Christy's busy at the conference in DC today, so the goddesses are letting me go skinny dipping in the Lake at will. The water is cold, but bracing! For those brave souls who so nobly waded through the refresher course on Greymail, CIPA and the Federal Rules of Evidence in the hopes that I would share some good dish with you, here it comes, enjoy!
When last we left our intrepid Judge Walton he had identified nine, count 'em nine subject areas which Libby:
"contends occupied his time and focus of attention during the relevant time periods. These nine topic areas are (1) threatened attacks on America and American interests by Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups; (2) enhancing the United States defenses for Homeland Security; (3) nuclear proliferation by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Kahn and efforts by the United States to stop his activities; (4) the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea; (5) Iran's development of nuclear weapons, its arrest and potential harboring of Al Qaeda members, and its involvement in Iraq; (6) the proper size and role of the Iraqi military or security forces in the months following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and the proper composition of the governing entity in Iraq; (7) the Israeli-Palestine relationship, including the emergence of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as an alternative to Yassar Arafat and the threat Hamas posed to peace and security; (8) a tense diplomatic crisis that arose during the first half of July 2003 resulting from the arrest of Turkish soldiers in Iraq by the United States military; (9) the unrest in Liberia in June and July 2003, culminating in the ousting of President Charles Taylor from office in early July 2003, the danger to the United States Embassy and its occupants in Monrovia, Liberia, and the United States' role in protecting civilians caught in the middle of the conflict in Liberia.
Judge Walton goes on to laboriously discuss each and every one of those categories. Me, I'm not as brave, so let me give you the high points.
With respect to category 1, terrorist attacks, the court found that ole' Scooter wanted to fill up the jury's attention with references to obscure groups and individuals who are not exactly household names like Al Qaeda or Hezbollah and that every mention of these non-entities would necessitate a digression to explain who in the hell they were.
Translation–don't worry about whether Scooter lied to the FBI, no! no! look at the bright shiny terrorist over here!!
Team Fitz did not object to the nine topic areas the defense wanted to introduce. The good guys merely objected to the level of minutia and unnecessary inclusion of classified information in the narratives. The court concluded that much of this information should be redacted under Rule 403 of the Federal Rules of Evidence because such information is "irrelevant or its introduction would create 'unfair prejudice, confus[e]…the issues, or mislead[] the jury, or [cause]…undue delay, waste of time, or [result in the] needless presentation of cumulative evidence."
The section about Homeland Security was ruled to be largely inadmissible, but this section of the decision is heavily redacted and all we know is that "The defendant will be adequately served by the jury being made aware that he was concerned about the shortage." OK, I'll bite. Shortage of what? Damn!! I just got distracted by a bright shiny object. I don't care what shortage, I care if Irving lied to the FBI or Grand Jury!! See how this trick works?
Topics 3, 4, and 5 (A/K/A the nuclear topics) are also redacted in such way, that I can't tell what's what, but the judge thinks it's relevant to the defense. Topic 6 (proper role of Iraqi military and security forces) the court limits to activities related in time to the dates of Libby's interviews with the FBI and/or Grand Jury testimony. Topics 7, 8 and 9 were all ruled relevant.
So, if I am on Team Fitz, and I have gone to all the trouble and self discipline of limiting my charges to perjury and obstruction of justice by Libby in the face of the cornucopia of outlandish behavior by way too many folks in Bushco, just so I could keep the jury's attention focused on actual crimes instead of tabloidish scandal, well. . . I'm not gonna be too thrilled to hear that the judge thinks lots and lots of bright shiny objects should be introduced in front of the jury. All this "Be afraid, be very, very afraid!. . . Who cares if Scooter outed a covert agent, he was worried about nukes. Nukes! I tell you!!!" Sheesh. Well, all I can say is no wonder Fitz is/was considering an appeal.
Last item for those of you counting down the days to the beginning of the trial on January 15th. If Fitz goes forward with the appeal, the trial will be delayed. I don't know if that realization fueled any part of the decision Walton made today. I think it is more likely that Team Fitz dug deep and came up with substitutions that no person of good faith and honesty could deny were fair and adequate and Walton saw them for the honest, good faith product they are likely to be.
