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
This observation details the difficult situation that Libby was dealing with.
Wilson was double-dealing from behind the shield his wife's employment created for him.
The administration couldn't tell the truth about Wilson's lies without revealing Plame's employment.
There is something systemically wrong when CIA employees are allowed to act in extra-legal fashion with impunity -- not only in the U.S., but counter to the country's interests.
At the very least, this is NOT whistle-blowing -- but might be construed as a violation of the Hatch Act.