Rove - Unindicted Co-Conspirator?

[kpete]

Ex-deputy secretary of state new figure in CIA leak probe

BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald recently had to sneak Armitage into a Washington courthouse to get past reporters - a sign of his value in the case, according to one source.

"Rich has been cooperating with Fitzgerald since day one," said another source, who has close ties to Armitage. "He was one of the first people to offer his testimony."

.................

Even if Rove escapes indictment, he could still be forced to resign for talking about Plame with a Time magazine reporter.

"People don't seem to want to talk about the possibility that Karl could be named an unindicted co-conspirator," a third source close to the case said. "Can an unindicted co-conspirator remain at the White House? Personally, I don't think so."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/419364p-354152c.html

[Gman]

1. Make no mistake

Rove will not be forced to do anything he doesn't want to do, especially resigning.

[Halliburton]

2. steve clemons hit the nail on the head

http://thewashingtonnote.com/

[Spazito]

3. It is interesting the article gives an either/or when referring

to the damage Armatige could do to Rove/Libby:

Armitage's testimony could hurt Vice President Cheney's indicted former chief aide Lewis (Scooter) Libby, or President Bush's political guru, Karl Rove.


It seems to me that should be Lewis (Scooter) Libby AND President Bush's political guru, Karl Rove.

There would be no love lost between Armitage and Libby and Rove as both were part of the in-house war against Powell and the State Department.

[Toots]

5. I am not so sure of that no love thing

Remember Bush* (Rove) chose Armitage in the first place. Armitage was in the Reagan Administration and a part of the same "culture". Armitage is every bit an insider. I am sure his testimony is very selective...

[H2O Man]

8. Powell brought in Armitage.

Not Rove.

Armitage's testimony has been damaging to those who were involved in the operation to destroy Joseph and Valerie Wilson, and to cover up their actions.

While Armitage is not a character that can or should be viewed as heroic on the left, he is someone who people like Karl and Scooter fear and despise.

[Me.]

13. You Beat Me To The Punch

I was just about to say that Dick chose Powell as his partner for the dance. I also note this line from the article "Unlike Rove and Libby, Armitage appears to have tried to dissuade reporters from writing about her'.

I have wondered about him, does the fact that he looks somewhat like a pirate in any way reflective of his charcter? And what the heck did he do to be knighted?

*shadow government*

[Spazito]

15. Armitage's history with Powell goes back a long ways

and his resignation right after Powell left was telling, imo. If he were, indeed, a bush loyalist as opposed to a Powell loyalist I would have expected him to stay and even, possibly, be tapped to replace Powell seeing as he was the Deputy Secretary of State.

[Patsy Stone]

10. True

but it came off to me as poetic license, saying he could do damage to either. I would have used "and", but I don't see that using "or" implies that he couldn't hurt them both, since both were mentioned. Also, it depends who he testifies against. Fitz may be saving him for Rove or Cheney and not intend to call him during the Libby trial.

Either way, he realized the error of his ways and came clean. And yes, no love lost. So far, he's the one with the most integrity. Thanks, Richard!

[TahitiNut]

29. There's no 'either.' It's a journalistic inclusive 'or.'

:dunce:

[npincus]

4. "indicted co-conspirator"-- it doesn't seem right, does it?

Sure, Rove would be tainted by the label, not as he would be with indictment(s) for perjury and/or obstruction of justice.

[Me.]

11. No It Doesn't

And would be a travesty, jail time with/without a plea is what he deserves.

*shadow government*

[leveymg]

6. The only reason Rove doesn't get indicted is if he's turned.

If he hasn't sung the full tune to Fitz's satisfaction (implicating his superiors), he may already have been indicted, and the indictment has been sealed.

This is by no means over.

[mod mom]

7. What if he received a presidential pardon PRIOR to the indictment? (as

an earlier post here mentions)

[leveymg]

9. I don't think a pardon has effect until it's announced.

If there were a pardon, Fitz would issue a statement the same day.

[Patsy Stone]

12. That's right

:toast:

[Scoody Boo]

14. Rove has not been indicted and will not turn unless...

someone is actually charged with outting Valerie Plame. If Rove is charged with perjury or obstruction because of his testimony regarding Valerie Plame but no one is indicted for that, they will not cooperate or turn, feeling that perjury in a case with no underlying crime (which there isn't unless someone is indicted for it) will fall apart.