As per usual, I stand in awe of the really straightforward, honest and thoughtful job being done on behalf of the American people by Team Fitz. They do it by being honest and willing to compromise in good faith. No tricks, no technicalities that obscure the issues, just an honest search for the truth. As a lawyer, I can appreciate the amount and quality of work turned out by these underpaid part time professionals who have been put through their paces for months by a much bigger much more well endowed (at least with money and resources) defense team. As an American and a patriot, I am grateful that Team Fitz is proving by dint of dogged work, that the system CAN work, if you just plug away at it.
When the time comes for the standing ovation, I will be the first to clap. Maybe I'll just start clapping now.
Clap
clap clap
clap clap clap
clap clap clap clap. . .
(Exit Looseheadprop clapping as hard and fast as she can!)
Related posts:
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- Defense counsel in USA v. KSM, et al petition federal appeals court to end Congress’s segregated, sham Military Commissions
- Mikva Spins Fitzgerald’s Spinning Lincoln Right Back
- Saddam Interrogation: US Still Trying to Show 9/11 Connection as Late as Mid-2004
- The Taxpayers Paid Dick Cheney’s Personal Defense Attorney to Obstruct Any Inquiries Into His Crimes
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LHP!!
Fitz!
Fitz?
Why do you refer to Team Fitz as “part time professionals”? They are certainly underpaid.
Thanks for the analysis.
I still don’t understand Libby’s possible defense in this case. If they are going to present the “I was too busy to remember” defense, they’re going to have to put Libby himself on the stand. Nobody is going to allow some expert to say “well, he must have been too busy to remember” when the person who this applies to is sitting there in the courtroom.
And if he does get on the stand, he’s going to have to testify. You cannot claim the Fifth Amendment selectively — you can’t say that you will answer some questions and not others. There is no possible way that his lawyers will allow him to get cross-examined by Fitz — no way in hell.
So, this whole avenue of the defense must have the object of keeping the case from actually coming to trial at all. It’s worth a shot, I suppose. I just don’t see how it could possibly be applied when it gets to the courtroom.
That’s a nice shiny object in the picture. Is that one of Scooter’s wannabes?
TRex helped me find the picture. Ain’t it grand?
I got a zed for that?
You said something earlier about hearsay – you might be lookin’ at it in the wrong way.
Nothing Scoots offers in the way of super-secret-stuff would be put forward for the truth of the matter(s) involved – just that he had it on his mind….
Please note that categories 3, 4, and 5 are all nuclear-proliferation issues.
Now tell me, firepups, what was Valerie Plame’s job? If Scooter was so involved with nuclear proliferation issues, he was involved with Plame’s work. Makes it so much more likely that he knew who she was, and what she did.
Yay LHP!
You did forget to mention that Scooter was quite busy diddling Judy.
Bustednuckles @ 9
Oh please. Do tell.
Pachacutec @
7
Shiiiiiiiny!
Looseheadprop, it’s so great to arrive at the Lake and find you on the front page!
Thank you for explaining all of this. Without you, Christy and the rest, I’d be lost.
-S
p.s. There’s a substance called “bitter apple” that comes in a spray bottle that repels cats of all ages. It’s probably available at the local pet store or vet’s office.
jere @
4
Part time refers to the fact that Fitz has lots of cases on his plate, not just this one. Ask Pach about Rahm and Tomczak in Chicago.
Of course, Team Irving is racking up those billable hours full time on just this one case.
jayt @ 11
Totally unsubstantiated rumor.
( I just started it.)
*g*
I’d say the People of the US are getting their money’s worth from Fitz and his crew. Go Fitz! (And if he can find a way to take out Rahm, well, let’s just say I won’t be too unhappy.)
jayt @
11
I’m not entirely certain I want to know more about that. I mean, would you really be interested in those two having an affiar if she were the #1 real estate agent in Hartford and he was a Senior partner in a State Farm Insurance agency? It’s a couple of unattractive white folks who happened to have amassed some power in their work lives. That doesn’t make them any sexier than the real estate and insurance agents getting it on all across America.
