"Weeping" all the way to the bank...
Posted on 03/07/2007 10:26:47 AM PST by Yo-Yo
The nearly-four year investigation of the Valerie Plame leak ended yesterday with one of the most derivative convictions in the history of Washington jurisprudence: Lewis “Scooter” Libby was convicted of offering misleading testimony to an inconclusive investigation of a non-crime. Special Investigator Patrick Fitzgerald knew at the outset of his investigation that outing Valerie Plame was not a criminal offense, that antiwar dove Richard Armitage leaked her name, and that the administration had acted to refute lies Joseph Wilson told during wartime. Pushing forward his inquiry under these circumstances looks very much like either extravagant self-justification or entrapment. It is by no means an indictment of prewar intelligence, as the Left contends.
The Problems with the Case: Procedural Questions About a Procedural Crime
Today’s Washington Post reveals Fitzgerald’s motivation: he wanted the scalp of Dick Cheney. R. Jeffrey Smith reports that Fitzgerald targeted Libby out of “pique at his inability” to nab Cheney, “the man behind the screen, pulling the switches and levers” of his minions. Smith concludes, “Although Cheney was the target, Fitzgerald's investigation could not reach him because of Libby's duplicity.” This explains why he advanced an incredibly weak case. How weak?
“Almost every witness would misspeak on direct [questioning] or left something out of grand jury testimony or got a date wrong,” said Ty Cobb, a former assistant U.S. attorney who heads the white-collar criminal defense group at Hogan & Hartson. He expressed skepticism that the case against Libby should have been presented to a jury.
The jurors called administration official Ari Fleischer “Slick Willie” and said reporter Judith Miller’s “memory was terrible.” During deliberations, they often thought sending Libby to jail “sucks.”
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemagazine.com ...
The difference between Joe Wilson’s proven lies and Libby’s theoretical ones could not be more stark: Libby’s endangered no one, while Wilson’s undermined the commander-in-chief while U.S. troops were in the midst of a hot war. Neither could their recompense be any more divergent. Libby faces 30 years in prison and a $1.25 million fine. Meanwhile, the Plame-Wilsons will proceed with their lawsuit against the Bush administration for “outing” Plame, field an offer from Hollywood heavyweight Jerry Zucker to make a biopic (which I believe is tentatively titled, “The Protocols of Learned Scooter Libby”), and Valerie Plame will follow her husband’s bestseller with a $2 million book deal of her own. The disgraced ambassador said his wife “wept” – tears of joy – “when she heard the news” of Libby’s conviction. The status-driven social climbers are crying all the way to the bank.
Patriotic Americans, dedicated to winning the War on Terror – or who simply believe in the ideals of truth and decency – cry, too.
I weep, too.
how many guilty verdicts from the Ken Starr investigations? versus one here?
How did prosecuting Scooter Libby help to feed a hungry child?
True, Wilson's lies were of a much greater magnitude compared to the completely inconsequential lies of Libby. But I think the author missed a key point, which is that Wilson lied in public while Libby lied under oath.
Fitzgerald should be charged with entrapment, and I bet you a smart lawyer could get him indicted. He needs to reap what he has sown.
So what? Libby's life is ruined, all because of an over-zealous prosecutor who wanted to make a name for himself.
I live for the day when the Liar Wilson is finally put under oath.
Sandy Berger steals and destroys official documents from the Library of Congress that prove the clintoons were aware of the islamic threat, did nothing to prevent 911 and are guilty as sin. Does Berger get prosecuted and sent to jail? Absolutely not. And if hitlery gets the WH in 08, guess who will get hired as garbage man to cover up hitlery's bad horrible errors? That's right, Sandy "Criminal" Berger.
Libby states what all of DC knows and faces a sentence of 25 years in prison provided his appeal does work out. And ole Joe & Val do a clintoon and write their books and make millions.
This stinks to high heaven.
How is Fitzgerald any different from Nifong? He is a willing participant in a slow-moving coup d'etat.
What possible basis could Plame and Wilson have for a civil suit against Libby? They have made (and will make) millions of dollars in tv appearance and speaking fees, book profits and movie rights and residuals because of their outing by Richard Armitage, for which H. Lewis Libby was incongruently charged. Are they going to claim excessive largesse and give some of that money to him?
Or Johnny Sutton for that matter.
Whatever the facts, there is one which is indisputable: Valerie Plame is one of the hottest babes in America. Joe Wilson may be a commie traitor, but he sure is a lucky one.
"Weeping" all the way to the bank...
He should pardon Libby, immediately after he pardons the two Border Agents.
On the outside maybe, but as ugly as Helen Thomas on the inside.
Yeah, but don't expect a perjury investigation afterwards. :(
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