My question is; why didn’t Fitzgerald call Cheney as a hostile witness and have him, among many other things, explain (amongst a hundred other things) why he hired an obviously brain-dead idiot like Libby (instead of Hannah who has such a grasp of everything?) to be his Chief-of-Staff and handle so many very important affairs?
How could he trust Libby to remember Plame’s identity and his (Cheney’s) explicite instructions concerning Plame amidst the plethora of other important issues consuming him?

Fortunately, it appears from the juror’s questions, that they are not as stupid as Libby; is being painted by his defense.

With all the warnings during the summer of 2001 about an impending domestic U.S.A. terrorist attack with “Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside the United States,” the Bush administration could only muster up enough interest to hold this one, solitary counter-terrorism Principal’s meeting, a meeting to which the top counter-terrorism chief, Richard Clarke, was not even invited.

Incredible. Criminal. Incompetent. Traitorous.

Fitz hasn’t been doing extensive cross exams.

But Fitz really could make Hannah look foolish if he were to ask whether Hannah ever thought it was odd that a man with such poor memory, by his account, was in the lead staffer in charge of so many complex and critical national security matters.

The larger point is that Hannah is trying to advance two claims that don’t seem logically consistent (1) that Libby had a bad, even horrible, memory (2) that Libby was sitting in on endless meetings and handling voluminous paperwork on the most critical national securities matters.

If (1) is true, then how the hell could anyone hire Libby to deal with (2)?

Notice that Hannah’s example didn’t show that Libby actually forgot the INFORMATION he was told…in fact he recalled point-by-point the information back to Hannah. Libby digested it, and then recapitulated it in detail later. What he “forgot” was simply who, of several sources told him.

While one might think that this would support Libby’s case it actually suggests the opposite. Libby would not have thought those “talking points” were surprising. He recalled the content in detail. In the Russert assertion he claimed he “forgot” the information. And he created a completely erroneous source and scenario. Hannah never said that Libby EVER did that.

If he had, perhaps shown something that he said “The President ordered this” when perhaps it was a suggestion from Bob Novak…well that would have been equivalent to his “the VP told me…but I thought it was Russert” scenario.

And even more we have to recall that the information he supposedly “forgot” he “learned” almost a month before, and THEN, several times just prior to the “Russert assertion” he had IN FACT REPEATED.

He remembered about Plame throughout this period of a month or so…didn’t forget…or perhaps had his memory repeatedly REFRESHED with documents and conversations that haven’t been found or reported yet. So he told others in that June-early July period before he met with Russert…and then, “brain flatulence” just after the WILSON OP-ED????

Then he “hears for the first time” (falsely) with Russert. And that same day he somehows forgets that Russert really didn’t tell him…and tells Rove that he did, tells the VP that he did, tells Fleisher (about what he didn’t apparently learn from Russert) and “recalls” then tells Cooper (all the reporters know it).

Oh…and he tells Fleischer to tell “all the reporters who already know” to keep that information “hush hush on the QT”?!

Huh?

If the reporters “all know” then why does he go on a fit of “leaks” like an incontinent male dog in a new neighborhood?

Where’s the rationale in telling Mitchell, but then not wanting to get Russert in trouble? All the reporters knew, after all.

And then he has a “perfect memory” of Russert telling him…down to very precise details…until he finds that “note”. And then suddenly he has very precise memories of Chney’s expressions and tics, of his own feelings that the information wasn’t conveyed as if it was classified, and all sorts of other details about that phone discussion.

If one works undercover, is there ever a record of them as an employee?

Yes…but it would be classified in terms of actual role. Thus if someone was identified broadly as a CIA employee they might allow that to be declassified, as a fait accompli, but hold tightly to the other details.

BTW has anyone ever bothered to actually see if there is documentation that Plame’s employment was DECLASSIFIED!

There should be a record that it WAS!

The discussion of Libby’s role in postwar planning for Iraq seems counterproductive to me. :)

i was going to comment yesterday, but couldn’t get past lurking, you all are phenomenal, i hate to add my dumbness. But i totally agree with the article you wrote yesterday. There is a huge intriguing story here with the witnesses squirming in their seats. Someday it will make a fantastic documentary if the truth can ever be patched together. And now they have another excuse for the failure in Iraq–the intel, the after attack planning, lack of knowledge of history– all can be blamed on Scooter’s bad memory. Btw, how many jurors does it take to convict him?

No wonder they can’t keep Sunni and Shiite straight.

I believer the expression is, “Can’t keep their Shiite straight”

The Year of Iran MIB with the Vice President

Cheney was visited by the Men in Black?

Meet in Bed?

I agree.!! Today is not the day, but I hope soon we are allowed to ask those obvious 9/11 questions. I mean, it is so obvious.

But today, I just thank God for FDL. from the bottom of my 71 yr. old heart.

Stroke by stroke, FDL is opening doors for us, and actually saving our beautiful America.
I hope I live to see America the Beautiful again.

They knew they were outing a CIA agent – and attempted to ensure that no single individual would be held responsible by using three or four to release the information to multiple agents (reporters) all at the same time. Rove wanted to create the illusion that the information was “in the public domain” – therefore not a crime to reveal it.

It failed to work, Karl. You and Cheney are doing time.

In legal terms, this is what’s known as a CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT TREASON DURING A TIME OF WAR.

Now you can see why Ari was so freaked out that he went underground. Ari knows EVERYTHING. Put his lying ass back on the stand and ask him about his 9/11 foreknowledge. Let’s reveal the ENTIRE CONSPIRACY.