Fall of a Vulcan (must read! CIA leak!)

[janx]

Although Fitzgerald has so far drawn a tight circle around Libby that may leave President George W. Bush's longtime alter ego, Karl Rove, bloodied but secure, the United States v. I. Lewis Libby has already reopened old wounds about why the U.S. went to war in the first place. In an unprecedented and awkward fashion, the case pits government officials against the reporters who cover them. And Fitzgerald's indictment sets the stage for either a trial next spring or a plea bargain that almost certainly would mean jail time for Libby. That possibility has already been discussed: a source close to the investigation told TIME that Fitzgerald and Libby's attorney Joseph Tate discussed possible plea options before the indictment was issued last week. But the deal was scotched because the prosecutor insisted that Libby do some "serious" jail time.

Much more at link:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1124235-1,00.html

[Seansky]

1. what I don't get is how the entire journalism institution gets furious

about their own being used/manipulated into this nightmare...and fill the airways, tvs, and newspaper with attacks. How badly do they depend on corporate $$$ is an embarrasement to their profession, wouldn't you think?

[janx]

2. Sure. But this article points out just how angry Fitzgerald was

that "Scooter" wasted such valuable time with his lies. I wondered why that man lied so badly; it turns out that he would do or say anything to get the prosecutor off of the track of the real crime. Fitz must have known that he did that deliberately.

[berner59]

3. He 1st testified before the election...

Someone posted something about how Libby did it to get the FBI off the trail to give Bush time to be elected... Bush probably promised a pardon in return...I can't imagine a pardon going thorugh without a huge backlash from the public and if it happens before the '06 elections, GOP's are sunk... Libby is a boxed in rat...

[Dangerously Amused]

4. There REALLY needs to be a law established...

...that prohibits a president from pardoning anyone in his own administration.

Otherwise let's just clarify the criminal code to say that criminal laws don't apply to crimes committed by members of a sitting president's administration.

Let's just call it what it is, for Chrissake!

[bigmonkey]

6. I couldn' agree more.

It's just common sense.

[daleo]

9. You are so right.

These pardons show contempt for the rule of law.

[rzemanfl]

5. Libby's pardon is signed and in his lawyer's safe deposit box

everything we see now is just a dance for the purpose of keeping Libby out of jail for as long as possible.

[janx]

8. I cannot imagine that Fitzgerald, as mad as he must be at

Libby, would just let this slide. Libby kept him from doing his job, which was to find out if a crime had been committed.

[goforit]

7. Yep.....staying focused is prudent as is shown by Fitz.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

10. Fitz said Libby's lies kept him from getting to the truth on the outing.

Because Libby lied so much Fitz could not establish the elements of the underlying crime of knowingly outing a covert CIA agent.

He ought to be angry, and Libby doesn't deserve a good plea bargain. Fitz is right to refuse a cushy plea bargain.

Of course, we all know the above. I am just pointing out the obvious.

[Faygo Kid]

11. Fascinating. Don't you agree, doctor?

"I am a doctor, not a pundit, for God's sake!"

[wordpix]

12. Libby indictment will move Fitz up the food chain to Rove, Cheney

Article has good analysis about Libby plea bargain deal v. going to trial. Either way, Rove and Cheney got alot of 'splainin' to do.

Vulcans couldn't have been more wrong about bringing stability to Mideast by going to war in Iraq. I would laugh at their idiocy if it weren't so sad for the soldiers and both countries.

"Libby was a Vulcan,* one of the Bush team hard-liners, along with former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who helped the President cram for foreign policy debates during the 2000 campaign and who had argued for years that the U.S. should depose Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and bring democracy and stability to the Middle East."

[janx]

13. Fitzgerald doesn't talk about it--

but I believe you're right. ;-)