They are counting on this. For the fear of God to be instilled into this administration, someone has to have an indictment for outting Valerie Plame hanging over them to cooperate. Without that, they will just laugh and point when charged with simple perjury.

They will go to court and baffle the jury with bullshit saying, "Lied about what?"

Someone. ANYONE, needs to go down for outting Valerie Plame. No one is going to turn on the administration because they do not fear the perjury indictments if there is no Valerie Plame.

[leveymg]

16. Who told you there has to be an "underlying crime" for perjury?

Think of it this way. A group of Mafia thugs get together and plan a bank heist. But, the bank heist never comes off because the getaway driver crashed on the way to the bank. The cops see guns in the car when they investigate the accident. The driver lies to the police and Grand Jury about what the gang was intending to do with the guns and where they were headed when they crashed the getaway car.

Just because there was no bank robbery, the getaway driver and the others who lied can still be indicted and convicted of conspiracy and perjury.

How is Rove, Cheney and the others who lied in the Plame case any different from the members of the Unlucky Bank Gang?

[Me.]

18. Conspiracy To Commit

Yes?

*shadow government*

[Scoody Boo]

24. The difference is...

the bank robbers were going to commit a crime and there was evidence of it. They could get charged with conspiracy to commit that crime if nothing else. You would have the crime of conspiracy AND the perjury commited trying to cover it up.

It is different with Plame because there has been no one charged in anyway with outting Plame or "conspiracy to out" Valerie Plame. If Fitzgerald indicts for perjury committed for a crime that no one has been charged with, it is going to be very difficult to convince a jury to convict. Libby (and Rove if he EVER gets indicted for perjury) know this. There whole strategy is going to be that no one was charged with outting Plame. If that never happened, how can they lie about it, is what they will put before the jury.

A perjury charge is not going to make Libby, Rove or anyone else turn on the Administration, not unless someone goes down for outting Valerie. You get ONE SINGLE PERSON indicted for outting Valerie Plame and they will rush to be the first one to spill their guts on everything. But as it stands right now, the perjury indictments aren't scaring anyone.

[ktlyon]

31. no lying to a grand jury is a serious offense

I expect an indictment(s) to come on outing the CIA agent and I expect others to be indicted on other charges. This thing is not near over. Are you in the right place? Try freerepublic.com they may be more interested in your line of bull. Or you could hang out here and learn something but I'm not sure if you are welcome.

[savemefromdumbya]

19. my feeling too

[blogslut]

17. Blogslut recommends

kpete threads! They're always so yummy! :9

[savemefromdumbya]

22. juicy

thanks kpete

[annabanana]

20. The Daily News!

Who'da thunk a tabloid, famous throughout the 60's as a RW mouthpiece would be showing such an independent streak?

[savemefromdumbya]

21. I think ROVE is ready to 'throw someone under the bus'

Maybe all those who have resigned/booted out of Bush's admin were in with the conspiracy. POwell, Fleischer, Mcclennan, Armitage, Card, Libby, etcx etc and where is our little friend Gannon?

[Spazito]

23. I think it is the opposite, all those STILL in the bush admin

were part of the conspiracy and those who have left are the ones who didn't participate with possibly a few exceptions.

[Maddy McCall]

25. I don't think Rove will escape indictment. I think he will be indicted.

It may happen a week from now or six months from now. But I doubt that he'll escape indictment.

[Sparkle]

26. I agree.

That fat bastard's number is coming up.

[DemReadingDU]

27. Is Armitage the 2nd source?!!!

5/19/06
From Steve Clemons...
Two sources have reported that Richard Armitage has testified three times before the grand jury and has completely cooperated and has been, as one source reported, "a complete straight-shooter" and "honest about his role and mistakes".
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001399.php



10/1/03
From Bob Novak...
It was an offhand revelation from this official, who is no partisan gunslinger
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/robertnovak/2003/10/01/168398.html

[DoYouEverWonder]

28. No, I doubt it

The honor is usually reserved for Presidents and maybe the VP.

As far as I know the only time someone was named an unindicted co-conspirator was Nixon. Which just means that we have enough evidence to indict you, but since you are the President we will leave your fate to Congress. At that point Congress had no choice but to impeach Nixon. Fortunately, Nixon had the good graces to resign first.

[ArnoldLayne]

30. Indicted for Perjury and obstruction of justice