Bustednuckles @ 14
Works for me. But the mental images conjured….Eeewwww!
I’d be really careful, if I were part of Team Irving, bringing up the topic of nukes. Isn’t that what Joe’s op-ed piece was all about? If Irving was worried about nukes, that would seem to make Joe’s op-ed and Valerie’s work more memorable, not less. It puts the topic at the center of the lies at the top of his agenda.
Now if Irving had been more worried about the Washington Nationals, well, then I could see how Valerie’s covert status would have slipped his mind . . .
lhp!
I always used to look for your comments on the Fitz/Scooter posts at FDL. You always did such a good job of clarifying legal issues and underhanded tactics. I’m so happy to see you on the front page!
Sounds to me like Judge Walton has a pair of sunglasses handy for Scooters motions.
Oooh, Beth Meacham at 9–great point!
Peterr @
14
And Conrad Black
mean, would you really be interested in those two having an affiar if she were the #1 real estate agent in Hartford and he was a Senior partner in a State Farm Insurance agency?
I’ll respectfully disagree. Those were two persons , for better or worse, of importance. One was at the center of disastrous policy-making decisions; the other was seemingly co-opted to write glowingly about them, in the country’s most influential newspaper.
I don’t see this as insignificant in any way shape or form.
jayt @ 24
jayt,
I was kidding.
all we know is that “The defendant will be adequately served by the jury being made aware that he was concerned about the shortage.” OK, I’ll bite. Shortage of what? Damn!! I just got distracted by a bright shiny object. I don’t care what shortage…
I’m pretty sure it’s a shortage *of* bright shiny objects. I mean, aren’t bright shiny objects the DHS’s primary work product?
jayt @
11
Oh please. Don’t. Not right before lunch.
Thanks for the analysis LHP, and for getting back to the topic that brought me here a long time ago. I remember sitting outside on a Sunday morning in July and reading “What I Didn’t Find in Africa.” I had that prickly at the back of the neck feeling you get when you sense that something momentous is starting to happen. My understanding has been greatly enhanced by your insights, as well as Christy’s, Mary’s, Emptywheel and others.
This is a good post to spotlight to some of our liberal media who have done such a spectacular job of covering this story. Not.
beth meacham @ 9
Good catch. If Fitz doesn’t get anywhere on appeal, I could see this being a legitimate tactic.
Amazing that the “too busy to remember defense” was able to remember all 9 areas that were pressing issues for him at the time? More like the selective re-memory scam…what a bunch of hooey.
Bustednuckles says
December 12th, 2006 at 9:54 am*
jayt,
I was kidding.
Fine. Forget physical coupling ( and the gruesome ramifications thereof). The fact remains that there was some kind of special relationship between those two which served to, quite effectively, screw a whole bunch of people.
my too sense @ 29
Also a good point. Scooter sure seems to know exactly what else he was thinking about…
jayt @ 24
You’re making my point for me I think. The ONLY reason anyone would be interested in this is due to the power they amassed in their jobs. That was the point I was trying to make.
My original statement still stands, would you honestly be interested in those two particular humans having an affair if they were merely an insurance and real estate agent? Not at all, there is nothing attractive about them to hold interest in that if they did NOT hold the positions they formerly held when this all went down.
LHP and gang, Sorry to throw it off topic with my juvenile remark.While it is well known that Scooter and Judy Miller had dealings behind the scenes ( which is why she wound up in jail) That is another subject.
Amazing that the “too busy to remember defense” was able to remember all 9 areas that were pressing issues for him at the time? More like the selective re-memory scam…what a bunch of hooey.
It is a well-known scientific fact that the human brain can only keep track of 9 things at a time. So by demonstrating that Scooter was keeping track of these 9 issues, Team Libby will have proved that he could not possibly have remembered anything about Plame, as it would have exceeded his brain’s carrying capacity.
