Dana Milbank's Washington Sketch picked up on something that Emptywheel highighted in yesterday afternoon's trial blogging. And it deserves a whole truckload of scrutiny. To wit:
"I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format."
It is unclear whether the first week of the trial will help or hurt Libby or the administration. But the trial has already pulled back the curtain on the White House's PR techniques and confirmed some of the darkest suspicions of the reporters upon whom they are used. Relatively junior White House aides run roughshod over members of the president's Cabinet. Bush aides charged with speaking to the public and the media are kept out of the loop on some of the most important issues. And bad news is dumped before the weekend for the sole purpose of burying it.
With a candor that is frowned upon at the White House, Martin explained the use of late-Friday statements. "Fewer people pay attention to it late on Friday," she said. "Fewer people pay attention when it's reported on Saturday."…
On jurors' monitors were images of Martin's talking points, some labeled "on the record" and others "deep background." She walked the jurors through how the White House coddles friendly writers and freezes out others. To deal with the Wilson controversy, she hastily arranged a Cheney lunch with conservative commentators. And when New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof first wrote about the Niger affair, she explained, "we didn't see any urgency to get to Kristof" because "he frankly attacked the administration fairly regularly."
Gee, should the change the name of the show to "Meet The Veep's Agenda"? Want to wager whether any guest on the show this Sunday will have the nerve to tweak Russert about this? And wouldn't THAT make for some must see teevee…
By the way, I'm with Emptywheel on this question: can someone ask Cathie Martin to name the "conservative commentators" who had lunch with Cheney to address the Wilson controversy. Because I would certainly like to know whether one of those commenters had a last name spelled "N-O-V-A-K." FOIA request on the Secret Service logs, anyone?
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Was Millbank in the press pool yesterday?
Do you guys have any sense of who’s reading this besides your loyal firepups (and your soon to be firepups who have joined us for this event)?
I noticed visits were substantially above normal yesterday.
FOIA would be great, excepting those Secret Service logs now belong to the White House per secret edict drafted by our witless leader… so, they’re covered under presidential privilege and archival procedure, I believe…
This is a surprise?
Sorry. I didn’t mean to grab a zed.
Wow.
And in the WP political chat this morning, another WP reporter agrees with Dana Milbank’s characterization of Timmeh as a repub tool …
From the WP online political chat this morning …
Lyndsey Layton: GOod morning Duluth. I think the very clever Dana Milbank is correct in his interpretation. In her testimony, Cathie Martin basically said that Meet the Press was a successful venue for the White House and “control message” means they felt assured they wouldn’t face an aggressive, hostile questioner who could reveal inconsistencies or otherwise damage their spin.
BOOM. Take that Timmeh.
Oh … here is the link to the WP online Chat
WPaintbuyingtimmehspin
Jay — I saw Milbank in the courtroom yesterday — and said hello to him going back in after lunch as I was leaving the courthouse to catch my flight yesterday. So yes, he was there to see the testimony, at least part of it, yesterday anyway.
http://www.cspan.org/videoarch…..veDays=100
Marcy Wheeler & Byron York, National Review
Marcy Wheeler, Author, “Anatomy of Deceit” & Byron York, National Review, White House Correspondent talk about the CIA leak case. Both are following the trial of Lewis “Scooter” Libby closely. They discuss look at the revelations of the first week, the importance of the case, and the possible long-term impact on the Bush Administration.
1/26/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 41 min.
Marcy is great. She deals with Byron and callers with ease, to say the least.
The thing about Russert is he asks some tough questions, but then doesn’t follow up. The Bush people are allowed to spin their tale in answer the initial question, but then there are no “buts.”
I guess you can’t hammer people too hard or they won’t come back and you won’t sell enough Preperation H to stay on the air.
c’est la vie.
klyde at 3 – I don’t believe that I said anywhere that it was a surprise. Although it is a bit amusing to hear it come out of the mouth of a WH press flack. *g*
Journalism has gone to the dogs.
Pun intended.
OfT a bit – :
What’s the deal w/Team Libby saying to witnesses – “We requested that you come in and speak with us, but you declined to do so, right?”
Subpoena’s, anyone? I mean, it’s not like they were surprise witnesses.
So, was it just that they already knew what the testimony would be, and declined the deposition just for the purpose of being able to ask that question in court?
I have never thought of Russert as a journalist. I assumed he stayed at a Holiday Inn every Saturday night.
Fitz organizes his witnesses along the time line, so this should help with keeping the jury from being distracted.
Brick by brick the case is built while brick by brick the facade of the WH is taken down.
Nice.
York’s spin this morning was that Wilson also went on Meet the Press. Look for that line tonight from the Faux All Stars.
jayt at 13 — Pretty much. It’s a fairly common defense counsel tactic in these parts. When I was in the prosecutor’s office, we told witnesses they were free to talk to defense counsel, but that they were not required to do so. And that one of us would go with them, if necessary, if they set up a meeting. Most of the time they declined to meet ith defense counsel simply because the process was overwhelming enough as it was for witnesses who had not been involved in trials previously. In one particular lawyer’s case, this counsel would sick a passel of private investigators on witnesses — so they not only didn’t trust this person, but they were pissed at him for having someone dig around in their trash, follow them around, talk to folks at work about them, etc. — it was really intrusive and over the top, in a particular case that I can recall. No idea if this has happened with Libby — and, honestly, there are good reasons and good ways to do this for particular witnesses that you suspect are giving false testimony in a good faith investigation — but it can also be used to intimidate and harass witnesses and that’s just uncalled for, in my opinion.
I regretted that I had a dentist appointment this morning, because I couldn’t turn on Imus. I wanted to hear what he had to say about little Russ.
Also, someone over at DKos remarked on Millbank’s tone of surprised discovery. I mean, he just figured this out?
old gold @ 14
That’s funny! Is that why he looks like that rodeo clown?
Christy,
I asked this in another thread but I’m afraid it got buried: Is it possible for Fitzgerald to bring charges against others (Cheney, Rove, etc.) if it is revealed in the Libby trial that crimes were committed? For example, if a conspiracy is revealed, can others be charged for their part in it?
I guess I’m asking if there’s any hope that more will be made of this than Libby’s charges and if someone will be held accountable for revealing the identity of a covert CIA agent and then conspiring to cover it up.
Thanks so much for your efforts!
I wonder if one of the guests will ask Tim Russert how long he’s been taking calls on the Chris Matthews’ Complaint Line.
“Chris, here’s a little testimony from the Scooter Libby trial, and we’ll put it up on the screen to let everyone see it . . .”
Meet the Press-MTP=Making the Propaganda
ccmask @ 22
How about MTP=Media Tepid Performance?
Journalism has gone to the dogs. Pun intended.
MTP had Cheney/ Rice/ Rumsfeld, etc on week after week to spew their “message” – their talking points!! They lied about aluminum tubes, mushroom clouds and ties between Iraq and Osama bin Laden. Liars!! They misled the American people into an illegal, immoral war and Tim Russert knew they were spinning!!
After Katrina – Russert appeared on Imus in the Morning and said something like – You spin about some things but not about this – meaning the fiasco of Katrina. He was furious with Bushco over that.
But he let them spin about the War in Iraq – for some reason that was OK with Timmy. Wow – he has lost all credibilty after that testimony yesterday. it was devastating to MTP – and to all the players in the Bush administration.
ps – Roberts met with Hadley and Rice over covering up the intelligence investigation of Bushco – he should be removed ASAP from office.
ditto – Cheney, Bush, Rice, et al!!!!
old gold @
14
Stop it! How can I possibly drink coffee while reading comments without it attacking my computer screen?!
Dang, I got EPUed. Marcy if you’re still here, regarding your statement about Hadley:
No straight arrow, but maybe outing a CIA agent was too far for him to go. I seem to vaguely recall that Cheney and Libby pulled something without his knowledge with regards to declassifying the NIE.
Right? Wasn’t he uninformed at some point that they had already declassified portions of the NIE in order to leak to Judy?
Could it be he is the 1 in 1×2×6? Maybe Libby and Cheney cut him out of the loop when he started pressing to stop blaming the CIA and then when it went so far as to out Plame, he could no longer be silent and began leaking.
