Why aren't they really going after Fitz?

[senseandsensibility]

I know, I know, he's objective, fair and balanced. We know that. But that's ot enough to stop the freepers and neocons. The last thing they care about is the truth. They can and WILL trash anything or anyone that gets in their way. Remember the term "swiftboating?"
These "people" are so vile that they will lie about a decorated war hero to prop up a disgrace like *.

Sure, they're afraid that he will come after them. He has power. But did you notice how Delay didn't let a little thing like that stop him when he smeared Judge Earle? The judge certainly has power over Delay, and there is the threat of serious jail time, but Delay still smeared him publicly. He didn't even use a surrogate.

I am somewhat surprised by their response so far. Is anyone else?

[wookie294]

1. I think BushCo is basically happy with the indictment

It's the best they could have hoped for.

Fitzgerald rolled over. The indictment is lame. It doesn't charge conspiracy and only one person is named. I'm starting to think that Fitz was bought-off by Bush and Company. Seriously.

[Seen the light]

11. Jesus Christ, I'm so sick of that

Have you not read that Fitzgerald is continuing the investigation? Once the investigation is over with and it's just Libby on these 5 counts, then fine, complain, but until then, what the hell? Nobody has any clue what might go down next week or the week after that.

[wookie294]

13. Fitz said he completed the "bulk" of the investigation

Sorry, I really do hope I'm wrong. I was not impressed by his news conference yesterday.

[Seen the light]

17. Of course he's done the bulk of the investigation

Have you not heard people speculate that he was close to indicting Rove but wanted a bit more time to get a clearer case and working out deals to present to the grand jury. When the new grand jury starts, how do you know he won't hit Rove very hard?

I mean, I can understand trying to be realistic, but the people that would've complained no matter what happened yesterday that wasn't up to the level of Bush and Cheney being arrested are driving me crazy. It sounds more pessimistic to me.

[wookie294]

19. I'm more interested in Cheney, not Rove

I thought it was certain that Cheney would be indicted and that a conspiracy would be charged. I hope Rove's new "information" disclosed to Fitz this week will implicate Cheney in the crime. But I agree with Air America's founder who said last night that this thing is OVER. If I'm wrong, I will eat crow on DU and announce my apology! Seriously! I really do hope I eat crow and this thing blows up into a circus!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

22. Who told you that Cheney would be indicted at this time?....

...and if this thing were "over", Fitzgerald would not be putting together a new grand jury.

You'll be eating crow along with one or both of your feet when the smoke clears...this is very far from being over.

Do yourself a favor and do some reading about Watergate from from the time the first arrests were made until Nixon resigned.

[wookie294]

23. I don't trust Fitz

A "new grand jury" is always on stand-by during prosecutions. Don't read too much into it. Here's what Fitz said yesterday....

"I can tell you, the substantial bulk of the work in this investigation is concluded.

"This grand jury's term has expired by statute; it could not be extended. But it's in ordinary course to keep a grand jury open to consider other matters, and that's what we will be doing."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/28/politics/28text-fitz.html?pagewanted=all

[Media_Lies_Daily]

25. Whatever. He's proven that he doesn't care what party you come from....

...if you commit a crime, Fitz is going to put you away.

[NYC Liberal]

27. "substantial bulk of the WORK in this investigation"

Meaning, they've gathered most of the info that they need. Now they will be piecing together the evidence that they have collected over the past 2 years to make the case for further indictments.

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Go watch the video

at http://canofun.com/blog/

[jayctravis]

33. The "bulk" of the investigation of the CIA leak.

Scooter kept Fitz from the true information, therefore Libby goes down, schwap, obstructing justice et. al.

That's not to say Fitzgerald couldn't already be on a new investigation. The CIA leak is a corner of the puzzle of something way worse than perjury...(which for you people in the back, has already progressed past what happened to Clinton; he was not indicted).

That's why the WH doesn't come at him. They know he's got their names and they don't know what he's got. Quoth Kenny Rogers; "You've got to know when to hold 'em."

Fitz has a lot of support and won major respect with how he works. That crisp press conference was a marvel. If anything, WHIG got to notice that he doesn't leak information. As anal and secretive as this government has been about covering their shit, you'd think they'd worry a tad about losing a CIA agent and an entire edifice of cover.

Apparently Cheney went messing over there at the CIA in the past couple of years. I can imagine looking over people's shoulder and using his authority to see what was up. That's not the way it's supposed to work. Those times we'd all look up and go "Where's Cheney? Did he die again?" No, he was probably doing stuff and making sure the details weren't publicly known. He got the occasional, "Going in to operate on some blood vessels, but thank goodness he has Health Insurance!" But often it wasn't even announced he was taking a break. I mean, if you want to operate pretty much with Presidential authority and not be under a microscope, freaking VP is the office to have.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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

[senseandsensibility]

20. The indictment is not lame

And it's just the beginning.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. The investigation isn't finished

[Skink]

2. Their scared..

:scared:

[NNN0LHI]

6. Hey that was my answer n/t

[Eric J in MN]

3. They're happy it's just Libby so far.

If Rove or Cheney are indicted, then TV and blogs will be full of right-wingers trashing Fitzgerald.

