Obstruction of justice does not require another crime be committed. All it requires is that he knowingly impede the functioning of a grand jury by misleading it. By lying to the grand jury about when he learned of Ms. Wilson's identity and the sum and substance of his conversations about Ms. Wilson to reporters, he obstructed justice. It is irrelevant that he was not the actual source of the leak (Mr. Armitage, who cooperated with investigators), nor is is relevant if Ms. Plame was or was not covert. What matters is only that he lied to the grand jury and investigators.
Remember - no crime need be committed for a grand jury to exist. There must only be reason to believe a crime may have been committed. Grand juries are investigatory tools, not fact-finders.
I have absolutely no sympathy for Libby. I didn't buy the "I forgot" defense (come on - one of the sharpest Beltway lawyers "forgot"? Not bloody likely.) My support for the Iraq war does not extend so far as to give immunity to lawyers for lying to grand juries.
" Obstruction of justice does not require another crime be committed. All it requires is that he knowingly impede the functioning of a grand jury by misleading it. By lying to the grand jury about when he learned of Ms. Wilson's identity and the sum and substance of his conversations about Ms. Wilson to reporters, he obstructed justice. It is irrelevant that he was not the actual source of the leak (Mr. Armitage, who cooperated with investigators), nor is is relevant if Ms. Plame was or was not covert. What matters is only that he lied to the grand jury and investigators.
Remember - no crime need be committed for a grand jury to exist. There must only be reason to believe a crime may have been committed. Grand juries are investigatory tools, not fact-finders."
"I have absolutely no sympathy for Libby. I didn't buy the "I forgot" defense (come on - one of the sharpest Beltway lawyers "forgot"? Not bloody likely.)"
The rigidness and absolutism of youth! Smart lawyers never give guarantees, but I'll break that rule this one time. After you've been practicing as long as b-d and me, I guarantee you'll look at these things differently.
"My support for the Iraq war does not extend so far as to give immunity to lawyers for lying to grand juries."
As well it shouldn't.
Memory loss that increases with age is extremely bloody likely. It is also depressing, and annoying, and frightening. I recommend that you avoid it.