Eli @ 34
Cute. Speaking purely anecdotally, I find that when I have that much on my mind, my memory of all of it tends to get a little fuzzy later. Scooter seems to want us to believe that he has an eidetic memory of exactly nine topics on which he was working, and no more.
OT: God, be kind to this youngster.
Cute. Speaking purely anecdotally, I find that when I have that much on my mind, my memory of all of it tends to get a little fuzzy later. Scooter seems to want us to believe that he has an eidetic memory of exactly nine topics on which he was working, and no more.
The arbitrary absurdity of that notion was pretty much my jumping-off point.
lhp, thanks so much for these. Haven’t had time to read, but appreciate you being on it.
Bustednuckles @ 32
Okay, I’ll let it go too.
But those two fucked an awful lot of people. (I can’t decide whether to use the term ‘literally’ or ‘figuratively’)
I’m done with this one – and my own apologies if out of line.
……
jere @ 4
Because each and every one of them has a full time, very demanding, job in addtion to their jobs on this case.Oh, and they don’t get paid a nickle extra for having a second job.
This is not like the Ken Starr investigation, where ole’ kenny boy charged regular private sector rates and holed up for years devoting all his time (and the time of a staff so large it had a full time spokesman) to just the blue dress.
Team Fitz is an amalgam of lawyers in Chicago and DC who do this enorous amount of work in ADDITION to their full time case loads.
Team Libby has miilions of dollars to spend on putting mnay lawyers to work full time thinking up ‘make work” for Team Fitz.
Peterr @ 19
Ya know? I really like that angle. Good catch!
Susan in Iowa @ 27
I, like Dick Cheney, cut that Wilson Op Ed out of the paper that day. I kept walking around my office muttering”there is one rollicking backstory to thsi”–I had no idea how right I was
Considering how much the Bush Administration did in those 9 areas (and Libby for all his closeness to Big Dick was still just part of the whole), I think that Libby could make the argument that he legitimately did forget about the Valerie Plame affair . . . because of his heavy schedule of golf.
Bustednuckles @ 33
Don’t appologize. I was enjoying it
Oh Scooty & Judy were discussing aspens.
And ‘interconnectedness.’
And probably what to wear to Jeb’s inaugural ball.
That’s my guess.
I like cheese.
Wow, I thought the Chewbacca defense was just in cartoons. Apparently Scooter watches Southpark.
EPU’d from the tail end of LHP’s earlier post:
now, I have to assume that all this evidence will be introduced during Libby’s testimony….
so, I’m going to further assume that Fitz is going tell the jury during his opening statement that the defense is probably going to waste a great deal of time trying to confuse them with testimony that isn’t really relevant to the charge, and that they will unfortunately have to stay awake during that testimony.
Then, once Libby does testify, and brings up all this crap, Fitz will get up and say “In the interest of not wasting the juries time, the Government concedes that Mr. Libby was a very busy and important person, and the jury should keep that in mind. But the government objects to the inclusion of information not relevant to the charges themselves”. He gets overruled, and Libby babble on for another hour, get up and object again, and repeat that pattern until all the bullshit is over.
I expect the jury will be good and sick of Libby by that point….and that’s when Fitz gets to cross-examine Libby….
OT: WaPo reporting Saudi Ambassador Abruptly Resigns, Leaves Washington. Certainly adds a wrinkle to the Iraq discussion, no?
a thousand punts of slight
looseheadprop @ 45
That’s the thing about those bright shiny objects . . . they’re so much fun!
OT funnies:
Is It Vietnam Yet?.
That’s OK, I Wasn’t Using My Civil Liberties Anyway.
Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber.
Let’s Fix Democracy in This Country First.
If You Want a Nation Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran.
If You Can Read This, You’re Not the President.
Of Course It Hurts: You’re Getting Screwed by an Elephant.
George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight.
(over a photo of Bush) Electile Dysfunction.
America: One Nation, Under Surveillance.
They Call Him “W” So He Can’t Misspell It.
