What crap. I want Wilson indicted along with his slut wife.
Perjury, obstruction of justice, etc. They got nothing, and we're going to punch this indictment out.
Not all of the 22 page indictment downloads yet, probably due to server overload, but so far it is all crap.
Libby is charged with telling FBI agents that he didn't remember if he knew that Plame worked for the CIA because reporters told him, or if the State Department told him.
BFD.
Its basically Libby's word against Russert, Cooper and Miller. That seems to be what the documents say. It was Libby's comments to them and how he reported said comments in testimony. Comes down to he learned her name from Cheney, so every time in testimony he said he heard her name from others, in his recalling talks with russert, cooper and miller, he is being charged with telling a lie. THough its one lie several times, supposedly. All he had to do was tell the truth. Me thinks Rove is being investigated for saying Plame's name was public, thats why its ongoing.
OK, Libby used "Valerie Wilson"
Who told Miller "F/Plame?"
Was Wilson or Plame ever questioned under oath about this as to their actions regaring this whole matter?
Well, we're about to find out if this President and this Administration is willing to fight this fight.
The gauntlet has been thrown down. I have my doubts as to whether they have the will to make a stand. We shall see.
IMHO, this nation's government is at a crossroads.
Looks like Libby was not Novak's source no. 1.
Libby was charged with perjury (2 counts), obstruction of justice (two counts), and making a false statement (1 count).
Libby was NOT charged with the crimes Joe Wilson and his allies in the MSM were claiming. There was no disclosure of covert intelligence personnel, nor was there any improper disclosure of national defense information.
(Note, in recent times, the only public disclosures of classified information, that I am aware of, have been by Patrick Leahy and John Kerry).
It does appear that this is just another of those "Martha Stewart Crimes", where there was no crime until there was a witch hunt (er, an 'investigation').
We also understand, now, why the DEMONcrats have been going out of their way to praise Fitzgerald in the past week or so. They were leaked info on this indictment.
And, finally, we now know for certain that none of this would have happened in the first place if the CIA had not performed acts that, for all practical purposes, were intended to undermine the war effort and embarass the President.
Tempest in a teapot bump.
It says that Plame's status was "classified" but the only thing Libby is charged with is mischaracterizing the conversations that he had with the reporters. For example, it says that he told the Grand Jury that Russert asked him whether Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, but that in fact, Russert never asked him that.
Page 16:
LIBBY ... stated that:"During a conversation with Tim Russert of NBC News on July 10 or 11 [db - note Fitz can't even nail down the specifics, but is charging Libby for being unable to nail down specifics], Russert asked LIBBY if LIBBY was aware that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. Libby responded to Russert that he did not know that, and Russert replied that all the reporters knew it. Libby was surprised by this statement because, while speaking with Russert, Libby did not recall that he had previously learned about Wilson's wife's employment from the Vice President.
As defendent LIBBY well knew when he made it, this statement was false in that LIBBY spoke with Russert on or about July 10 or 11, 2003:
a. Russert did not ask Libby if Libby knew that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, nor did he tell LIBBY that all the reporters knew it, and
b. At the time of the conversation, LIBBY was well aware that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA.
---------
Well, we see here why Fitz had to claim that it was not common knowledge that Plame worked at the CIA - in order to make this indictment plausible. Not only that, but he is basing it on a Libby said, Russert said situation. And Libby cannot even pin down the date of the conversation.
What a sham.
Pretty scary stuff.
SEN. CLINTON: "Mr Libby, were there any recording devices in the office of the Vice-President?"
LIBBY: "Well, now that you mention it..."
I read the whole smoking gun indictment, and important points to me were:
"that official asked LIBBY whether information about Wilson's trip could be shared with the press to rebut the allegations that the Vice President had sent Wilson. Libby responded that there would be complications at the CIA in disclosing that information publicly"
This is the heart of the matter. He understood the law, and he knew that it would be problematic to expose Plame. I dont' fault him for the choices he made.
More text from the indictment:
"On or about the morning of July 8, 2003 LIBBY met with New York Times reporter Judith Miller. When the conversation turned to the subject of Joseph Wilson, LIBBY asked that the information LIBBY provided on the topic of Wilson be attributed to a "former Hill stafer" rather than to a "senior administration official" as had been the understanding with respect to other information that LIBBY provided to Miller during this meeting.
LIBBY thereafter discussed with Miller Wilson's trip and criticized the CIA reporting concerning Wilson's trip. During this discussion LIBBY advised Miller of his belief that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA."
And more:
"LIBBY asked the Counsel to the Vice President, in sum and substance, what paperwork there would be at the CIA if an empolyee's spouse undertook an overseas trip"
LIBBY was doing his homework!!!
Final indictment:
I Lewis Libby defendant herein, did knowingly and willfully make a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the FBI investigation, an agency within the executive branch of the US, in that the defendant, in response to questions posed to him by agents of the FBI stated that:
yadda yadda yadda... Rusert, Matt Cooper, Judy Miller...
Ok, so he obstructed justice, he lied about what he knew and when he knew it.
He also helped exposed the FACT that Valerie Plame sent her husband to NIGER. And like the loyal underling that he is, he wanted to expose the selective publishing of facts that were being tossed out by the CIA.
Isn't this what we want in a White House official??
Someone who is willing to protect and fight for his presidents agenda???
I'm sorry that he felt the need to lie when he talked about what he knew and when he knew it. And I am sorry that he is probably going to be prosecuted for that.
But when is Joe Wilson going to be held accountable for his lies?? Who is going to press charges against him for misleading the whole country for two years?
When is the left going to admit that Sadaam was working feverishly on WMDs and had the will to use them?
Why isn't anyone talking about this speech given by Bill Clinton in 98? (I know, I know, he gave it on the day Monica was going to testify, but still, he made this speech)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec98/clinton_12-16.html
It is all just so nauseating.
Let all the truth be told, let all the lies be exposed, and please let us all understand that we have terrorists in our world who would like to nuke the west off the planet.
Jenny