[Garbo 2004]

4. They will and have started already, but his investigation isn't completely

done. Perhaps more shoes to drop.

It's such a "secret" plan to go after him and any indictments, that the planning has already been reported in the media. LOL. Don't have a link at the moment.

[stop the bleeding]

5. I think a guy like Fitz can not be attacked right away via knee jerk

comments. I believe the neocons are plotting something but when you are dealing with an individual such as Fitz then you better do your homework before you start taking pop shots out there. I do think that swiftboating will come but it will take more time since the neocons will want to make sure they have all of their snakes in a row.

[LaurenG]

7. I'm not surprised because bush liked him

and approved of him and now Fitz is going to blow them out of the water and there is nothing they can do unless they suicide him.

[Igel]

8. No. It's pretty much what I expected.

He's done what he's supposed to do. They can dispute the usefulness or importance of the indictments, but that's about all I'd expect from most of them.

Some freepers are idiots; the odd pundit may go out on a branch. But so far he's treated the investigation with dignity and hasn't done things he shouldn't.

[rzemanfl]

9. This is a poker game. They don't know what Fitzgerald has on

them and are genuinely afraid. They could attack him and end up with the proverbial hot poker up their collective asses. They are also relying heavily on their designated fall guy, Scooter, and are not entirely sure he can be trusted to take one for the team.

I am reminded of an old ethic joke. A platoon of the (insert country you want to insult here) Army is assigned to take out a German foxhole. They approach their target stealthily and then begin running back yelling "It's a trap, there's two of them!"

Like the hapless pick your country soldiers the BFEE doesn't know what's in store for them. I think it is clear that Bush, Rove and Cheney were in on this from the get go. They are relying solely on loyalty and lies to save their asses.

[senseandsensibility]

26. Yes, they are definitely "off their game", aren't they?

I think they only have one game, though: attack. When that fails, they flounder.

[jody]

10. Bush will say he selected Fitz to clean house and he thanks him for a job

well-done thereby washing his hands clean just like Pontius Pilate.

Bush is to petty and vindictive to accept the blame for anything.

Unlike Truman, Bush's motto is "The Buck Stops There".

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[Zen Democrat]

14. My read is that the charges against Libby are a lock.

The reporters are connected and they turned. They didn't keep the secrets that Bush assumed they would. Remember early on when he said that he didn't think the leaker would ever be identified? He said to the reporters "you guys are good at keeping secrets."

Their story fell apart and they are all culpable at this point. I think Fitzgerald is right, the bulk of the work is done. Now he's just got to get a couple more under oath ... Bush and Cheney. He couldn't get their agreement to testify without an indictment under his belt to use as extreme pressure.

[senseandsensibility]

16. All the more reason for them to attack him, right?

Or am I missing something? Obviously, it would be unwise to do so, but when have they ever been wise?

[Tatiana]

15. Same reason Mayor Daley in Chicago doesn't.

Anyone who puts himself out there in trying to smear Fitzgerald will find themselves under the same microscope Bush, Cheney, and Rove are all under.

Those in glass houses better not throw stones. Fitz will smash their glass houses to bits.

[spanone]

21. I don't think there is anything bad to say. Bush* praised him earlier.

They're kinda screwed.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

24. Because the NeoCons understand who's backing Fitzgerald....

...they also realize that Fitz's backers are already pissed off, and growing in numbers on a daily basis.

Additionally, IMHO, Delay did a VERY stupid thing to attack the Judge in public. He doesn't understand that the tide has turned, and he's about to be washed out to sea.

[Catherine Vincent]

28. Give it time. As David Gergen says...it's coming.

Gergen knows. He's a republican.

[mbee]

29. They don't know if additional indictments are forthcoming so I do

believe it is in their best interest to keep quiet!

[FreedomAngel82]

30. Bush has already praised him

Tucker Carlson talked about this on some show. I can't remember if it was Maher or something else, but he was saying how Bush shouldn't have praised him so they can smear him. I was so disgusted by that. Ugh.

[belle]

34. It's harder when it's not an actual election, is my guess.

Fitzgerald's job is not up to the voters; therefore a media blitz to smear him isn't really going to do so much to hurt him. Not that they won't try--they've already sent some volleys in his direction--but it seems to me that that's more about protecting the unindicted R's jobs (and the pundits who enable them) than about any hope of throwing off Fitzgerald, per se. then again, who the hell knows.

As for Delay, I think it's partly the same thing--he's trying to make sure his base doesn't abandon him in the event that this gets dragged on past '06, and/or he gets off but is tarnished by the accusations. I also think that he's being stupid in this case, as it appears to be backfiring if anything (his popularity is way way down in the polls, and I can't think his whining/blustering all over the airwaves is helping him in that regard), but he just can't help himself. some people are like sharks: they have to attack or they die...

[senseandsensibility]

35. Good points

Delay is really, really brazen. It's almost like he knows the fix is in or something. Either that, or he's just desperate.