Star Character Witnesses at Libby Trial
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, February 13, 2007; Page A02
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A familiar-looking man in his early 60s took the stand at the Scooter Libby trial yesterday morning. "I need to ask you to spell your last name," said defense attorney Bill Jeffress.
"W-O-O-D-W-A-R-D," the man replied.
This was not sufficient for Judge Reggie Walton. "We need your first name, too," he said.
"Oh," said the witness. "Bob. B-O-B."
Spectators laughed. Jurors ogled.
Jeffress continued this line of questioning. "What do you do for a living?"
"Assistant managing editor of The Washington Post and book author."
It was a rare moment at the federal courthouse yesterday, and not only because Washington's most famous journalist was answering questions from somebody other than Larry King. Woodward, columnist Robert Novak and a quartet of prominent journalists were called to the stand for the first day of Libby's defense.
Libby must believe himself to be in desperate legal straits to have six journalists serve as his character witnesses. And, indeed, the reporters' testimony appeared to do little to dent the prosecution's case that the former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney eagerly shared CIA officer Valerie Plame's name with reporters and then said otherwise under oath. But Libby's team did establish that the defendant wasn't the only administration official dishing about Plame.
No mention of Armitadge stating that Wilson was calling all of the reporters.....