Which God Do You Kill For?
Jail to the Chief.
No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade Iraq?
Bush: God’s Way of Proving Intelligent Design is Full of Crap.
Bad President! No Banana.
We Need a President Who’s Fluent In At Least One Language.
We’re Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them.
Guess What? Bush Doesn’t Care About Poor White People, Either.
When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46.
The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century.
What Part of “Bush Lied” Don’t You Understand?
Bush Lost Iraq. Deal With It.
Even Nixon Resigned
The thing that gets me is, PatFitz is confronted with a whole panoply of misbehavior by various people at Bushco. he is put under all kinds of pressure to ONLY charge the underlying offense (remember all that pontificating by Victoria Toensing?) and he stands strong and limits himself to an open and shut case the evidence for which will be so non controversial there is little likelyhood that the verdict will further divide an already bitterly devided nation.
He rejects the temptation to be the 24/7 center of attention/movie star wannabe and opts for the plain vanilla case of real honest to god professional prosecutor. How many of us would have the strenth of character to do that.
How many of us would remember at such a moment that there is a seperate Code of Professional Responsibility for prosecuotrs for a reason:
The prosecutor has no client but justice. The Federal Prosecuotr’s obligation is to the good of the American People, not to the advancement of the goals of any one individual.
Unlike the private attorney who has a fiduciary duty to his client and to the advancement of his client’s interests, the prosecutor has only his obliagation to public good.
Patrick Fitzgerald is a hero. Not because he wins more than he loses, not because he writes on hell of juicy, snarky brief that gives me giggle fits, but because he NEVER seems to lose sight of his sole oblication which is to the American People and he seems to do so without any regard for personal ambition or his own welfare.
So, after all this careful limiting of the case to the simplest set of facts one could hope to prove–Team Libby wants to trash the joint up with tons and tons of tinfoil balls.
Some people do not appreciate the elegance of simplicity
the Spam-like defense?
My reaction to this list of nine subject areas is to marvel that the Vice-President’s staff is working them. As opposed, say, to the State Department, the National Security Council, the Justice Department, and so on.
Cheney is the first Vice-President to have an unlimited portfolio. And since there are no clear lines of authority connecting his staff with the rest of the government, they were apparently free to do as they pleased and answer only to the Veep. In Scooter’s case, he had dual reporting to both Bush and Cheney. That would have made him a very intimidating and powerful person if you were a mid-level CIA employee with the misfortune to confront him. By all accounts, he isn’t a nice person, either.
It will be interesting to have our government explained to us if this case ever goes to trial.
Folks, before I get EPU’s can I just say what a thrill it has been for me to be given a slot on the front page today.
Thank you to the Ladies of the Lake for such a great experience.
And thank you to all of you for your kind wishes and for being so supportive. You have been way way too kind to me in the comment threads.
LHP: the front page overflows with talent. thanks for your offerings.
looseheadprop @ 54
My heavens. Hear, hear!!!!
LHP – great great job! Thank you!
I hope that Fitz ends up as AG someday. He has the restraint, judgment and integrity, plus legal chops, to be the best ever.
OT – Tom DeLay: I Don’t Write My Own Blog
DELAY: Well, I’m not a very good writer. I have the ideas, and I have somebody else put the words together. But yes, we’re going to post a lot during the day. And we’re going to respond to questions and comments.
And it’s — the conservatives need to push back on communications, and we need to compete, instead of…
BARNICLE: You’ve got to be kidding me.
DELAY: No.
looseheadprop @ 55
Who says the pursuit of justice can’t be fun at the same time? Do you have any particularly tasty items from that “juicy, snarky brief” you’d care to share?
I’m still a defense man, by the way. But it does my heart good to know that there are honest and decent people on the other side.
And LHP – fantastic job today!!!!
