ABC News: Libby Plans to Call on Rove to Testify

[understandinglife]

Libby Also Seeks Testimony From Outed CIA Officer's Husband and Former State Department Official

By JENNIFER DUCK and JASON RYAN

May 5, 2006 — I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's lawyers plan to call on White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove as a witness in his trial for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury and investigators over the CIA leak case.

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Link: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1929740&page=1

The knives are being sharpened ....


If You're pro-Bush, You're Anti-America

[Tiggeroshii]

1. Hmmm..

looks interesting. First I want a Rove indictment.

[fooj]

2. Fresh, ground pepper sir?

Peace.

[understandinglife]

3. How about a dash of Tabasco!

Peace, my friend.

[H2O Man]

4. Perhaps the most

interesting part of these reports is that Judge Walton is frustrating Team Libby's plan to make this trial about anything other than what offenses Scooter is charged with. I fully expect Ted Wells to try to introduce the glove found on OJ's property.

[understandinglife]

10. "Judge Walton is frustrating Team Libby's plan to make this trial ...

... about anything other than what offenses Scooter is charged ..."

Yes. The brilliance of Mr Fitzgerald is that he seeks indictments from the GJ that he has the evidence to make stick. No matter how Team Libby dances, Scooter will be doing the three step - perjury, making false statements and obstruction of justice - for several years in one of America's federal prisons. About all Scooter can do, as we've all been saying since Oct 28, 2005, is to become as operatic as possible - sing, Scooter, sing ....


Peace.

[LaPera]

5. Meaning, don't expect a Rove indictment...

That's the way it goes...Rove is too valuable to the republicans in stealing this election piece by piece, with smears, distortion, lies and manipulation (just call Rove, he'll guide you)...Electronic voting machines...It'll keep them from facing jail, by keeping the majority...stealing it is the ONLY way, they have nothing to lose. And we'll ALL watch it happen and they know we'll do nothing about it but whine...and say..."We'll get 'em next time...

Getting a bit old don't you think?

[Peace Patriot]

6. A lot of people don't think the Libby indictment will ever go to trial,

that he'll plead out at some point, make a deal, probably has some aces in the hole, so what would be the point of announcing that they're going to call Rove as a witness? Is Libby trying to intimidate Rove, keep him from squealing? Or do they have a backroom deal to cover for each other? Or is Libby in some way trying to interfere with Fitzgerald indictment of Rove? Rove indicted, and being a witness for Libby at the same time, could get complicated. Of these, I tend to think a war between Libby and Rove is most likely. But I'm just guessing. I recall that Libby apparently tried to leave Rove holding the bag on the outings, early on. Designed it to look like typical Rove lowball political revenge. And there was some yelling in the WH hallways about this. (Wilson book.) I was thinking they misinformed Rove about the legality of it. But--to be clear--Libby is facing perjury/obstruction, not the outing. And so, likely, will Rove. Could Rove's mystery emails to other WH staff re Plame have been to Libby? That would be interesting.

I've been ranging around the internet, and picked up somewhere that several indictments are coming down next week, including Bob Woodward and Rove, and that sealed indictments of Bush and Cheney are in the wings. (These would likely be "unindicted co-conspirator" indictments, since I don't think Fitzgerald can prosecute the prez and v-p, but a grand jury CAN intiate a privileged bill of impeachment in the House, without need of a member introducing it (Jefferson's Manual)). Also, that TWO perjury/obstruction indictments = case for conspiracy. Bush/Cheney will be for conspiracy; WHIG-ers may be roped in.) (--sorry, can't recall which site, just that it was a reputable one.)

What are your thoughts of what seems to be a premature announcement by Libby team on calling Rove as a witness?

Ha! Just had this thought: If Rove is indicted, he won't be able to be a witness for Libby, right? Self-incrimination and all that. And Libby can claim that his key witness won't/can't say anything. Ergo: an appeal issue. Or...what is the word? ...a cancelled trial, a moot trial? Or a hung jury.

???

[H2O Man]

9. It's not really

premature. The defense had, in earlier documents, anticipated that Mr. Fitzgerald would call Karl. When Mr. Fitzgerald noted he would not be calling Karl, it may have been a surprise to Libby. It certainly made it evident that Karl was in legal jeopardy. Team Libby responded shortly afterward by saying they would call Karl.

Yesterday's hearing was specifically to have both sides lay out a general outline of their anticipated cases. What Libby's attorneys said about Rove in court was not new, as it had already been mentioned in court documents placed on the public docket. The reporting might be seen as the sharks gathering in what are troubled waters for Rove.

Team Libby would like to have the option of having Karl Rove wimpering, "On the advice of my attorneys, I plead the 5th," so that they could say to the jury, "Hey, someone might have been involved in a plot to damage Wilson, but it wasn't little Scooter. It was someone else, who refused to testify about his role!" Thus, it is not an issue for appeal after conviction, but rather, to try to convince the jury that Scooter is not the villian.

[Peace Patriot]

7. I was adding this week up, on another thread...

Stephen Colbert coldcocks George Bush and the entire war profiteering corporate news monopoly establishment in broad daylight.

Ray McGovern calls Rumsfeld a liar to his face.

Porter Goss abruptly resigns, haunted by sleazy Republican scandals with the word "Watergate" in them.

The "Coalition of the Killing" seems to be going down with the Bush Hindenberg: Berlusconi out, in Italy. Blair soon to be out, in England--mostle because of the war. Howard's in big trouble in Australia. Spain long gone. Who's left? Oh yeah, Poland (--no idea.)

The U.N. raked the junta over the coals on torture.

Bolivia's new Andes Indian president nationalized oil and gas; Venezuela's Chavez gave cheap oil to all the Sandinista mayors in Nicaragua, to bolster the presidential candidacy of Daniel Ortega; peaceful, democratic, leftist revolutions on-going in Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela and soon Peru, and maybe Mexico. Adios, yanquis!

Cheney insulted Russia.

Bush declared WW III.

Fitzgerald has kept his poker face on, while winning all the motions.

And Valerie Plame is writing a book.

What a week.

And it was my birthday.

[zanne]

8. Time for a happy dance!

And happy birthday!

[understandinglife]

11. What a week, indeed!! And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Peace.

[Olney Blue]

12. Thanks for the multi-layered birthday cake!

:toast:

Happy Birthday, and good summary.

[mod mom]

13. "Coalition of the Killing" great slogan for the thugs/war criminals!

[bleever]

14. Happy Birthday, Peace Patriot. What a week it was!

:toast: