Is the investigation over or not.?

[boston bean]

I have heard and seen conflicting reports from all sides.

I don't want to turn this into a bash fest, because I believe all posters on this board have something intelligent to say.


I really don't know, but I want to believe there is something more to this, so lets try to have a good conversation.

Please post below in the appropriate reply.

[boston bean]

1. Reply here if you think the investigation is NOT over.

[shamrock]

3. No

No, Fitzgerald said the bulk of the work is done but it's not over.

[Greenpeach]

4. Just the beginning. n/t

[ashling]

18. what does

n/t mean?

[kid a]

19. no text

[ashling]

23. Sorry, didn't know that

I guess I'm just dense

[Uben]

6. Too many questions

Why would Fitzgerald open a website and rent more space across the street if he was shutting things down? Doesn't make sense. I am hoping he has expanded the inquiry.

[merbex]

7. It is NOT over - Fitzgerald made a point of saying it wasn't over

naturally the bulk of the investigation is over because it would be a piss poor investigation if after 2 years the bulk of it wasn't over

BUT when the prosecutor says it isn't over and he uses a baseball analogy elsewhere in his press conference - IT ISN"T OVER TILL HE SAYS SO

That's my story and I'm sticking to it :)

[boston bean]

12. Can I stick to it with you? It's just that the sunday talk shows

have got me bummed out.

My head tells me this is just the beginning, but then i watch those corporatists on the alleged news and this is like its no big friggin deal.

WTF!

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. they want to minimize the story

it is not good for their agenda

[merbex]

20. Stick to it with a smile on your face - it'll drive the other side batty

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Not by far this is the begining of the process, not the end

and those who say otherwise (especially in the MSM) have an agenda to cloud this

[TahitiNut]

22. It's PLAIN that it will continue, if only to build a prosecution case!

At an absolute minimum, Fitzgerald is in the litigation phase in the case of the People v. Libby. There is absolutely no question that more evidence will be gathered and testimony obtained as the prosecution case against Libby is built.

Any allegation that Fitzgerald will discontinue any investigations leading to other indictments completely ignores Fitzgerald's track record and the track record of any U. S. Attorney prosecuting such a case.

Beyond the above, nobody has a reliable crystal ball.

[boston bean]

2. Reply here if you think the investigation IS over.

[Armstead]

29. I think Fitzgerald's investigation is about over -- but....

For better or worse, Fitzgerald has done what he was given responsibility for. Investigate the circumstances to see what happened and if there were crimes committed.

He apparently has decided that the only specific and provable crime was Libby's lying.

Fitzgerald may or may not personally have reason to believe that otehr crimes were committed. But -- as he made great pains to point out -- he could not speculate beyond what were provable and indictable crimes.

My own hunch -- based on his demeanor -- is that Fitzgerald does believe something was rottener in Denmark than what he could charge anyone with. But I also believe that he's no Ken Starr, and did not go out looking for ways to pull in a lot of otehr stuff that was not related to the original investigation.

So, like justice itself, sometimes the guilty walk to protect the rights of everyone else.

However, that's not necessarily the end of it. Whether legal or illegal, things were done that were wrong. There was obviously a coverup, and many administration officials lied baldly to the American people. (Remember all of that "If we find out who was involved in this leak...." nonsense they were saying publicly at the very same time they were engaging in the behavior they were expressing faux outrage about?)

if the Democrats and all decent Americans demand to know what happened and why, it's not over, regardless of the legalities.



I may be wrong, but that's my sense of it at this point.

[Balbus]

31. I think it's over for the most part. eom

[Spazito]

5. In Fitzgerald's own words

"I will not end the investigation until I can look anyone in the eye and tell them that we have carried out our responsibility sufficiently to be sure that we've done what we could to make intelligent decisions about when to end the investigation. We hope to do that as soon as possible. I just hope that people will take a deep breath and just allow us to continue to do what we have to do."

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

[clydefrand]

8. until I can look anyone in the eye

ANYONE?? Who might that be? Shouldn't he have said, "everyone" since he said "tell them". I know this sounds like nit picking, but did he just slip there with the wrong pronoun or is there another meaning?

[Spazito]

11. I have often used the expression 'anyone and everyone'

which means any one person not one person in particular. In essence, it means the same and is not a hidden meaning at all, imo.

[wookie294]

16. That's the statement of a prosecutor ending his investigation

Fitz knows millions of people are expecting more indictments because it's SO OBVIOUS that the crime didn't stop with Libby. There is no way this conspiracy ends with Libby. Fitz knows there is decent evidence to indict Cheney, Bush and Rove and that we're all expecting him to do so. He also knows he's not going to issue more indictments. So, Fitz is trying to reassure the public that he REALLY did look under every rock and acted responsibly. He's saying this as a means to deflect future criticism from people like us who are going to say he played softball, not hardball, with the Bush administration. I Hope I'm wrong and this thing isn't over. But I'm convinced in my own mind that Fitz acted irresponsibly.

[Spazito]

17. How you can interpret that paragraph as a statement showing

he is ending his investigation when it clearly states the opposite is beyond me. To some, however, who are intent at trying to convince otherwise, NO statement proving them wrong will suffice, it is just ignored or deliberately misinterpreted.

NO matter what factual data is provided, you seem to be convinced otherwise, such is your choice. You are, it seems, in a minority position, thank goodness.

[melody]

9. Only the RW wants to think it's over - clearly, it's not

I don't know how many times Fitzgerald has to say that the probe continues....that Rove remains under investigation. If Fitz met with the sprog's personal attorney, then it seems clear that Rove may very well be spitting up big fish to save his own shark fin.

[flyarm]

10. no its not over..and rove still has much culpibility!!n/t

[enid602]

13. investigation

Even if it's 100% certifiably over and done with, the investigation did what the MSM failed to do. The investigation revealed to the entire populace the manner in which this administration built its case to go to war. Sure, we at DU have known about Plame, DSM, Cheney's hi-jinks at the CIA, etc. Now the public has learned who their leaders really are. If nothing else, the investigation has done much to limit Bush's ability to start future wars. Even though Condi feels that the president has the ability to attack without further congressional approval, he doesn't control the pursestrings, and the public will now be a good deal more skeptical with regard to his cavalier attitude toward elective warfare.

[enid602]

26. investigation

After thinking about this some more, it comes as no surprise to me that since the investigation started making national headlines, so many people have finally and publically come out against Bush: Brent Scowcroft and the CIA guy who wrote (in 'The Conservative American') about corruption in the US occupation government in Iraq, to name two. I think this investigation marks a watershed in the Bush administration, one which he cannot reverse.

[kentuck]

21. Only if the Democrats let it die...

I tis up to the Democratic Party to keep it alive, in my opinion. Fitzgerald has done his job.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. No it is not a partisan issue

it will be used as one, but what Fitzgerald does has NOTHING to do with the Democratic party.

Now if and when we take back the house then hte House can move to Hearings, and take this out of the Special Council office...

[ashling]

25. You are right that the Dems

in Wash DC need to keep the heat on. However, I think there is more work to be done by the prosecutor here. I also think that his role needs to be expanded, as Nadler and others have said.

[LunaC]

27. Fitz still has two unanswered questions

Who compromised National Security by revealing classified information re: Plame's association with the CIA and was it innocent, reckless or malicious? Even though Libby has stonewalled him from answering the questions (which is suspicious in and of itself) Fitz intends to get to the Bottom Line with or without Libby's cooperation. He plans to continue his investigation with a new GJ. It's not over yet.

[goodhue]

28. Substantially

[DearAbby]

30. It is not over.