Post title reminded me of this–an oldie but a goodie…
Bush Administration’s Bright Shiny Object Fascinates Americans
Susan in Iowa @ 62
AG, as stepping stone to the Supreme Court…
(OK, I maybe getting carried away here)
twolf1 @ 54
I like that one, made me think of the assertion I once made that the Y2K problem did not affect computers, but instead affected Republicans who, as part of their tragic logical impairment, only store dates with three mental digits. It’s somehow tied into their world view, but IANAN (I am not a neurologist.)
Everyone else moved forward into the new millennium, but they went from 1999 to 1000. Thats why they went straight into the crusades (hey, W said it himself).
Susan in Iowa @ 62
From you lips to god’s ear. That’s one of my favorite fantasies.
punaise @ 67
I thought of that, but he’s such a great trial lawyer, it’s almost sad to think of him being an appellate court judge.
Peterr @ 64
There are so many. Jane and Christy profiled them at the time. There was one where he kept repeatedly giving Ted Wells bitch slap after bitch slap that actually had me laughing until tears came to my eyes.
My all time favorite line was when he described the scope of the defenses demands for documents as “breathtaking”. That was not a word I had been hearing too foten before that day, it had kinda fallen out of fashion. Thereafter, you heard it everywhere.
Our boy is quite the linguistic trensetter.
Shortage of undershorts?
LHP, it was a treat!
I’d love to see our boy Fitz become AG.
When he starts to prosecute Abu, I’m laying in a case of popcorn.
What a thrill it is to watch your mind at work and play Ms. Prop.
Thank you, so much!
twolf1 @ 63
My favorite part of the program:
I mean, this guy doesn’t know what the f*ck he’s talking about.
looseheadprop @ 71
Absolutely. I remember the earlier posts by Christy and Jane. I thought from your comment that there were some new funnies in the more recent postings.
So, we’ll just have to wait.
Speaking of fantasies . . . any chance of live audio or video from Walton’s courtroom? Even tape-delay would be tasty!
punaise @ 67
You know, that is also a pet wish of mine, but in all honesty I have a hard time picturing someone as vigorous as Pat taking on a retiring judicial temprament.
who knows? maybe when he is old an grey…
OT – Teh Decider becomes Teh Procrastinator:
Bush Iraq update may be after New Year
Bravo LHP!
Oh so compelling, informative and worthy of the front page.
Thank you for helping chase my blues away on an otherwise cold and dreary rainy morning!
Peterr @ 77
i don’t know. In the Southern District I doubt I will see in in my lifetime. They are very strict about cameras in the courthouse let alone the courtroom. The District executive won’t let us bring in cameras even the courthouse is being used for a function like a program or a reception.
But the US Supreme court now has those audia feeds, sooooooo?
Completely bald…..
I think three cheers are on order for judge walto for giving us al lan excuse for a Fitz Fix–boy did I need one of those!
And to PowWow for getting it to us so fast.
Where is our beloved PowWow today? missing all the fun!
Mod: Take us out of ital?
[Mod Note; thanks, let’s all refresh now]
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 51
Because he wanted to spend more time with his family!! So funny.
Sparkles the Iguana @ 82
Come on. the little bald spot is so cute. it makes him look like a medieval monk.
Sparkles the Iguana @ 85
Some reports say he’s replacing the current Saudi foreign minister, who is in ill health.
So what will the new color of mail be?
looseheadprop @ 86
Umm……
Believe me, I’m a huge fan, just not of the monkish look.
Another great post lhp!
Are you planning on going to DC for the trial?
looseheadprop @ 83
hear, hear for Judge Walton.
PowWow left you a note at the end of your earlier thread:
pow wow @
102
looseheadprop @ 86
I’m rolling on the floor, picturing Fitz addressing Judge Walton while wearing a rumpled brown robe tied at the waist with an old worn cincture: “May it please the court . . .”
LHP—what an excellent pair of posts. Thanks for the updates.
Hmmm. Libby is just looking more and more boxed in, isn’t he? He knows he’s the firewall to Cheney, and Cheney’s not looking too good right now. Not only is there the growing (literally) problem of Mary Cheney out there, as well as the bizarre happenings with Saudi Arabia, there’s also the very real possibility that Cheney could just drop dead at any time. Libby’s got to be thinking, “If things get any worse, what are the odds that a spiteful, childlike President with a 30% approval rating is going to blow what little political capitol he has by pardoning me?”
