not know it. I wish we had."
Russert did say he was "stunned" when he heard that Libby said he had learned Plame's identity from him, saying, "I said that just can't be. It's impossible." Russert steadfastly held to that line during cross-examination this week.
On Friday, he said that when he saw the Novak column a few days after the talk by phone with Libby, "I said, 'Wow, that's it. That's an important story,' and that's when we began to report on it."
How do we know that Russert isn't just trying to cover up his own wrongdoing?
Someone else coined the appropriate phrase:
Meet the Weasel
Awww, poor Timmie, having to actually testify like all the other non-media class folks....
I don't. Not for a minute.
Well, Mr. Russert, Bill Clinton lied under oath, kept his job and was protected by you and your ilk. Maybe you should just say whatever you want, and see what happens? If you get caught, just say "it was all about sex so it doesn't matter" and I am sure you'll be fine.
Russerts next book: Me and Cellmate Moe
Is there someplace I can find an account
of exactly what Libby is claiming?
as of now,I think Libby lied, and will
be convicted.
He's nothing but a pompous windbag who loves to play "Gotcha". I lost all respect for him after his show of a couple years ago with W. Of course I didn't have much before that anyway. It's good to see him have to squirm a little, the jerk.
At some point you have to ask yourself whether all those people would be willing to risk a perjury charge and are lying - or if Scooter has a problem. If it was known in the NBC Washington Bureau who 007 Plame was and Timmy is lying, that's an awful lot of people who have to keep quiet to keep him out of jail. At some point Occam's Razor applies.
Are you aware the FBI notes from Rusert's interview with the FBI says he (Russert) may have discussed Palme with Libby? Well it did. The final report issued by the agent showed that in court. It also showed Russert said he had two conversations with Libby, which he (Russert) is now trying to deny. Russert basically called the agent a liar, yet the notes of the original conversation that were turned over to Fitzgerald are now missing. Something stinks and it is not coming from Libby. Russert is a damn liar and Fitzgerald is another Nifong.
And thats their big problem. Russert has to stick with his story now. Wait till Andrea Mitchell gets up there. She has already stated she knew it and it was common knowledge. Once they realized that they would actually have to get on the stand "I don't recall" became the mantra. Now Mitchell says she made a mistake, and Russert says its "impossible".
Considering where my son and many other Americans are now serving, I find this comment condescending at the least.
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