Maybe at that point he thought only Cheney and Libby were involved and did not know the scope of the situation, i.e. Rove and Ari.
Oh, I get it! When Timmeh has Cheney on, we are actually meeting the press.
Sorry it took me so long to get it Timmeh. I thought the press was you.
this is not a revelation to those of us that recognize the media is corporate owned with a corporate agenda
and why would cheney visit with someone he knew would ask tough questions?
he wouldn’t…on the other hand I was surely surprised blitzer went after him the other day, that was a breath of fresh air and I am amazed cheney booked himself without getting guarantees
as far as bad news friday, that’s been going on forever but I guess the majority of people just diddn’t know it
Christy, at least one of those conservative commentators is David Brooks (although he’s never said so in print). I’m a Brooks-watcher, and he’s clearly a promulgator of several Bush myths which go directly back to carefully-parsed information from OVP. I’m fairly sure Brooks and Libby were socializing together back in 2003, and that Brooks used Libby for ‘insights’ about WMD and the supposed ‘progress’ in Iraq.
Also, Brooks reliably misdirects readers about the CIA leak, and has clung to early Libby talking points. (See Media Matters for a number of Brooks/Plame nuggets.) Brooks is so transparent sometimes, I just wonder why he hasn’t been called out on sourcing…
in re: “Meet The Veep’s Agenda”? Want to wager whether any guest on the show this Sunday will have the nerve to tweak Russert about this?
Here is how the tweak will go down:
http://www.leekspin.com/
Do they use the propaganda catapult to throw someone under the bus?
Bush overnight guest list
The Associated Press
President and Laura Bush’s overnight guests at the White House and Camp David in 2004:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/w…..list_x.htm
Be nice is Timmeh came on naked Sunday in nothing but a tool belt.
dqueue @ 2
Actually I think Fitz already has them. If I recall correctly it was the logs that gave him a heads up on an unreported Judy/Libby visit.
I, too, want to know the names of the conservative journalists invited to the hunter’s lodge.
g’mornin’ jumping ahead to say Marcy is on cspan now. Sorry if this is a repeated comment.
C-span is replaying WSJ now!
-
Watching the C-SPAN re-broadcast – I was just gonna say that York sounds sane so far – but –
Scratch that.
Hey, Marcy agrees w/me – Cheney’s being on the witness list may be a total red herring…
I’ve been thinking about this ever since Wells’ opening statement:
Seems to me that Libby willingly chose to be “the fall guy” in the beginning – by making ridiculously obvious misstatements – to protect Cheney, Rove, etc.
Someone had to do it, and Libby was high enough in the chain to be trusted, but not so well known that he couldn’t fade into obscurity after a pardon.
However, now he is having second thoughts about being the fall guy, and has become willing to try to push it back toward Cheney and Rove, because:
a) Cheney no longer has the juice to guarantee him a pardon,
b) The Wilsons’ civil suit creates additional exposure that can’t be pardoned,
c) Rove is no longer the untouchable architect of a permanent Republican dynasty.
In other words, being the scapegoat was OK when Scooter thought his buddies had “ultimate power” to let him off the hook.
Now, he just sees himself as the guy stuck with sole responsibility of going down with the ship!
Whether Brooks went to lunch or not is a different story…did they say if Cheney actually had this lunch, or if it was proposed?
I’m just saying the Brooks has got great sourcing in OVP, and it involved Libby back in the day.
QuickSilver @
30
ccmask at 34 — I SO did not need that mental image. Blergh.
my question wrt to trial transcripts got lost in the previous thread’s EPU land… so please forgive me for re-asking it here….
paul asked where could we find the trial transcripts and emptywheel said she thought that they were only available to journalists for lots of $. but lhp had previously told us that “The trial transcript is technically a public document”.
does anyone know definitively what is the story with the transcripts? i’m sure i’m not the only one who would love to read some of them. *g*….
I wondered about this as I read EW’s transcription. It should make for an interesting discussion.
“Gee, should the change” [sic]?
Thanks for the information and such an illuninating site. The posts and comments are a mainstay of my reading here in the blog world.
ccmask @ 34
Was it really necessary to sucker-punch my inner child like that?
You really should got to C-SPAN 1 and watch emptywheel and Byron York (does he have a nickname?).
This may be one of the most important appearances yet on the front rank of cable TV media by a live blogger who isn’t also a “journalist.” The most fascinating element is how York, with his credentials from NRO, National Review, the Atlantic, etc. can’t get an honest, full grasp of the subject like Marcy so easily displays. He’s never closer than “three days off.”
I’ve been a reader of National Review on and off since the 70s, partially because they cover “classical” music fairly well. But this segment shows very clearly how and why what we’re doing here at fdl is eclipsing decrepit paradigms like National Review/NRO.
Once again – good job, Marcy.
Off to help my bodyguard tow my lame Golf TDI to Anchorage for ?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 42
Oh! Ditto! YuuCK!
NCBlueneck @ 23
MESSAGE TAILORED for PRESIDENT (M.T.P.)
My grandfather went down in his ship during World War 2. Libby doesn’t have the guts that my grandfather did.
Prior to my grandfather’s service, he worked at Brewster & Jennings pumping gas. I’ve got a great old pic of him pumping gas and in the background, there is a sandwich board that reads:
Due to the War effort, this station will close at 5:00.
Marcy is fabulous. Almost as good a Christy when she is on cspan. *g*
Interesting – I commented pithily to the Daily Nightly blog (of NBC Nightly News)on my surpise (satire) of the lack of their coverage of the Libby trial testimony to the effect that Reussert and MTP served the White House to advance its propaganda. Wonder where my comment went?
AP story on WH visitor logs
http://www.belleville.com/mld/…..392915.htm
While Fitz may have them, we’d like them too!
Sorry about the tool belt. It was based on an old fantasy of mine when, as a single mother, I owned my own restaurant. My only tool was duct tape and believe me, it did the trick. Open my toolbox and you can choose any color tape you might need.
I always dreamed of a guy knocking on my door in nothing but a tool belt filled with every new tool available in the Black & Decker market. I would take him by the hand and lead him to all the broken things in the restaurant and he would fix them….never happened.
As much as I love C-SPAN, where do these people come from who call in?
Wordsmith @ 54
College Republicans & their families?
Wordsmith @ 54
Rove has a boiler room in Camp David stocked with whoopie pies, cheap beer and baloney sandwiches and a never ending supply of Jerry Springer guests and American Idol wannabes.
They just have to follow the script and they get a $50.00 gift card to Wal-Mart.
-GSD
jayackroyd @ 1: “Do you guys have any sense of who’s reading this besides your loyal firepups (and your soon to be firepups who have joined us for this event)?”
Froomkin linked FDL and cited it as a strong liveblogging resource in his web column at WaPo the other day. So I think we can assume that the press is well aware of FDL’s liveblogging and that those reporters who are following the case from outside the courtroom are checking in somewhat regularly.
Plus, pretty much anyone interested in the whole Libby / Wilson / Iraq fiasco is bound to find their way here eventually, since FDL is providing – through Marcy’s liveblogging – the most extensive coverage of the case.
That’s got to add up to a *lot* of people.
And, I would imagine, that includes a lot of Washington insiders.
Especially since we now know that Cheney & Libby were poring over Hardball transcripts, it’s probably a good bet that someone in the OVP is watching the site as well.
To those who think FDL would be beneath the WH’s radar, I’d like to relate a little story about The Onion.
A couple years ago, I went to a B&N reading that featured The Onion’s staff writers. During the Q&A someone asked, “Does the WH ever complain to you about your satire of them?”
To which one of the writers responded, “No, really, they don’t contact us. They’ve got way more important things to ignore. Like, er, the will of the people.”
Anyway, it turns out, the WH actually doesn’t have more important things to ignore. A year or so ago they sent The Onion a C&D letter telling them they couldn’t use the Presidential Seal in their parodies. Which provoked two responses from The Onion.
The first, obviously, was a letter from them explaining that, yes, satire – especially political satire – is protected by the First Amendment.
