Prosecutor in CIA leak case says Cheney could be called to testify.

[tandot]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

on edit: my local channel www.kcra.com just announced it and it was just posted on MSNBC - Fitzgerald could ask Cheney to testify !!!

[Pirate Smile]

1. MSNBC: Prosecutor in CIA leak case says Cheney could be called to testify

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Breaking News Banner on MSNBC website.

[GainesT1958]

2. You know what they say...

"The bigger they are....." :eyes:

B-)

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JWS]

37. Actually it should be "The eviler they are."

But is "eviler" a word?

[chascaz]

50. It in Dumbya's Unabridged Dictionary

Between "Decider" and "Frauder"

Eviler (adj.) - ee-vil-ur : More evil than Evil, but not quite Evilest.

Peace - :)

[cassiepriam]

45. Dupe delete

[leveymg]

48. I predict a dire medical emergency before he testifies

Dick would rather die than have to testify under oath. Significant others in his neocon/PNAC/WHIG/OSP-AIPAC citcles would agree.

[onehandle]

4. AP/Yahoo News link:

WASHINGTON - Vice President Cheney could be called to testify in the perjury case against his former chief of staff, a special prosecutor said in a court filing Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060525/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak

[Pirate Smile]

7. Yahoo only has two paragraphs - what you posted plus the following.

"Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald suggested Cheney would be a logical government witness because he could authenticate notes he jotted on a July 6, 2003, New York Times op-ed article by a former U.S. ambassador critical of the Iraq war."

[peacetheonlyway]

5. Where do we send roses..

if fitzgerald calls in and eventually indicts cheney...

he will deserve his own country if he gets thru weeding out these assholes...

or perhaps a small island stocked with palm frond waving catholic girls...

[Mojambo]

6. Well, we'll have him on Perjury at the very least. n/t

[tandot]

8. Getting him for outing Plame would be better, but I'll take perjury

:evilgrin:

[annabanana]

9. Special counsel: Cheney may be called to testify

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12961060/from/RS.2/

WASHINGTON - Vice President Cheney could be called to testify in the perjury case against his former chief of staff, a special prosecutor said in a court filing Wednesday.

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald suggested Cheney would be a logical government witness because he could authenticate notes he jotted on a July 6, 2003, New York Times op-ed article by a former U.S. ambassador critical of the Iraq war.

[cliss]

10. I wonder if that's why the Old Boy

is asleep so much these days?

The old codger seems to be sawing logs, in the middle of the day, during work hours.

Just sitting there, with his hands folded across his chest....looking ever-so-innocent....


NOT

[oregonjen]

11. Lying takes a lot of energy

Being that evil and corrupt, you'd think he would look like death. Wait a minute, he does.

[KC21304]

13. He could be on anti-anxiety , or anti depression meds.

[shadowknows69]

12. The whole crew should have been under subpoena

from day one.

[upi402]

14. Capo, underboss, consiglierii, and crew n/t

[jazzjunkysue]

15. This is like when Batman has to choose between saving Chris O'Donnel and N

icole Kidman as they hang mid air over the giant, sharp, churning, grinding razor-like gears of death....Batman hangs by one arm (Ok, so, well, I know none of them are sexy like batman, but, well....you get what I mean...)

I like this part!!!!Go to jail, or send your number 1 cronie to jail.....

"Johnny! Tell him what he's won!"

[tandot]

18. My guess is that Libby will try to save his own ass

How many years would Libby face? Doesn't he have smaller children? Wouldn't he want to see them grow up? I'd sing like a bird :evilgrin:

[jazzjunkysue]

60. There is absolutely no doubt. Of course he will. CHENEY DID IT!!!!!

I like this part!

[987654321]

16. I wonder...

If Cheney is called to testify, how long will it take his co-conspirators to start spreading fake news around the internet discrediting Fitzgerald? I remember them trying that when he first went after Libby.

I can just see it now: "Fitzgerald found to be a left-wing liberal, Al Qaeda sympathizing, atheist out to destroy America!"

[leveymg]

47. The smeer machine has started. See the National Review

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1273915&mesg_id=1273915

[987654321]

53. thanks for the thread info

I'm just glad he is such a no-nonsense prosecuter who takes his job seriously and respects the responsibility of his position. He has more integrity in his stool than Ken Starr had in his whole body.

[cal04]

17. Story up at Msnbc

Fitzgerald said Cheney’s “state of mind” is “directly relevant” to whether I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the vice president’s former top aide, lied to FBI agents and a federal grand jury about how he learned about CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity and what he subsequently told reporters.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12961060/

[goforit]

19. 10,9,8,7,6........

Question is will there be consistency in their defenses.

