I'm in some agreement with you here - It does appear that Mr. Libby simply should have been more up front. There was nothing to hide (or spin) like is somewhat seems to have been doing.
The fact is this Administration should have come out much harder on Wilson (and Mrs. Plame) over the last 2 years - Took care of those two fools in the public forum...and Mr. Libby should have shot more straight to the GJ.
I still think he might beat these charges at a trial though -
In the grand scheme here though - the MSM and DEM's lost big time - You can see it and hear it in their reporting.
In the past 72 hours the GOP base is reunited and the MSM big target (Rove) has come out fine. Bit trouble for the DEM's in 06 is on the way -
Scooter' Libby to Avoid Perjury Charge
Lewis "Scooter" Libby will likely avoid perjury charges in the Leakgate case, and will instead be charged with making a false statement to investigators - a crime that mirrors Independent Counsel Robert Ray's findings against Hillary Clinton five years ago.
Libby's indictment "will be 'false statement' charges as part of an effort to mislead the grand jury," reporter Carl Cameron told Fox News radio host Tony Snow Friday morning.
"False statement charges are significantly different from perjury," Cameron explained. "They don't include the need to prove intent."
Libby's indictment will likely be based, said Cameron, on his claim that he first learned of Valerie Plame's identity from the media, rather than from Vice President Dick Cheney, as media accounts have suggested.
In his October 2000 final report on the Travelgate scandal, Independent Counsel Ray said of Mrs. Clinton:
"The overwhelming evidence establishes that she played a role in the decision to fire the [travel office] employees and provided input into that decision. Thus, her statement to the contrary under oath was factually false."
Despite Mr. Ray's conclusion, however, that Mrs. Clinton had committed a serious federal felony, he declined to prosecute.