That week they also started a new Parade magazine cover parody. Featured on that cover was a parody story about Laura Bush’s ongoing struggle with Anal Fissures, with the headline quote, “I just wish I could stop shitting blood.”
Anyway, the point I’m making is that if The Onion can attract the WH’s attention and ire, I think it’s safe to assume FDL has their attention too.
Marcy also was on Sam Seder this morning and they loved her – we expect to hear another update there next week!
Our ladies rock!
dqueue @ 2
selise @ 43
At some point, the transcripts will part of an appeal of Scooooter’s conviction. At that point, they will likely be published in as whatever the East Coast Court Report series is.
Until then, they will be available through the court. In California Superior Court, they run $5/page of transcript.
How do I know this? (IANAL, nor do I play one on TV.) Mrs BC analyzes opening/closing statement in her academic research … she generally relies on appeals, because of the prohibitive cost of obtaining the transcripts of obscure trials.
BC
I’m hearing from a lot of media that they are reading along with all of us as FDL covers the trial …
Pat_AlexVA @ 52
All roads (or Whitehouse doors) lead to Cheney’s office:
ccmask @ 55
I asked last night with tip of tongue in cheek, if Mel Sembler and Rupert Murdoch have a journalist camp of some sort. If so, it sure would explain these callers.
selise @
43
Sure it’s a public document; the Laws belong to The People, contrary to what LexisNexis would have you believe. However, transcripts aren’t always available immediately- someone has to take the court reporter’s file, make it into a PDF, and upload it to PACER:
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/
where you can have the pleasure of viewing it. And the reason that EW has concerns about the $$ is that PACER docs cost $0.08 per page. May not seem like much, but word-for-word transcripts of all of those sidebar conversations, in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced…
Eureka Springs, AR @ 62
There’s Morton Blackwell’s Leadership Institute, where such notables as Jeff Gannon took a journalism class or two…
I’m curious as to why Scooter Libby has willingly placed the noose around his neck? Arrogance or fear? This trial is lifting the veil of the WH machinations and Maestro Cheney’s insidious tentacle outreach and players are protective of him, why?
Will Scooter be disbarred if convicted?
JGabriel @ 57
Just yesterday I pointed out that the visitor logs showed many government depts. looking in.
Most were probably just curious employees, however, we all took note of eop.gov (executive office of the president), usdoj.gov, and nsa.gov.
It occurred to me later last night that this is so new, having an ongoing public description of events taking place in the courthouse that there is NO better source for the administration to get this information in the quickest possible way.
In the event things get really, really hot, FDL will be giving the administration a heads-up before reporters even get to them.
Ironic, no?
Ole Timmeh continues to get slammed on the WP online chat.
Russert: This isn’t exactly a state secret. Folks have been calling Russert the “attack poodle” for years. This is especially true when he likes or respects the person he interviews. Perfect real-world example. Which Presidential candidate, when attack-poodled about his lack of foreign policy experience on MTP gave the answer that he would bring in good experienced people and listen to their advise?
1. Howard Dean (2004)
2. George W. Bush (2000)
Answer? Both. Almost to the letter the same. Bonus Round, where the scores can really change. Now, given near identical answers, Russert replied…
1. Favorably for both.
2. Unfavorably for both.
Trick question! In fact, Russert took the exact same ansser to declare George W. Bush a smart manager and Dean unprepared for office. Russert has been a joke for years, it just took courtroom testimony for the rest of the media to admit it.
Lyndsey Layton: Thanks for sharing.
Lyndsey Layton is a congressional reporter …
Here’s the first (maybe only) installment of my new segment, “Mate the Press,” in which we look at what might happen if Tim Russert got busy with other prominent mainstream media personalities.
Consider, for example: If Timmeh got it on with Judith Miller, I imagine that their unholy get might look something like this.
Whoofah.
Ted Kennedy is on fire.
Hit ‘em again Ted!
-GSD
Eureka Springs, AR @
62
And that homey Oklahoman accent (yuull)was so cute, too.
Bryon York – ……. ……..
Ed*ard Teller @
46
I like to call him THE HAIR.
“FOIA request on the Secret Service logs, anyone?”
I’m now wondering if this is a reason, in part or in whole, for the Secret Service’s recent change in policy to transfer logs to the White House, making them Executive branch papers not subject to FOIA….
Thanks dqueue.
There may be as many as 6 immunized witnesses including Ari? Did I miss something, or is this just more of Leopold doing what he does?
By the way, has Leopold been around the courtroom for the trial? It sure sounds like HE has copies of the transcripts rather than first hand knowledge.
I’m supposed to be cleaning the house. The cats are complaining.
However, the point seems to be lost on what the trial is about….perjury vs Joe Wilson’s traipsing off to Niger “on his own.” Dick Armitage’s role….
Actually, it is clear, and it hurt both Libby and Chimpco.
Why the press reports the trial as some unfathomable event the outcome of which in its discreet segments or as a whole is always a toss-up is beyond me – it’s not a toss-up, and you (and Dana Milbank) know who’s winning (and if you still don’t, its the gov’t).
Now, I really don’t find trials particularly interesting, b/c I don’t think there is drama, and I think that most nearly everything that takes place takes place (including yesterday) takes place in almost every federal criminal trial and the defense and the prosecution are well versed in their roles and prepared for what the other side is going to do – and that includes the attempt to try to “bootstrap” evidence.
The press ALWAYS writes about white collar criminal cases as if they’re edge-of-your-seat thrillers, but their not. And, as a great example of this, go read press coverage of the Martha Stewart trial (as well as the appeals regarding the jurors, since appeals on those grounds are quite common and typically go nowhere).
The most interesting thing I read yesterday was a quote in Swopa’s post attributed to Judge Walton:
Assuming it is accurate and that I am correct that the “he” in the sentence refers to Libby (correct me if I’m wrong), but that is the Judge in the case speculating about the defendant lying and the defendant’s reasons for lying. And if you don’t find that interesting or telling, well, I think you’re missing something.
I’ve written that it is my belief that in federal criminal cases prosecutors get the home court advantage, and the judge speculating about the defendant lying and reasons for doing so, at least for me, kind of proves the point.
I noticed the FCC was logged on also.
Just a coincidence that Ms. Martin was testifying and that she is married to the head honcho at FCC.
Right?
BWAAAAHAAAAHAAAAA.
Meet, Depress
Great timing:
The whole thing here.
Otisishungry – Glad you’re back. Hope you have time to continue to comment.
jayackroyd @ 1
Go here to find out the “surge” of the weekly visits.
Go here to find out locations and ISPs.
Lunch with the VP over the weekend… an opportunity spread the word, maybe regiment the troops also. It would be interesting to know what was said then, as well as who was there.
Tim Russert wrote a wonderful homage to his sanitation worker father “Big Russ” which he hawked around NBC, CNN, etc. shamelessly as if this book was of national importance.
This is the problem with Tim Russert. He is not an intellectual. He is not a deep thinking journalist. He is a quoter of news, and that’s about as much Press as you get on Meet the Press. He is one step away from the aptitude of Big Russ and has been in over his head for a long long time.
We, the American public end up with this psuedo journalist garbage collector overseeing what was once a respected new analysis program.
In the end, he is recognized as a light-weight by men of Cheney’s low-life character, and manipulated week in and week out to sell their message.
Cathi Martin’s comments and insights are not for one minute surprising or new information for those of us who watch and wonder what is going on in this country as this group of right wing thugs have abused and stepped beyond the constituitonal limits of their prescribed powers.
People wonder how Cheney sleeps at night. (Everyone knows how the empty-headed W. sleeps soundly.) I wonder how Russert sleeps at night, and when at dawn, when garbage trucks make their rounds, and garbage cans bang around outside his window does he shudder with realizaton they are calling him out?
yellow at 74 — I have heard nothing about 6 immunized witnesses in any of the trial testimony, nor have I seen it in any of the filings that have been introduced thus far. As for Leopold at court, I have no idea because I’ve never met him — and I didn’t meet him in either the media room or courtroom, but I can’t say that I met everyone there either. You might ask him whether he’s been there or not?
The Bush/Cheney strategery is working so well.
Turkey openly mulls invading Iraq.
