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Lawrence O'Donnell: Rove's I-did-not-inhale Defense
Huffington Post ^ | 7-4-05 | Lawrence O'Donnell

Posted on 07/04/2005 3:17:36 PM PDT by STARWISE

Karl Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, had his holiday weekend ruined on Friday when I broke the story that the e-mails that Time delivered to the special prosecutor that afternoon reveal that Karl Rove is the source Matt Cooper has been protecting for two years.

The next day, Luskin was forced to open the first hole in the Rove two-year wall of silence about the case. In a huge admission to Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times, Luskin confessed that, well, yes, Rove did talk to Cooper. It is a huge admission in a case where Rove and Luskin have never, before Friday, felt compelled to say a word about Rove's contact with Cooper or anyone else involved in the case.

Luskin then launched what sounds like an I-did-not-inhale defense. He told Newsweek that his client "never knowingly disclosed classified information." Knowingly. That is the most important word Luskin said in what has now become his public version of the Rove defense.

Not coincidentally, the word 'knowing' is the most important word in the controlling statute ( U.S. Code: Title 50: Section 421). To violate the law, Rove had to tell Cooper about a covert agent "knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent's intelligence relationship to the United States."

So, Rove's defense now hangs on one word—he "never knowingly disclosed classified information." Does that mean Rove simply didn't know Valerie Plame was a covert agent? Or does it just mean that Rove did not know that the CIA was "taking affirmative measures" to hide her identity?

In Luskin's next damage control session with the press, let's see if any reporter can get him to drop the word 'knowingly' from the never-disclosed-classified-information bit.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cialeak; cooper; karlrove; luskin; newsweek; odonnell; plame; robertluskin; rove
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To: STARWISE

This guy sounds like a nut right off DU. He doesn't realize how cruel he is being to the DU wackos. They have been whipping themselves into a fury about the prospect of the Evil Genius Rove being busted, and this idiot is throwing gasoline on their little campfire. When nothing happens to Rove they will go into major meltdown about the all-powerful Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. I predict that O'Donnell is contributing to several more of the inevitable nervous breakdowns and suicides that will ensue when the Rove storm hits the wall.


21 posted on 07/04/2005 3:35:19 PM PDT by laishly
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To: Lunkhead_01

I still can't believe Drudge had this clown on his show last night. If Rove leaked the name, we would have heard about it right away....particularly during the election season.


22 posted on 07/04/2005 3:35:35 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
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To: STARWISE
Karl Rove is the source Matt Cooper has been protecting for two years.

O'Donnell is a "creepy liar". Karl rove voluntarily signed a waiver of confidentiality allowing, even requesting any reporter with whom he talked about Joe Wilson to testify honestly and not engage in any effort of "protecting" the content of their discussions. If Miller was protecting a source, it was not Karl Rove.
23 posted on 07/04/2005 3:36:03 PM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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To: STARWISE

Here's a question: why do supposedly savvy Democratic political operatives waste their time ranting about Karl Rove? He's only doing a job that they themselves probably want to do. Professional jealousy?


24 posted on 07/04/2005 3:36:18 PM PDT by popdonnelly
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To: AppyPappy

I don't have a problem with what Rove's lawyer said. He stated very clearly that Rove did not talk to Cooper PRIOR to the Novak article, but rather AFTER the Novak article. So he obviously didn't blow anyone's cover.

O'Donnell is just spouting more Dem propaganda. He neglects to mention that key point which the lawyer made. You really wonder why MSNBC doesn't censure him. He's grossly misrepresenting what Rove's lawyer said by omitting that key point.


25 posted on 07/04/2005 3:37:09 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: BurbankKarl

26 posted on 07/04/2005 3:37:21 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
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To: timpad

LOL Priceless!!


27 posted on 07/04/2005 3:37:25 PM PDT by GoLightly
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To: Lunkhead_01

now he is just ignoring what is being said to fit Rove into his HE DID IT thinking.


