Posted on 07/22/2005 8:53:27 PM PDT by jjwalker
Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has been reviewing over the past several months discrepancies and gaps in witness testimony in his investigation of the unmasking of CIA operative Valerie Plame, according to lawyers in the case and witness statements.
Fitzgerald has spent considerable time since the summer of 2004 looking at possible conflicts between what White House senior adviser Karl Rove and vice presidential staff chief I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby told a grand jury and investigators, and the accounts of reporters who talked with the two men, according to various sources in the case. (snip) Lawyers involved in the case said there are now indications that Fitzgerald either did not initially know or suspect that Rove was Cooper's primary source for the reporter's information about Plame. (snip) Two lawyers involved in the case say that although Fitzgerald used phone logs to determine some contacts between officials and reporters, they believe there is no phone record of Cooper's now-famous call to Rove in the days before Novak's column appeared in July 2003. That is because Cooper called the White House switchboard and was reconnected to Rove's office, sources said. (snip) The sources said Fitzgerald looked surprised in the August 2004 deposition when Cooper said it was he who brought up Wilson's wife with Libby, and that Libby responded, "Yeah, I heard that, too."
The prosecutor pressed Cooper to then explain how he knew about Wilson's wife in the first place, and Cooper said he would not answer the question because it did not involve Libby, the sources said. (continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
NOC is when an agent is suppose to be secretive, and is not even allowed, under threat of death, to admit he/she works for the U.S. government.
First, her cover was blown when she started dating Wilson, so NOC is out. Secondly, how did Johnson know she was NOC?
In my opinion, this investigation is either a waste of taxpayers money, or Fritz is after CIA leaks, not Rove. The presidential directive 5 in 2001 brought in 2 panels, one from current officials and the other an outside source, to consolidate intelligence agencies. Homeland security would be watching for leaks concerning national security , and since 2001 it's been stream lined.
There's more going on in Washington that "Who leaked a secretaries name." Everyone in her neighborhood knew she was a low level CIA. THAT is not NOC!
The democrats are trying to turn her into some kind of Joan of ark, and Wilson is Christ returned!
Actually, I think that's the famous Reagan defense. :)
The famous Clinton defense is the meaning of "is".
Or he is biased and wants to bring forth that subjective biased conclusion.
Yea, I don't know. I'm done with this investigation until we have "real facts". I guess he is supposed to be done in October.
This article makes it sound like Cooper beseeched Libby to grant a waiver when the fact is that Libby (like Rove) voluntarily signed waivers right off the bat.
Cooper was first subpoenaed to testify about Libby and refused despite the waiver (a little factoid omitted from this article). He in fact was held in contempt then and then cut a deal to give the Libby only testimony.
After he granted that the grand jury wanted the additional notes and testimony (which included the Rove conversation). Again he refused despite a long-standing waiver from Rove and again he was held in contempt until the 11th hour when he again agreed to grant the testimony after all and hence avoided jail.
Exactly my thought, Shermy.
Lame (and as you point out, oh so transparent).
No they don't---for camp Wilson and the complicit reporters.
Things look just fine for the honest Rove and Libby.
Thanks for the link.
Many years ago I used to subscribe to the usnews & world report...are they one and the same?
I'm sorry. Are they the same one as post # 5?
Parsometer on:
Cooper employs the time-tested and trusty "can't recall" ploy. From the article:
Rove has testified thathe and Cooper talked about welfare reform foremost and turned to the topic of Plame only near the end, lawyers involved in the case said. But Cooper, writing about his testimony in the most recent issue of Time, said he "can't find any record of talking about" welfare reform. "I don't recall doing so," Cooper wrote.
As to Rove being his "first" source---I found the reporters played fast and loose with terminology, first writing:
Lawyers involved in the case said there are now indications that Fitzgerald did not initially know or suspect that Rove was Cooper's primary source for the reporter's information about Plame.
This does not exactly say Rove was the "first" and the evidence to date does not buttress a Rove-as-primary-source scenario.
But then the sleight of hand on page two:
Cooper then told the grand jury that Rove was the first administration official to tip him off that Plame worked for the CIA.
First administration official does not mean first source.
No, it's the Clinton defense, period.
" I found the reporters played fast and loose with terminology.. "
As they do with the facts.
It's interesting that Rove volunteered to the Special Prosecutor apparently a long time ago, that he had discussed Wilson's wife with Cooper.
It wasn't dragged out of him or revealed in a perjury trap.
" ..a source close to Rove said the senior adviser volunteered the information:
"It appeared they( SP ) were not aware of the conversation."
The WP characterizes this as "passing information about Plame to Cooper ." As if Rove had classified info about Val in a folded newspaper on a park bench.
Tonight on the Keith Dopermann show, Joe Wilson said that the reason the investigation was taking so long,
was because President Bush is allowing members of his administration to stonewall Fitzgerald.
The delay was because of Cooper and Miller.
" That testimony ( Cooper's testimony last year and subsequent refusal ) contributed to a lengthy legal battle, as Fitzgerald sought to compel Cooper to testify before a grand jury .."
Wilson then blabbered on basically accusing President Bush of masterminding the conspiracy against him and Saint Valerie.
No challenge what so ever by Doperman to Wilson's lies and delusions.
Wilson appears to be a pathological liar, paranoid and delusional, very much in the style of Bill Clinton.
Don't forget that Cooper is married to a Democratic operative. I think Rove was setup by the left.
yes, but is he telling the truth, or parroting what his wife (Mandy Grunwald-Hillary's henchwoman) tells him to?
This is starting to get a "wheels within wheels" look about it.
At the core of this I will bet that this was a plot to smear Rove, and Pres. Bush and it has backfired because the Republicans did not panic and start throwing people overboard like they used to do.
A lot of people are trying to get the toothpaste back in the tube, and it isn't the Republicans.
Regards,
All else is irrelevant.
It is very telling that the best thing Democrats have to occupy themselves with is a weak investigation (that the country couldn't care less about) which will leave them empty-handed even if they win it.
That Texas half-wit George Bush has repeatedly left these people standing around fondling themselves and he is doing it to them again.
Now that was one heck of a trick. I could have swore it was in the left hand?
Just a little personal thought;
Last week I called a tire dealer to inquire about pricing and this recording came on and said,"all call maybe recorded for quality purpose". Now, if a tire store is going to record calls, shouldn't the White House?
Rove took notes, Cooper didn't. Cooper talked out of his ass to the investigators and grand jury because he is sloppy and didn't keep notes. Rove granted the waiver because he has records and notes of everyone he talks to, it's a longstanding White House rule. He has been called back by the grand jury because reporters are all telling different stories, but I'll bet Karl's accounts have been the only consistent ones. If anyone is indicted for perjury or obstruction, it isn't going to be Karl Rove.
Interesting that Cooper called through the WH switchboard that day, eh? Almost like he did not want his call to be logged directly by Rove's office. Now why would he do that?
I still believe Matt Cooper was carrying water for the Kerry campaign, via his wife. He already had the info about Wilson and his wife because Mandy gave it to him. That's who he is covering up for, his own wife. If he names her, she has to testify, and then it's all over.
This was a planned hit on the White House by the Kerry campaign. The moonbats are going to go nuts when it all comes out.
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