-GSD
(Snip)
Onur Oymen, the deputy chairman of the Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said: “Northern Iraq is the only place in the world where a terrorist group can operate without being pursued.”
“If the Iraqis and the US are not prepared to take action over this, then we must.”
thank you smiley @ 63 and Bargain Countertenor @ 59!
wow, w/o official transcripts available to the public – marcy’s liveblogging is the only play-by-play of the trial i and the rest of the american public have access to. and christy’s analysis is the one i trust.
again… many, many thanks to the entire collaborative effort – especially jane!
Do we know when the lunch for the conservative commentators was held?
What was his ship?
ccmask @
49
Byron York on CSPAN with Marcy Wheeler. He throws out a fact or half a fact, spins it, treats the spin as fact, extrapolates from that, treats the extrapolation as fact, spins the extrapolation, treats that as fact, and so on until he runs out of breath.
It is a pity that the moderator never gave time to Marcy to deconstruct Byron’s nuttiness. He also seemed pretty tolerant of callers whose main interest seemed to link everything bad in the universe to Democrats and attributed the nature of evil to disagreeing with Republicans.
Watch Olbermann NOT cover this embarassment to NBC about Tim Russert, just like you don’t hear him talk about Andrea Mitchell’s role in the Plame outing. KO’s a hero to many of us, but there’s a place he will not go when it comes to NBC.
ccmaks: “I always dreamed of a guy knocking on my door in nothing but a tool belt…”
Kinda gives whole new meaning to the phrase “carpenter’s crack”.
Evil Parallel Universe at #76:
If you watched these developments unfold since the beginning and participated in the speculation, the liveblogging is an edge-of-your-seat affair. Every new revelation promises revelations to come.
With Ari up next, I’m practically planning a sick day….
OT: Less whiny than “Give it a chance,” but “I’m the Decider” scanned better. Two out of five on the EvilDrPuma Dickmunchometer.
WaPo’s Broder chat cancelled today.
I guess I don’t understand the wonder at this?
press the meat has always been an absurdity. it was always obvious it was just a tool to put out propaganda. all the established newsies are tools for this kind of release. we have seen that, as they have all been used by the spokespiehole to repeat drivel.
it does seem funny when the show is supposed to be about the news, and it is about, nothing?
Teddy at 90 — To be fair, a lot of those restrictions are placed on KO and his producers by NBC’s legal department — who has to be urging them not to talk about it until NBC’s portion of testimony (Mitchell’s, Russert’s, etc.) has been completed and they have been cleared off the witness docket. I know that’s what I’d be doing were I the legal department — there’s a conflictof interest issue that could put their testimony in jeopardy otherwise. NBC should be up front about it — but it isn’t fair at all to blame the reporters and shows whose hands are tied in this — the decision to comment or not is coming from much higher up the chain on this, I would bet.
Quicksilver – I’m just talking about the trial of Libby on the specific charges. I’ve posted before that the trial and the information that has (and will) come out, in a larger context, political or otherwise, is both interesting and important. They are different things.
EvilDrPuma @ 68
707!
Christy, I’ve wanted to ask …
When the defense first mentioned the words “Rove” and “scapegoat” were there any interesting reactions from others in the room … such as gasping, groaning, claping laughing, high five???
Anything from the prosecution table?
ccmask @
34
ew
Hugh @ 89
i’m watching it now… never before had a chance to form an opionion byron york before… but, now is driving me crazy treating marcy with such condescension when it is so clear that she is knows the case inside and out – much better than he does.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 11
BWHAHAHAHA
with so many new readers and people finally reaslizing they can’t get the facts from corporate owned media, I believe it’s time we did another piece on sick fraternity which nmembers of the administration have belonged for years, the PNAC
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0123.html
that link gives a nice summnation in the events that transpired which are so startling it wouldn’t be believable in a movie
our military was against attacking Iraq claiming it would harm national security and insisting Iraq posed no threat, our inteligence organizations informed the administration Iraq posed no threat and the ONLY people that wanted to attack Iraq was NOT the military, it was the members of the sick fraternity known as the PNAC
it’s time we forced main stream media to cover the real events leading to diverting our forces from the fight against terrorism instead to initiate an attack the administration knew would exacerbate the war against terrorism
time America was told about the actual history and why we are here today
They should change the name of Tim Russert’s program to “Meet the V-Pres”
From Ed*uard Teller:
Byork, of course!
blue e at 99 — well, there wouldn’t be any substantial reactions (i.e. high fives) because the judge would have a fit. That would be highly prejudicial in the courtroom, and just is not appropriate. The defense team clearly knew that this was coming, so it was no surprise to them — and Libby knew that it was coming, because he struggled to keep a very impassive public face on (all the while, having a hand twitch issue below the lip of the table so the jury couldn’t see it — which I described earlier int he week). The journalists were, for the most part, not so much surprised but a little taken aback by the vehemence with which Wells made his argument on that point — it was very forcefully done, in terms of volume and intensity, and I think no one was really expecting it to be THAT prominant and pushed by Team Libby. That was a bit more surprising for everyone in the gallery, I think, because it was very over the top in terms of mannerism from Wells.
TeddySanFran @ 90
We don’t want him to get fired now, do we? He’s the only one in electronic MSM who is really speaking the truth to power with this rogue administration.
In the event you haven’t seen the new Bush/McCain/Maliki plan in action here it is.
US troops to sit back and jeer and laugh as Iraqi Shiite troops beat and humiliate Iraqi Sunnis.
This is bound to end sectarian strife.
-GSD
Evil Parallel Universe @ 76
Well, it also kinda helps when the liar’s attorney… um, LIES to the judge in open court. That bit about “we didn’t have time to read Martin’s documents, we need the originals and more time to read them, the copies are illegible” and then he gets 6 pages to read?
Christy said it best:
If Fitz didn’t have a “home court advantage” before, he sure as hell does now. And he’s earned it.
GSD @ 108
Remember: Bush is the Decision-Maker.
A caller on CSPAN from Nebraska says that Hagel said in an interview there that he is afraid that Democrats will try to cut off funds for the troops in February and that his support of the Biden, Hagel, Levin nonbinding Resolution is an attempt to “turn the herd that’s in stampede” and prevent them from doing this.
If true, Hagel comes out not as a critic of the Bush policy but as a facilitator of it. Perhaps this was just pap for hometown consumption but it bears watching.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 96
They’ve had to cover the trial in general, and I can imagine the conversations in the producer’s office:
Producer: OK, big trial involving the White House. Let’s get our WH correspondent right on it. Where’s David Gregory?
Legal: Um, boss, no can do. You can’t send someone on the witness list to cover the trial.
Producer: Hmmm . . . that makes it difficult. I know – get me Andrea Mitchell. She knows all the players in this one.
Legal: That’s the problem. She DOES know all the players . . .
LindaR @ 105
I can’t countenance that- you do a huge disservice to all the people of Iceland by associating this jerk with their national heritage. I hear Rekjavek is a great place to party in the summer- the sun never sets, bars stay open all night, you lose track of time just like you were in a casino, but you can blame Mother Nature so it’s OK!
jogger @ 83
I remember as a kid watching my Dad watch the evening news-people like Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, and David Brinkley. Even as a child I got the sense that these were serious, important people who knew they had a tremendous responsibility.
In today’s cable/satelite market tested media world you get the feeling its all fluff-that the politicians (both D and R), through their consultant handlers, are “playing” the press. And it’s not just Timmeh.
The good news, of course, is the blogosphere. Citizen journalism has irrevocably changed the rules.
Jane, Christy, Digby, Marcy, Taylor, Amato, Kos, and thousands more working for truth in the marketplace of ideas have quite literally saved the concept of a free press. By implementing it.
thanks Christy … really just joking about the possible physical reactions …. the press that I’ve been able to read this week (because most of my reading time has been here!) has seems to say this was a big shock … I’m glad to know that Fitz and team knew it was coming
They must be working really hard to keep up with all the directions of Libby’s defense.
Thank you and Marcy for your passion with all this!
The link isn’t bringing it up.
Christy’s insights on Wells’ manner are fascinating. I would love to hear her impressions of the prosecution team. So far there have been two other lawyers beside Fitzgerald who have questioned witnesses, right?