28 posted on 07/04/2005 3:37:36 PM PDT by Pikamax
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To: STARWISE

See the meltdown here...

http://homepage.mac.com/rlmorel/iMovieTheater49.html


29 posted on 07/04/2005 3:37:46 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: BurbankKarl

Did Drudge challenge him or let him rant?


30 posted on 07/04/2005 3:38:20 PM PDT by Republican Red (''Van der Sloot" is Dutch for ''Kennedy.")
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To: adam_az

I think we should keep track of O'Donnell, and see how long it is before he is arrested for possession of cocaine. He certainly acts like he has the habit. Probably scored some from Aaron.


31 posted on 07/04/2005 3:39:38 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: laishly
He doesn't realize how cruel he is being to the DU wackos. They have been whipping themselves into a fury about the prospect of the Evil Genius Rove being busted, and this idiot is throwing gasoline on their little campfire.

I agree. He is being cruel. One of the articles I saw re Cooper and Rove was posted on one of these threads I posted this weekend; I think it was from American Prospect? Does that sound right? I know it was 2004, and someone posted it. Lawrence, come and visit us someday here on Planet Earth...

Lawrence is trying so hard to make it sound like he really did have a big scoop, and he is really not "Lassie O'Donnell" -- but, he is. He had nothing and is now trying to backtrack yet again and claim he had something.
32 posted on 07/04/2005 3:40:00 PM PDT by summer
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To: STARWISE
Larry is less credible than Joe Issuzu. Less credible than Bagdad Bob. Larry puts the 'anal' in pMSNCB Analyst. He's a steaming turd. Needs both hands and a map to find his own pecker to shake after he pees...which he probably does sitting down anyway...the girly-man...
33 posted on 07/04/2005 3:40:55 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Life's a beach - and Liberals are like the sand that gets in your swimsuit...)
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To: advance_copy

Re your post #23 - see my post #12 link for verification of what you said about Rove signing a waiver. Funny how Lawrence never mentions that...


34 posted on 07/04/2005 3:41:42 PM PDT by summer
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To: Keith in Iowa

ROTFLMAO... and, what's astonishing, is that it is so easy to prove him wrong. It's not a secret what people here on FR have been posting about this matter. Still, he wants the world HIS way, no matter what the facts or truth may be! I feel sorry for the DU posters who are being misled by him.


35 posted on 07/04/2005 3:43:14 PM PDT by summer
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To: STARWISE

bump


36 posted on 07/04/2005 3:44:05 PM PDT by lowbridge
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To: STARWISE

O'Donnell has behaved really out of control for the last two years, maybe longer. Accusatory statements, hate speech, and attributions of bad-faith against many elected American leaders. He really does need help, I believe. His managers at WSJ should rein him in for awhile.


37 posted on 07/04/2005 3:45:59 PM PDT by NetValue (No enemy has inflicted as much damage on America as liberals.)
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To: GoLightly

The only thing I'm sure of is that she was outed before she was outed. Who outed her and when is a question for the pros here on FR. Meanwhile, I'm outa here.


38 posted on 07/04/2005 3:49:00 PM PDT by Arkie2 (No, I never voted for Bill Clinton. I don't plan on voting Republican again!)
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To: summer
Still, he wants the world HIS way, no matter what the facts or truth may be!

Larry is a screenwriter by trade. He gets upset when his characters don't behave according to his script. Things are true because he wants them to be. To wit: Robert Luskin, had his holiday weekend ruined on Friday when I broke the story...
39 posted on 07/04/2005 3:50:07 PM PDT by timpad (The Wizard Tim - Keeper of the Holy Hand Grenade, Finder of Obscurata)
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To: timpad

He also omits to mention that Rove's lawyer, and CNN International, both said the federal investigator confirmed Rove is NOT the target of this investigation. In light of that, Lassie O'Donnell really seems to be beating a dead horse here (no offense to the real Lassie or any horse).


40 posted on 07/04/2005 3:53:15 PM PDT by summer
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