[Eurobabe]

22. Sorry Fitz, Chainknee has no mind

and neither does the Chimp-in-charge.

[Barrett808]

23. "Libby’s lawyers said Fitzgerald would not call Cheney"

In a filing last week, Libby’s lawyers said Fitzgerald would not call Cheney as a witness and would have a hard time getting the vice president’s notes admitted into evidence.

“Contrary to defendant’s assertion, the government has not represented that it does not intend to call the vice president as a witness at trial,” Fitzgerald wrote. “To the best of government’s counsel’s recollection, the government has not commented on whether it intends to call the vice president as a witness.”

So what else are Libby's lawyers willing to assert about Fitzgerald?

[fooj]

25. Like Shuster said earlier..."Spokesperson paid by Karl Rove."

I think all of the "know-it-alls" on this subject should weigh in. Hurry. Don't disappoint.

:rofl:

[bleever]

27. Shuster chose his words well.

It's getting hard for those in the know to conceal their cynicism.

:)

[caledesi]

55. I said this before, but worth repeating - this is probably the

reason Jason Leopold (TO) got "tripped up." It was AFTER his article that the story about Cheney and the margin notes came out. Right then I figured that is why the indictment of KKKarl is delayed.

I am not giving up on Jason yet.

[Tiggeroshii]

20. Will it be under oath??

That s all that matters...

[JWS]

38. It probably won't be under oath

And he will probably have just gotten back from a hunting trip with the judge.

[caledesi]

56. Yes, see the video which said he WILL BE under oath.

vid is on the msnbc page - www.msnbc.com

edit: forgot stuff

[stepnw1f]

21. Under Oath Mothafucka

or may a pencil pierce your pig-like eye, Deadeye Dick.

[Canuckistanian]

26. About feckin' time...

It's way past due to put one of those ciminals on a witness stand and COMPEL them to answer a few questions WITHOUT spinning, avoiding the question or LYING.

No, wait, I take that back. I WANT him to lie and be caught out. On a court record.

[IndianaGreen]

24. Cheney is being set up for perjury

Imagine this: Cheney as the prosecutor's chief witness against Libby. What would Libby do? Go to jail, or flip against Cheney.

Cheney will be under oath and any statement he makes in court can be used against him if he perjures himself.

Unlike the President, a sitting Vice-President cannot claim executive privilege for he has only one Constitutional office: President of the Senate.

Ken Starr succeeded in getting a President in front of a grand jury so not even Bush, much less Cheney, will be able to avoid testifying in court.

[janx]

43. He's being set up for a lot more than that.

Except that the term "set up" isn't really accurate. Fitz knows what Cheney was doing at the CIA.

[Mr_Spock]

28. I just heard this as "breaking news" on my local NBC affiliate

Channel 7 in Boston.

[bleever]

29. A couple of salient clues in this excerpt:

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald suggested Cheney would be a logical government witness because he could authenticate notes he jotted on a July 6, 2003, New York Times opinion piece by a former U.S. ambassador critical of the Iraq war.

Fitzgerald said Cheney’s “state of mind” is “directly relevant” to whether I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the vice president’s former top aide, lied to FBI agents and a federal grand jury about how he learned about CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity and what he subsequently told reporters.

Libby “shared the interests of his superior and was subject to his direction,” the prosecutor wrote. “Therefore, the state of mind of the vice president as communicated to (the) defendant is directly relevant to the issue of whether (the) defendant knowingly made false statements to federal agents and the grand jury regarding when and how he learned about (Plame’s) employment and what he said to reporters regarding this issue.”

My first thoughts are that Fitzgerald isn't saying that he intends to call Cheney; he is instead putting him on notice of what might lay ahead for him, and what he should take in to account while weighing his options.

Secondly, it's interesting that Fitzgerald states that Cheney's intentions are relevant to whether Libby knowingly made false statements. We know Libby made false statements. The question posed, therefore, is whether or not conspiracy is involved.

Fitz is very, very good, and his humor continues to flash through.

Truth, and humor: two great tastes that go great together.

:)

[pola]

30. Fitz always gets the people at the top...he does not fool around..

[northamericancitizen]

34. Intentions and state of mind are very hard to prove.

Fitz made that very clear in his press conference last october.

Remember he used a "ball pitcher" analogy: did he intend to hurt the batter or was it an accident?

nac

[Catrina]

41. Unless the person has expressed their intentions and there are witnesses

I think that may be the case regarding Cheney ~ there is at least one witness to a trip on AF2 where Libby and Cheney supposedly discussed Valerie Plame.

I have a question though. Would Fitz call anyone as a witness who was under indictment?