Also, any reactions at all from the jury?
GSD @ 108
In other words, in ain’t going nowhere?
BC
All I can say is, I would rather be from flyover country (like Marcy Wheeler) than the tool belt, where that caller was clearly calling from.
Everybody has somebody they are deferential to (KO to HillDog this week, in exchange for the big get after her announcement) but I wonder if KO and Tweety will fawn over Timmeh quite as much as they have in the past.
Could the Libby trial have the excellent side effect of ending Timmeh’s reign over MTP? Now that Jack Welch has retired from NBC, the new management must have some up-and-comer they’ve groomed to take Punkinhead’s place.
Milbank shows this morning that the current MTP emperor has no clothes — this is a very serious flaw in the court of the unclothed.
On the lighter side, and on topic, FishbowlDC is having a caption contest . . .
spew alert!
did I get the impression that Kathy Martin will be back Monday?
( Sorry if stupid question, trying to run a shop and keep up is impossible.)
anyone have the case number for US vs. Scooter?
Bargain Countertenor @ 118
In other words, in ain’t going nowhere?
BC
I really ought to learn to read. I inserted a preposition (”This is bound to end in sectarian strife.
I also ought to learn to write. My snark was supposed to read, “…i
nt ain’t goin’ nowhere.”Thank the goddess it’s Friday.
BC
Bustednuckles @ 122
Yeah, Cathie Martin is due back to finish her cross-examination on Monday. Great f***ing way to start your week … pissing off the bosses.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer tool.
BC
never mind. I found it. No transcripts on PACER yet. will keep watching. 8 cents a page I can handle.
Fwiw, seems like the Court is checking FDL out to see how the Court doing:
TiredFed @ 126
Yeah, $0.08/page beats hell out of $5/page in California Superior Court … but be forewarned that those transcripts can be enormous.
BC
blue e @ 99
It also seemed to me that the Prosecution might find this interesting, considering their larger (and incomplete) investigation.
Pincus was following the CIA angle prior to Wilson’s article, and had talked with someone in the WH, perhaps other reporters had similar contacts. Let’s see what Libby has to say about that.
I like the idea that Cheney was only acting after others in the WH, not VP office, (”incompetants”) had leaked the Plame info.
First, don’t confuse advocacy with lying. The defense has to work with what it has, and invariably the defense questions the timing of gov’t document production. And if you look at it from the perspective of all the documents in the case, then it seems a legitimate, if not particularly plausible, claim to make even if the judge disagrees and you perhaps look “bad” b/c it turns out that the specific documents consisted of 6 pages.
I never said it was easy being a defense attorney (and that is true for any crime, in any court), and you often have to make arguments that you know (or really, really expect) the judge will rule against, often, as has been noted, to preserve the question for appeal.
If you equate fluff with entertainment, I’ll agree. But you don’t go far enough, they all play each other.
Here’s my grand unified theory, for what it’s worth. Cheney was worried, really worried, that Junja would blame him (in a terrible snit) for the Wilson Op-Ed, since it appeared that the OVP had sent Wilson to Niger. All this scrambling was necessary to convince the BoyKing that Cheney wasn’t responsible for the Wilson “junket” — and that Cheney could stay on the ticket in 2004.
Just another douchebag trying to stay in good graces with his sick demented boss.
Evil Parallel Universe @ 132
I equate fluffle with Bill “Phone Sex” O’Reilly.
Reven: I’ll get the name of the ship later. I think it went down on September 11, 194?
Punaise – You’re slipping.
punaise @ 133
The “loofah” defense, I see… a tussle in the fluffle with someone in O’Reilly’s corner that’s mighty handy with a sponge. :)
Evil Parallel Universe @ 136
darn it – dropped the soap
The slide continues.
punaise!!! don’t bend over to pick it up without checking to make sure there are no government or media folks present!!!
selise @ 86
To clarify
There ARE transcripts available to the public. But they’re expensive (I don’t know how much–but they’re long, some of the earlier ones were in the 100s of dollars, and those weren’t going all day). You’d need to get them from the court reporters directly, not PACER.
So they’re available. Just not READILY available.
Evil Parallel Universe @ 130
My CivPro prof liked to say: “If you have to ask yourself whether what you’re doing is zealous advocacy or malpractice, you are already on the wrong side of the line.”
true true. But if the judge is less willing to give you leeway because he thinks you’re trying to pull a fast one, and you’ve given him cause to believe that, it’s your client who suffers. In this case, it couldn’t happen to a guiltier bunch of traitors, so part of me is thinking ‘just desserts.’ But the other part of the message is: don’t piss off your judge, becuase he can and will rule against you, and if he does so becuase of shenanigans or malfeasance in his courtroom, the appeals court will probably uphold the decision.
Rayne @ 140
Ari?
ccmask @
134
OK, I’m very interested in the war in the pacific in particular. markann at hotmail dot com
So David Petraeus was confirmed and Bush had his photo-op announcing it. Petraeus is the general who was chosen because he will do the President’s bidding.
I find a certain amount of deja vu in all this. Much the same happened when Tommy Franks was put in charge of the initial invasion. He too was a general willing to do as he was told whatever the consequences or more accurately in spite of the consequences. Those generals over him who had the temerity to disagree, i.e. Shinseki were unceremoniously dumped. Has anyone by the way heard from Abizaid recently? Me either.
My point here is that this cherrypicking of generals to pursue the dubious policies of this Administration (not because they are feasible but because they are politically sanctioned) is nothing new but forms a pattern. The idea that Bush ever listened to his generals is really just more spin which the media swallowed whole and dutifully repeated ever after.
That Petraeus was confirmed by a vote of 81-0 tells you a lot about how unserious the Congress still is about challenging this President (despite his abysmal approval ratings).
Wordsmith, I didn’t have a problem even linking through the quote.
Here’s the url. See if that works for you:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/…..546019.htm
raven @
143
It may have been the USS Rowan Rowan
I posted long ago on why you don’t want to needlessly piss off a judge, or the prosecution for that matter, and I agree with you. That being said, if you have my view of federal criminal trials and believe the court leans to the prosecution and is going to rule against you, then you are most likely going to annoy the judge through your advocacy, even before you get to the level of pissing off the judge. Let’s call it a fine line that good attorney’s know how not to cross (or cross too often). I don’t think anything that happened yesterday rises to the levels of shenanigans or approaches malfeasance, but that doesn’t mean it was smart.
via TPM, regarding “I’m the decision-maker”:
emptywheel @ 140
i guess that means unavailable to me… hmm…maybe we can take up a collection for them?
thanks again, emptywheel, for all your hard work to bring the court proceedings to us. can’t tell you how much i appreciate it. you really did a public service this week.
Does this make Victoria Teonsing a “kerfluffer”?
-GSD
Raven. I’ll email you when I get it. My mom is going to bring the pic with her when she comes for the weekend.
She never knew, until the WW2 War Memorial was built, that he was remembered in this cemetery in Italy. She always thought he was lost at sea…until I went to the memorial home page, typed in his name, and found out he was in Italy.
Last year, my brother and his wife took a trip to visit. Here’s the cemetery. And by the way, the town in Italy really takes care of this place.
http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/sr.php
emptywheel @ 141
Marcy,
Do you know if they are going onto PACER eventually?
BC
Ed*ard Teller @
9
ET Thanks for repeating the link.
I just finished watching the whole program.
Marcy. You’re incredible! Bravo!!! ;->
raven @ 146
Yes! It was the Rowan! Exactly!
