[dogbyte12]

Libby told the grand jury he heard about Valerie Wilson for the first time on July 10th from Tim Russert.

He talked to Judy Miller about her on June 23rd. This is not rocket science here. Most perjury cases are muddled, this one seems pretty straight forward.

I am happy Fitzgerald didn't overcharge, and only indicted on what he thought he could prove. He proved this charge pretty well unless he is flat out lying about Libby's testimony. Why some here can't see that is beyond me.

Just because there is a natural instinct to protect "our side" we shouldn't let facts not get in our way. Scooter Libby, though still legally innocent, almost certainly committed perjury. The end.

[Torie]

Maybe he got the dates mixed up, and did forget. But as I say, the lawyer should do his own investigation and review, and then have his client rush back to the grand jury, and share the news. Rove must have really annoyed Fitzgerald when he decriminalized himself.

[conservative in nyc]

Scooter Libby, though still legally innocent, almost certainly committed perjury.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge. The indictment only includes snippets of Libby's grand jury testimony/FBI statement, which may or may not be taken out of context. And we haven't even heard Libby's defense yet.

Also, I'm not sure that Libby told the grand jury the first time he heard of Valerie Wilson was on July 10 from Russert. Reading between the lines, he probably acknowledged that he knew of Ms. Wilson's CIA ties beforehand, but claims he forgot about it when Russert (allegedly) told him that other reporters knew. Fitzgerald is claiming perjury because (a) Russert claims he never spoke to Libby about Ms. Wilson on July 10, and (b) even if he did, Libby had to have had a recollection about Ms. Wilson's CIA ties when he spoke to Russert, contrary to his testimony that he had no recollection at the time of the conversation.

[Carolinamom]

When Libby spoke w/Miller, wasn't there something about his understanding that she had security clearing? Russert and Cooper did not have it, so wouldn't it be understandable that Libby would not confide in them the Cheney/CIA source? And I am reluctant to believe anything Russert says...he's prone to CYA.

[lugsoul]

A breath of fresh air, that.

[PhiKapMom]

Just because there is a natural instinct to protect "our side" we shouldn't let facts not get in our way. Scooter Libby, though still legally innocent, almost certainly committed perjury. The end.

Thank you! I don't understand some of the comments I have been reading -- yours made my evening!

[sirchtruth]

Libby told the grand jury he heard about Valerie Wilson for the first time on July 10th from Tim Russert. He talked to Judy Miller about her on June 23rd. This is not rocket science here. Most perjury cases are muddled, this one seems pretty straight forward.

Whether intentional or not, Libby has lied, the real question is if he did it intentionally, why? We have more or less learned Plame was not covert so there could have been no outing, but did Libby know this and was he just afraid he might have?

It was just the stupidest thing to do, it's always the cover up that gets them and in this case a cover up of something that wasn't even a crime.

I think Fitz is fishing, he's just changing lure's now.