[caledesi]

57. Yeah, but I think now that Fitz has the dick, Cheney's "thoughts"

recorded in HIS handwriting on the Wilson article....that would be state of mind to me.

[Spazito]

31. Very, very interesting

Fitzgerald just raised the stakes, imo. I can't wait till the filing is posted, should make for good reading. I can only guess things are even more tense in the Cheney camp than they were before Fitzgerald filed his response with the court.

Damn, this is getting good!

[Gman]

32. It will be a cold friggin' day in hell before Cheney testifies

they own the judiciary and are of the opinion they are above the wall. They have the judges to back them up.

[savemefromdumbya]

33. The 'state of mind'

yes Cheney's state of mind!

[usregimechange]

35. kick

[AndrewJacksonFaction]

36. Kick

[JWS]

39. Burn baby burrrrrnnn!!!! n/t

[northamericancitizen]

40. Keep on kicking.......

[pezdespencer]

42. is this the little hint

"By TONI LOCY, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Could Vice President Dick Cheney be a star prosecution witness in the perjury trial of his former chief of staff?"<-------- To Carl Rove

Or am I nutz?

[truthisfreedom]

44. cbs news just announced it too, and i yawned.

i'm so bored with the administration. i want something more interesting to go on here in this country. i want to see real advances in alternative energy. i want to see real change in our foreign relations. i want to see more salvation of life... i want to see aids research going ballistic, i want to see money coming from mining landfills.

i want something different, and so does most of my country.

[cassiepriam]

46. Remind me never to play poker with Fitz.

He'd have my first born and the clothes off my back.

[many a good man]

49. He'll plead the fifth

If he testifies in the Libby trial what might that do to his OWN trial?

[Qutzupalotl]

54. IIRC, you can't plead the fifth in a grand jury. n/t

[many a good man]

61. AP article talks about the TRIAL

WASHINGTON - Could Vice President Dick Cheney be a star prosecution witness in the perjury trial of his former chief of staff?

I guess if old Deadeye Dick gets indicted his trial will follow ole Scooter boy's.

[Qutzupalotl]

64. My bad

So much going on, it's hard to keep up.

[bleever]

51. kick

[Norquist Nemesis]

52. At least he'll be forced to swear in!

If this were going before Congress, they wouldn't make him swear an oath to tell the truth.

[OKNancy]

58. Experts Say Cheney Probably Can't Avoid Testifying

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/05/25/national/w140419D53.DTL&type=politics

Experts Say Cheney Probably Can't Avoid Testifying


If a prosecutor calls him as a witness, Vice President Dick Cheney probably can't avoid testifying in his former chief of staff's perjury trial, legal experts said Thursday.


"There may be significant issues of executive privilege and significant issues of classified information. But there are obviously significant factual issues that bear on the charges the prosecutor has brought" in the CIA leak investigation, said former federal prosecutor E. Lawrence Barcella Jr.


"So there is a far better than average chance that you are going to see the vice president sitting in the witness chair" if he is summoned, Barcella said.


In a court filing late Wednesday, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald suggested Cheney would be a logical prosecution witness because he could authenticate notes he jotted on a copy of a New York Times opinion column by a critic of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

[OKNancy]

59. and another commentary worth reading

Cheney, Witness for the Prosecution
Of course Vice President Dick Cheney is a likely witness in any perjury case against his former aide, I. Lewis Libby. He has personal information about a material part of a criminal case and it would malpractice on the part of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald not to consider him as a potential witness. Now, whether the Veep ultimately makes it onto the witness stand or not at Libby's trial is another matter. Between now and then there are about a dozen things that could or would happen to prevent Cheney from starring in the case against his former employee.

The first thing that could happen, of course, is that he could not be called to the witness stand at all. In the court filing that started last night's bulletin-o-rama on this story, all Fitzgerald was quoted by the Associated Press as telling the court was that "contrary to the defendant's assertion,the government has not represented that it does not intend to call the vice president as a witness at trial. To the best of the government's counsel's recollection, the government has not commented on whether it intends to call the vice president as a witness." That's a far cry from an affirmative statement that Cheney is loosening up in the bullpen.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2006/05/cheney_for_the_prosecution.html

[gorbal]

62. Rove must be a better singer than we imagined

Where oh where is that Rove-birdy graphic?

[Veronica.Franco]

63. Rove will not go quietly into that good night ...

He will sing, cry, wail, tear his clothes, and maybe even commit suicide before he'd go down alone ... he's a good little J. Edgar Hoover clone ... he's got a file on everyone and he's wielding it with all his might ... who knows, he may take them all down with him ...

[kitty1]

65. All I can say is Pass the Popcorn!