Nixon’s play book called for getting the news station that isn’t in the back pocket of the WH. Then attack the honest non bias journalist. Notice Fox, ABC and CBS are very supportive of the criminal acts of the White House. NBC news is the only station that has more international coverage. Thank goodness Fitz show the game plan early in his investigation. Yes Russert was played and so were other NBC journalist but what a player get played in this trial. We will see more shockers. Even the New York Times will get their headlines as the journalist whore they hired namely Judy Miller explains her pillow talk news with Libby and how the WH used her to print fake information about Iraq. Watch for the Deep Throats to come out on the witness stand. This time there’s more then one. Cheney was a Nixon student and used the plan but up dated it. Nixon want to have a one party government and all Judges and lawyers that follow the orders of the White House. Now look at the results. Bush has puppet Supreme Judges. Gonzo the idiot who was given a law degree because he’s a minority has fired all the great lawyers who convicted Bush friends. Libby is said in court to be a busy man who just for got and didn’t remember all he had to say is I don’t remember. Yet let’s look at Libby resume. Libby the international lawyer who had billionaire Marc Rich as a client, Presidential Adviser, Vice Presidential Adviser, Developed Intelligence Iraq Strategy, remember clearly Tom Cruise visit and of course his son’s birthday, helped write Powell’s speech to the United Nations with lies about WMDs. But we are to believe that same man can’t remember a thing about the CIA agent or her husband. Oh a low level staffer knows about it and doesn’t have national security clearance and knows classified information yet Libby doesn’t. Something is wrong with that picture. Wells hasn’t been given all the information by his client. Keep watching the show it’ll get better as more insiders let the world know how corrupt this White House is.
raven @
146
link indeed says sunk by Ger. torpedoes Sept. 11, 1943.
the first one is on me. if Fitz’s opening statement ever comes up on PACER, I’m getting it and will share with other pups.
Pat_AlexVA @ 142
Republicans are dopes with soap on a rope. Standard issue. :)
Last year I made a framed collage for an invalid vet who served on a ship during the war also and I was confusing it with that. And now, I can’t even remember the name of that one. They had a reunion last year and he couldn’t go so I ordered him a hat with the name of his ship and then printed up pictures for the collage. He loved it.
Ed*ard Teller @ 9
Why do some people just exude an invisible quality that BEGS for you to slap them?
Byron York is the perfect example.
Marcy did GREAT!
Mitchismo @ 20
Did I miss the answer to this question? If so, could someone steer me in the right direction for the answer, because I was wondering the same thing, and it seems I always miss the answer, or there has been no answer. I think a lot of people think that this trial will result in more charges, but I’m really not so sure. I think if it does it would be a fluke, because although there is a demonstrable conspiracy, doesn’t there still have to be a crime, and doesn’t that crime, at least in this case, have to include an intention to deliberately commit a crime. In other words, I think the thing that will prevent additional charges (such as conspiracy) are the same things that prevented individual charges, that is: the perpetrators had to know that Valerie’s identity was classified, and had to deliberately reveal it anyway. Of course, I still keep clinging to the off chance that someone will reveal something definitive that will make it possible to charge a conspiracy.
link indeed says sunk by Ger. torpedoes Sept. 11, 1943.
Yes, but the date in the cemetery says Sept. 12
My mom was told he was lost at sea.
late to the party….
Broder’s WaPo chat:
CANCELLED (w/red lettering on WaPo page)
fyi
sorry if already up…
TiredFed @ 158
bless you!
Jay Rosen, are you lurking?
Anyway, Raven, if she finds the pic I’ll take a pic of it and email it to you with Rowan in the subject line. My pics are on a computer that I can’t remember the password….
Peterr @ 21
“liberal media NBC” argument hum?
ccmask @ 162
During WWII, the date in the cemetary probably was a reflection of the date of notification. Then, the War Department notified next of kin by telegram, and it took some time to accomplish that.
O/T- My rant to the paper today:
______
President Bush the Decision-Maker (nee Decider) is now whining that his critics need to stifle their objections and give his new “plan” a chance to work. Well, Sir, you have had critics of your Iraq disaster since before you Decidered on it, and guess what? The critics have been uniformly correct, and you have been uniformly wrong. At some point it becomes only rational to predict that anything you Deciderize will fail in light of your dismal track record, and, with respect to this particular topic, the net result will simply be more death, destruction, and instability in Iraq and the broader Middle East.
_
Huh? Froomkin’s ‘under the weather‘?
US Bans Luxury Goods Export to North Korea
I have no commentary on it, other then that there is something so surreal about it, it deserves attention.
WaPo Style section love letter to CNN’s Glann Beck.
That should read:
US BANS Luxury Goods Export to Noth Korea
Valerie @ 160
Wasn’t Byron York responsible for booking Steven Colbert at the WHPC dinner last year, or am I misremembering..
That’s true Montag. A sad state of affairs.
In connection with Petraeus being anointed,
CNN.com’s poll:
Can a new U.S. commander make a difference in Iraq?
Yes 29% 5876 votes
No 71% 14176 votes
Total: 20052 votes
It appears that the public has a slightly different view from the people in DC.
Evil Parallel Universe @ 173
Presidunce Dim Son gotta make his counterpart more and more Ronery.
_
ccmask @ 175
I only mention it because my father was missing in action on Jun. 16, 1944, but, IIRC, the telegram sent to my grandmother of that notification was dated two days after. That seemed to be common at that time.
Pundits and bloggers would do well to tape a copy of these poll results, from ABC-Washington Post in January of 2003, on their monitors/mirrors/most viewed flat surface in their office:
Joseph Lieberman 27 Richard Gephardt 14 John Edwards 11 John Kerry 10 Al Sharpton 7 Howard Dean 3 Don’t know 24
Looking back at the last open GOP race, over a year and half out from election day, the results are less shocking than the prospect of a Lieberman-Gephardt ticket, but they do tend to support the hypothesis that early polls aren’t so much even popularity contests as trivia quizzes (The question being, “Have you ever heard of this person before?”)
Pollster.com
SharonW @
145
Perfect…thank you.
EPU @ 173: It was much more surreal as ‘Band Exports’.
LOL
EW said “can someone ask Cathie Martin to name the “conservative commentators” who had lunch with Cheney to address the Wilson controversy”
Good question. Would commentators also be the print media? I’ll bet Charles Krauthammer was invited then.
seenos @
40
I’m getting the feeling that they were trying to get Ari to take this role on and he wasn’t having any of it in the end. Is it possible he has a conscience after all? Or is he just trying to save his ass?
Raven and CMask,(Sorry FDL this is OT)
My dad was on the USS San Jacinto during WW2. ‘just’ a regular sailor. Fought in all the major pacific battles.
interesting sidenote: the youngest u.s. navy pilot on that light aircraft carrier?
George Bush sr.
the ship had a ‘book’ like a high-school yearbook but his widow wouldn’t give it to me (that’s another story altogether….)
Hugh @ 144 writes (with regard to Petraeus’ confirmation)
I had a bit of deja vu today, too, when I heard bushie is demanding another $10 billion USD for Afghanistan. Didn’t they illegally misappropriate Afghanistan funding to prepare their illegal war against Iraq? Wouldn’t bushie get a chuckle out of doing the same thing to kickstart an illegal war against Iran?
Ed*ard Teller @
46
ohmygoodnessgracious, even I can think of several right off the top-a… *g*
Moe: I bought a book written by one of the family members on the USS Rowan. I bought it on Amazon and gave it to her for Father’s Day last year. And Montag, sorry for your loss.
ccmask @ 187
Umm, no loss. He ended up in a German prison camp for ten months, spent twenty-three years in the Air Force, and another twenty in government service. Now on his way to the Caribbean on a cruise. :)
I like to call him Lying Dork.
I do so hate to be snippy, but does anyone know if he has a hair stylist on permanent retainer?
Mommybrain @ 71
Hows about Bjork? I can see him now wearing that swan dress.
montag @ 188
Wow. That’s great!
oooh mommybrain! great minds… ;->
ccmask @ 192
Would be even better if I could get him to stop watching Fox News and reading The Washington Times….
Adie (190) — no disrespect intended, but quite obviously not.
There’s no way that a hair stylist would claim that mop as their handiwork. At least not any hair stylist worth their shears.
Ugh. Think it’s just Lyin’ Byron’s cost cutting methodology. Or Byron thinks it puts him one up over the guys who don’t have hair since he can’t put writing skills over them.
SharonW @ 35
Indeed Fitz was to receive all documentation about contacts with reporters or other WH officials that related to Wilson, Plame, or WH activities dealing with media handling of the Niger-Iran interactions.
Certainly any guestlist of conservative pundits that attended a meeting at Cheney’s House would be in Fitz’s hands. In addition, he would likely have one or two of those people telling him who the other attendees were.