Shiny!!
lhp THANK YOU—you are doing the work of the angels here and also thanks for your election monitoring. Would love to hear more about why you decided to become so heavily involved with the monitoring.
OT
From AP about what Henry Waxman has in store for BushCo in January 07:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin…..ref=slogin
lhp @ 83 -
Got here late, but left you a little tidbit at the end of your first thread. I’m enjoying reading the comments and catching up on all the fun.
moi @ 90
Don’t know. presently I have a trial of my own scheduled that would not be over before his begins (assuming it goes off on jan 15th as currently scheduled) However, my trial may be adjourned, so I may take a stab at going down for the Opening Statement.
When you are a litigator you don’t really have much control over your own life. judges tell you what you are going to do and when you are going to do it.
What will really be the time I am going to struggle to get down there for is the Summation.
I think this may be one fo those trial where the Marshall’s Service makkes you get tickets to get into the gallery. It’s gonna be packed
Frank Probst @ 94
And herein the usefulness of all those editorials and columns (David Broder etc.) after Armitage was outed, proclaiming how Fitz spent 2 years doing nothing for no good reason.
Sadly, I don’t think there’s a huge downside to Bush pardoning.
new thread
Speaking of shiny I was thinking about having an expanded regular feature about mental illness in my blog. Bipolar Sunday and Wednesday, ADHD Friday or Saturday if I get around to it, OCD Tuesday morning at exactly 10:00, anxiety on Monday, schizophrenia and dementia on Thursday.
I’ve personally got every day covered except for Thursday, and am learning more about dementia with my poor aunt.
It could be articles, posts, and comments. What do you think? I mean it’s not like there’s a lot of competition for this.
looseheadprop @ 98
Would it help if the FDL Press Secretary named you an FDL correspondent? That is, would a media credential be easier to get?
Just a thought . . .
egregious @ 101
Shouldn’t schizophrenia have two days?
Have a client here we are finishing an instrument for, it was started by her father who has Lewey body disease. She says he has good days and bad. He doesn’t recognize her most days, but she sits and tells him about stuff anyway. One-sided chats. Some days a memory will shine out for no apparent reason. The other day he asked her about the new roof she’d told him about on a ‘bad’ day. She never knows what to expect.
Duh, I forgot PTSD including veterans. Will need to re-arrange the schedule.
egregious @ 95
Because failure to do election monitoring meant that non of us got to vote for President Gore’s re-election in 2004.
A democracy only exists if elections are fair and honest
pow wow @ 97
Thank you so much for the heads up. I hope we did you proud
Hotflash–
The idea is as much for family and friends of people with mental illness as for those of us with them.
Re schizophrenia I don’t have enough material for 2 days a week but you may notice bi-polar as 2 days. Maybe one for mania and one for depression. Or it could vary along with my mood swings :)
About your client’s father, I strongly encourage the one-sided conversations. People do listen and sometimes remember parts of these. This goes for dementia, for comas, and for other silencing syndromes.
Peterr @ 102
I don’t think I would go down there to exploit it by writing about it. Just to sit quietly in the gallery and will some positive energy and good thoughts to the big guy in the well of the courtroom.
Remember that wonderful post by Mamayagga about seeing Pat in the airport? She just willed him good thoughts w/o intruding on his privacy. I really thought that was tactful and kind.
You’ve done firedoglake proud, lhp – thanks to your wise and timely promotion to the front page.
I love the sly humor you got into your posts (and am amazed by the typo clean-up that was achieved in both of them…).
Fitzgerald and his Chicago and Washington teams and their Intelligence Community partners are receiving the appreciation and respect that they have earned and deserve, at least from fdl and its readers today, thanks to your posts. Hope you’ll be available for at least some of the rest of the twists and turns along the road to the Libby trial.
looseheadprop @
108
I was thinking about how to let him know what we all think about him and how much we appreciate what he and his staff are doing for us and for the America we love. And it occured to me that he and his staff may (probably?) lurk here from time to time. I mean, who could resist folks talking *their* shop? So, to Mr. Fitzgerald and all your hard-working staff, thank you. And if you guys missed the FitzMas carols, RevDeb has them here.