Marcy Wheeler just finished up on CSPAN 1 with her 40-minute discussion of the Scooter Libby Trial. Byron York of the National Journal was there to represent the defense. Just kidding, he was there to repeat every piece of right wing propaganda ever construed and disseminated over the life of the story.
As an aside, I worry about the future of our country because I worry about the ability of the press to separate factual reporting from propaganda. Were it not for officials like Patrick Fitzgerald, and concerned citizens like Marcy Wheeler, Jane Hamsher, Christy H Smith and others, I would have little hope but because of responsible and honest people like those sited above, I have great hope for truth and justice here in our great country.
Marcy did a great job presenting facts about the trial and the case, and respectfully challenging York on the facts when his claims of fact were wrong. York claims of fact were wrong when they served to put the case in a better light for Libby and others who participated in the smear and the cover-up. If York had one thing in mind, it was to put this whole case in a better light.
Marcy was able to site facts – specific dates and names of people – all at her fingertips. Make no mistake; of the two on the panel Marcy was the expert. York did not have anywhere near the same command of the facts. In fact, Marcy would supply them for York. York had another narrative he was concerned with: The narrative that takes responsibility off the smear campaign participants and liars about the same, and puts it on everyone else or no one at all.
On more than one occasion York didn’t like it when Marcy challenged him on a point of fact, so York contradicted her and then interrupted her to prevent her from substantiating her counterclaim, and then kept talking. York was annoyed and dismissive. In other words, because he didn’t agree, he wouldn’t discuss it. Every time York was challenged on a point of fact, there was a York CSPAN filibuster. I’ve seen York do this with others like David Corn. Marcy, who is not a demonstrative person on camera, had this pleasant subtle smile on her face as if to say, “You know I’m right you weasel and if you the balls to debate it, we could settle it on the merits.” I think Marcy also knows that this case will be won or lost in the court of law, that it is in the hands of Patrick Fitzgerald, and that nothing Byron York has to say, truthful or otherwise, will affect the outcome.
York did a good job holding the floor and presenting the all the many familiar “frames” we’ve heard so often that tell a favorable story for BushCo but that are not true; including “frames” about the conduct of the administration, the prosecutor’s conduct, the validity of the perjury charges versus leak charges, the character of the whistle blower, and the impact on the CIA and our national intelligence assets. What amazes me is the volume of misinformation that has been published and can be sited in a discussion like this one. For anyone following the story, watching this segment is a trip down memory lane. Watch it and take notes, and you could document every spin ever uttered.
I sent a question in that wasn’t asked in air so I’ll share it with a more eager audience:
Biodun @
81
Glad to see I made 99 on the list. Thanks for your great coverage. Although I am not an American, it is fascinating to see how your legal system works. Glad to see that Jane was back online last night (my candle is still burning). Thanks to Chrissie, Marcy and the rest of the crew. We in Germany have not yet given up hope that the USA will, once more, find its rightful place in the world.
My goodness. That canker queen has more lives than a…. anyone brave enuf to snatch up one-a these cards & find out what she’s up to? Maybe campaign advisorizing ‘er somethin’.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/p…..e_harr.htm
cinnamonape — therein is the trick: does the VP’s house keep records as to attendees? or do they only screen entrants for security purposes? or do they destroy any records in a narrow timeframe since it’s a residence?
This concerns me; we won’t see much reporting on this, either, since I’d lay odds that each of the biggest media outlets had a conservative pundit in attendance at that luncheon. Why would they pipe up NOW?
(pssst…Dana Milbank, your kvetching about Pumpkinhead and Meat the Press may be spot on, but you’re redirecting attention away from the possibility that somebody from WaPo was at that luncheon. When are you going to look in your own backyard?)
Great letter Neil and right on. Outing a spy is just politics to the Byrons on the right.
Lunch over–see you guys later
yellow snapdragon @
74
I emailed Leopold. He is in Washington, covering it and has purchased the daily transcripts from the court clerk which he says are costing his company $500 a day. But he said it is worth it because there is a lot of information in the transcripts people are missing.
He said it was in the transcript where Wells said “six witnesses are immunized.”
But just an important point to everyone here.
Unfair to try and smear Leopold and his coverage.
Much of what came out in court this week Leopold first reported more than a year ago. Don’t take my word for it read the archives of his stories.
From what I see he was the first to report cheney’s deep involvement.
Meanwhile, Jay Rockefeller just stepped up to the plate and accused Darth Cheney (aka Scooter’s boss) of pressuring Pat Roberts (R-KS) to drag his feet on the Senate Plame probe:
Susan S @ 16
This morning on CSPAN, Marcy interjected that Meet the Press called Mr. Wilson, not the other way around.
Nice job Marcy!
Mommybrain @
71
Marcel ………………
Donita is spinning platters upstairs.
drinksforall @ 48
Meet the Pimp
OMG, I forgot it’s Friday!! Thanks for the reminder, punaise!!
Alice B @ 207
we have a winner…
707
hosted by Pimpkinhead
Alice B @ 207
Missing The Point.
Rayne @
195
And he’s really short. I shared an elevator with him at YearlyKos. I’m the average height for an American male, ‘cept I’m a girl. He was several inches shorter than me. I could have picked him up by the scruff of his neck sort of like picking up the little chickenhawk in the Looney Tunes cartoons.
Plus, he’s a arrogant little prick.
Rayne @ 200
I’m not fully sure, but it’s worth noting the VP’s residence is at the Naval Observatory in DC. There is at least one back gate, but I imagine the many entry gates are staffed (and auditable) just like any military installation.
punaise @ 211
Masturbate the Press?
Not a transcript, but there are court documents for your reading pleasure here:
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/
It’s Timmeh the Tool Time…..
More powah..
GRRRRRRRR.
Someone at DoJ is surely interested in FDL’s live blogging:
Biodun at 217 — You know, we have a LOT of government regulars, including folks at the WH, according to the sitemeter.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 220
i like to think they are reading for the same reasons we are… concerned citizens hoping to see justice done.
Hugh @ 111
That was disturbing. Considering the voracity of Hagels recent performance against staying the course. D or R I am watching and every passing moment without substantive action is considered in my book as continued support of the useless slaughter of our troops, support of needless war on innocents, and failure on the part of the last branch of our gov., congress to act with any credibility against neo minions.
The people have spoken peacefully through their votes and the polls show strong momentum of deeper conviction that we need to stop the madness.
If the National Review people had wanted to send an actually knowledgeable person to debate Marcy, they would have sent Andy McCarthy. But, instead, they sent a lightweight. At least, with McCarthy, Marcy could have felt it was a fair fight (which she would have won anyway). McCarthy, however, given his friendship with Fitzgerald, has been keeping a lower profile with regard to this trial. Even though I don’t agree with most of his opinions, I admire his loyalty.
Dick lives in the Navel Observatory, correct? Someone should let him know that navel gazing is traditionally done from the outside.
SharonW @ 66
Ann in AZ @ 161
GSD:
WRT Teddy and the min wage, its going to be nice going against NH Senators (Sununu, Gregg) both of who voted to remove Fed Min Wage ($5.15), as did McCain
TeddySanFran @
132
it’s possible i suppose, but i think that fuckwad realizes his whole support system would be mortally wounded if he cut cheney’s balls off. and cheney has always known that. fuckwad is the shithouse rat. cheney isn’t crazy. he’s just a sociopath, pure and simple, with ice water in his veins. and he’s got lurch addington, standing by. fuckwad doesn’t even have turdblossom to whisper in his ear and snicker any more when things get untidy ……
the wurlitzer, she is broken!
and, even though they don’t seem to have shown up today, don’t feed the trools!
EPU @ 76
No offense, but . . . this is what the whole trial is about whether Libby lied and obstructed justice. Of course they are speculating and wondering. That’s why we are all here now. Well, I am not wondering . . . I happen to know! (Just kidding)
the Washington Post’s account just amazed me this morning…..It contained (in my opinion anyway) three things that I’ve always suspected.
first…That Russert was being USED by the administration to get their points out. He was alway defferential and uncritical of anything they said.
Second…Cathie confirmed the long-suspected deliberate Friday afternoon news dump… We always suspected it was deliberate but now we know.
Third…The Administration plays “footsie” with RW pundits and rewards them with the most treasurered gift a journalist can have(access) and “punishes” critics.
I “blogged my brains out on this this morning…http://mwprogressive.blogspot.com/2007/01/liberal-media.html
OT–BTW, has anyone seen Rita Cosby on MSNBC lately? She’s gone! Someone at FDL once said she looked like a life-size inflatable doll.
Moe’s Art @ 186
His widow? I take it your father was re-married?
That sort of thing *really* stinks. We had a similar kerfuffle in my dad’s family. When my grandfather died, my dad and his siblings ended up with bupkis thanks to his widow.
BC
OT–This idiot-boy is like a broken record. (He’s now a decision-maker, BTW, and no longer a decider.) From AP 28 minutes ago:
Christy, please comment on this. This is NOT to defend Russert, but there can be another explanation for “control the “message.” I’m sure most of us have watched the program and have witnessed politicians give an answer completely different to the question. That is controling the message. If you ever saw Melhman he couldn’t speak without talking points. Their “best format” means that they just say what they want without worrying about the question. Russert RARELY holds any guest’s feet to the fire with pointed followups when they don’t answer the question.. If he did he wouldn’t have any guests. I hope the jury doesn’t look at it this way but it is just another take on Martin’s testimony.
Dinna be feedin’ the wee trollies, lads an’ lassies…
Please. Do. not.feed.the.trolls.
Agh. I’m going to bite my tongue clean through.
Need to find something to do to fight the urge.
Laundry, maybe…
Biodun @
231
My paper just called for verification of this morning’s rant to them, said they’re gonna run it either tomorrow or Sunday. To wit:
Refreshing your screen makes everything so much better.
The Lurking Mod @ 237
Yes. With bedlam dreaming of rain.
Bargain Countertenor @
128
If I read the traffic above correctly, and this is a pdf, there’s a money raising opportunity for FDL here. Buy the pdf, and sell it for 2 cents a page.
Pax et Bonum @ 222
McCarthy and Fitz worked in the Manhattan DA’s office, yes? Do you knopw if the worked or schooled together before that?
Meanwhile, if sources are reliable and informed, I anticipate a wonderful post upstairs shortly, like around 1 PM Pacific Time, from a passionately intelligent warrior-writer-thinker.
Can I just comment on the publishing perspicacity of tyros Jane and Markos. I hope Marcy starts bring along a copy of her book on her media appearances.
And, I dunno, isn’t this a great story for The Daily Show? Way better than Chuck and the Baileys.
Nearly 10 PM here in Deutschland, still at the laptop, waiting waitingly for the reappearance of Frau Firedog.
Biodun @
229
Thank God! Her voice scared the crap out of me. My husband would do an impersonation and he couldn’t even come close to the irritating sound it made.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/index.html
I am kinda sorta new here. What’s the protocol of posting on this thread after there’s another upstairs?
Anyway I’ll post here FWIW. Jan 26, 2:06 PM EST
Lawyers probe Fleischer’s immunity deal
By MATT APUZZO
Associated Press Writer
Maybe Libby is 1 and Fleischer is one of the X2. Maybe no one knew about Armitage’s inadvertent leaks before he fessed up?
From Tuesday’s opening statements according to the transcript sent by Leopold:
Ted Wells speaking
“So what you’ll see in terms of the evidence concerning these six witnesses…their credibility should be questioned because they have an arrangement. They have a deal whereby they have been given immunity.”
since we’re all EPU’d waiting for Jane’s post, before i break apart in tears i want to report that Dr. Forrest “Woody” Stoddard just passed away.
He is one of the fathers of windpower in america, a three decade colleague, and my best friend in the industry. We were going to give him the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Wind Energy Association tomorrow, but he wanted to go.
An interview i did on windpower to be published on Truthout next week will now be dedicated to him.
This link has both the prosecution exhibits and the defense exhibits! From the AP.
portia.vz @
183
That is a theory. That they wanted to give them the inconsequential Ari to save Rove and Libby, and Ari decidded that even a few months in jail before a pardon was too much for him.
selise @
220
You know, even if they are not–even it their motives are to hide the truth, and work out strategies for doing so–it doesn’t matter.
The Cheney methods, the scurvy little spider methods, aren’t tenable anymore. Brave, committed people like Jane have recognized that we don’t have to have our news filtered, facts distorted, narratives driven.
So we have brilliant citizens like Marcy and Christy keeping us informed in ways that were not possible before.
They’re quaking in their boots, believe me.
Crazy Horse, we are sorry for your loss.
Ours too.
From Tuesday’s opening statements, according to the court transcript, as provided by Leopold. I emailed him.
Ted Wells speaking here:
“What you’ll see in terms of the evidence concerning these six witnesses, have issues where their credibility should be questioned because they have an arrangement. They have a deal whereby they have been given immunity.”
From Tuesday’s opening statements, according to the court transcript, as provided by Leopold. I emailed him.
Ted Wells is the one doing the speaking here:
“What you’ll see in terms of the evidence concerning these six witnesses, have issues where their credibility should be questioned because they have an arrangement. They have a deal whereby they have been given immunity.”
Hugh @ 89
Nicely said. Thank Hugh.
Neil @ 240
Actually, McC and F worked at the US Atty’s Office in Manhattan (the So. District of NY). They went to different colleges and law schools and were raised in different boroughs of NYC. But, without pandering to the press, McC has backed his friend and spoken highly of him while holding a different opinion of how cases should be handled. That’s a pal.
I always thought Tim Russert was pretty useless. Good to know I was right.
Ann in AZ @
161
punaise @
211
Stick a fork in, it’s DONE!
And what about the Matalin connection? Russert is never worse than when he features the Carville/Matalin dog and pony show on MTP. He positively fawns over those two and has never made a secret of their off-camera friendship.
Matalin of course, worked for Cheney. So what was her role in getting Russert to play accomplice to the VP’s deceit? What will we find out about Ms. Matalin’s role in the Plame affair? We know she hosted a fundraiser at her house to cover Libby’s legal expenses, but I am convinced she is going to be implicated sooner or later.
This, of course leads me to one of the major thorns in my side, namely James Carville. No disrespect intended to the patients I have worked with, but Mr. Carville does remind me of some of them when they have forgotten to take their meds. Worse, I simply cannot understand how a man, who is as passionate about his politics as he claims to be, can crawl into bed next to Matalin at the end of the day. (Not to mention boast about representing Zell Miller on his website!) It just has never added up, and I am continually amazed why this never gets any serious scrutiny. I am not talking about a Today Show “gee how do they stay married?” fluff piece. I mean serious analysis.
I am convinced that the two of them are the biggest political whores going. They consider politics, the people’s business, to be a game and they cynically use it to their advantage. I believe that starry-eyed Tim, son of the Buffalo blue collar worker, allowed himself to get sucked into their powerful circle and then lost his ability to investigate their actions and that of their friends/bosses.
And this is just so representative of the whole DC culture. It’s all a big game to these people. While they’re sharing their box seats at Redskins games and drinking their imported beers, the rest of us slobs are drowning in New Orleans, losing limbs in Iraq, or trying to figure out how to get affordable medical insurance.
seenos @
40
THIS JUST IN: CNN says Libby’s going to subpoena Rove!!!
Now what???
Well, remember that Rove struck a deal with Fitz. No one knows what the deal was, but the MSM thought it meant that Rove was “exonerated.” But his lawyer won’t show anyone Fitz’s letter (other than waving it tantalizingly in the air). I’m with Jason Leopold: Fitz has the goods on him, made a deal with him to extract some crucial pieces of info, and sez he won’t prosecute Rove as long as…. well, what? If Libby puts him on the witness stand, Fitz gets to cross. O-O-O-O, don’t you want to see Rove squirm in his chair? Will he (a) perjure himself, (b) say something that will, in essence, nullify his agreement with Fitz, (c) spill the beans, or (d) concoct some clever cock & bull story that will save his hide?
Bob in HI
Bob Schacht @ 260
Update Here’s the link to the CNN news bulletin
Bob