Thad Beier @ 5
according to emptywheel, scooter has already agreed that he will testify in his own defense
that’s the only legal way to introduce the “I was busy” defense
scooter should cut his losses and plead guilty
instead, scooter is gonna dig his own grave in front of a jury
Terrific looseheadprop — and thanks so much for the great clarification. You’ve made it all understandable.
I’m now beginning to understand why the Bush regime went so wrong. They had all these nine crises going on simultaneously — really important stuff — and instead of actually focusing on them and doing their jobs, they were busy pointing reporters to the location and identity of a CIA operative, who was explaining they we’re doing their jobs, in order to cover the fact that they weren’t doing/hadn’t done their jobs in the first place. Libby’s “defense” is instead an indictment, when read in that light, because they blew most of their real assignments.
HotFlash @ 110
THAT was a great idea.
I meant. . . “explaining they weren’t doing their jobs . . .”
Sparkles the Iguana @ 99
well, try thinking again
Mr Waxman can issue subpeonas without any imput or approval from any committee
if scooter gets a pardon, he has to answer the fucking questions (on Live TV no less)
before you think scooter could get a pardon, think about who scooter is covering for
a pardon extinguishes scooter’s 5th Amendment protections, and opens scooter to any two bit prosecutor with a subpeona
Mr Waxman isn’t a “two bit prosecutor”
I don’t think dead eye dick and presnit george want scooter to answer Mr Waxman’s questions
Peterr @ 64
egregious @ 101
Oh dear egregious – if you have any real competition I have yet to see it. ;>D
Pachacutec @ 7
THAT is the spitting image of my Aunt Minnie, a lifelong Democrat and wherever she wound up I am sure she finds time to do some haunting of the Bush2 admin. Looks like it’s working. RIP.
Re: looseheadprop #55
“Patrick Fitzgerald is a hero”.
How about doing the job that he is paid by the taxpayers to do. He is no more a “hero” than the kid that served up your last BigMac. You people make me sick with all this “hero” crap! I guess I got out of bed this morning and got dressed. That makes me a “hero”? Get real, please.
nochickenhawk @
119
Depends on how good a job you did.
egregious @
101
I think I’d enjoy OCD Tuesdays but 7am my time is WAAAY too early. :) I get up around 11-noon these days (damn SAD!)
Jacqrat @ 121
Excellent point about left coast time. Will make it later in the day.
Let’s see, SAD, ok be seein’ you Sundays and Wednesdays then :)
Must be some fanous artist’s b’day.
Google is a scream, today.
;~>
We appreciate the lucid analysis above and Jane’s and Christy’s work on this as well over the months. And thanks for the continuing support as Valerie and I work through this and the civil case. For info on the civil case you can go to http://www.wilsonsupport.org.
We also agree that Fitzgerald and his team have been extraordinary in his handling of the case. They have exemplified the best in public service.
Joe Wilson @ 124
Thank you Ambassador Wilson for taking the time to say that.
Blank Kludge @ 123
Edvard Munch, December 12, 1863 – January 23, 1944
I’m tickled that I remembered his name was spelled with a v.
Hello Ambassador Wilson!
The slow brain in December department:
I just got the “Google is a scream today” joke.
:o
looseheadprop–
Good article.
I also have had the pleasure of donning the No. 1 jersey and spending 80 minutes at the coalface. It gives you a different perspective, doesn’t it?
Crouch and hold…ENGAGE!
p.lukasiak @ 50
Hear! Hear!
At the end of the day, I think Team Fitz’ll know what makes a jury of real people tick (and ticked off) better than Mr. Aspens Turning In Clusters does.
Mille Mercis, lhp, for the continuing lessons. I’ve missed your cogent analyses.