(Photo of the Library Lounge of the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. Just the place for a cozy 2 hour tete-a-tete coffee during a busy work day, eh?)
After all of the build-up, the tedious long-winded discussion, and the meticulous questioning by Libby attorney John Cline of witness John Hannah, prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald stood up for cross-examination and, suddenly, the spectre of the St. Regis by morning and Judy Miller reared up in all their glory. To wit:
On cross-examination from Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Hannah acknowledged that a crucial part of Libby's job was to defend Cheney's office in the media.
"It would be important to push back on those issues, yes," Hannah said.
Fitzgerald scored a key point when Hannah acknowledged that it was very difficult to get even an hour of Libby's time in any given day. In prior testimony, Libby has said he spent several hours with New York Times reporter Judith Miller in meetings in the St. Regis Hotel's dining room and in his office trying to rebut Wilson's claims in June and July 2003.
"So, during the time of all these threats if he gave someone an hour or two of his time . . . it was something Mr. Libby would think was important, correct?" Fitzgerald asked.
Hannah agreed.
"Is it fair to say that what was important to the vice president was important to Mr. Libby?" Fitzgerald asked.
Said Hannah: "Yes, that's correct."
Libby must be awfully tired of the root rot his aspens picked up from that one two-hour breakfast with Judy, wouldn't you say?
Related posts:
- Cheney Refused to Release the Journalists
- Cheney’s Betrayal Made an IIPA Charge for Libby Possible
- Cheney’s Lawyer Already Leaked the Content of Cheney’s “Privileged” Interview
- Hung Out to Dry: One Former VP Chief of Staff
- The Taxpayers Paid Dick Cheney’s Personal Defense Attorney to Obstruct Any Inquiries Into His Crimes
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Fitz and Christy!
Oops–typed too fast and didn’t proofread.
Emptywheel!!!!
Christy–is there any chance that the trial will be delayed, or even cancelled today because of the weather.
Everything’s shut down here in Central Ohio.
OhioTex at 4 — Far as we have heard from the courthouse this morning, everything is on schedule. They are starting a bit later this morning — 11-ish — but it’s open and set to go. In Federal courts, the individual judges determine scheduling unless there is some weather emergency for the roads declared. I hear the DC weather sucks, but isn’t unmanageable today. Will let everyone know if that changes.
Beautiful cross by Fitz. The forgetful Libby knew what was ultimately most important, smearing anyone with the temerity to contradict Cheney by telling the truth about WMD. Defending Cheney’s lies took precedence over defending the country against terrorism. How many hours of Hannah/Wells BS went down the crapper with just a few minutes of Fitz’s incisive questions on cross? Hooray for Fitz!
So that’s where Judy & Libby got it on, huh? Pretty cozy place. Expensive coffee, no doubt. But, I guess Libby can afford it seeing he has two jobs. Does he get two paychecks, I wonder?
Morning! Snow emergency here, it’s drifted up to 5 feet on my front door. Not looking forward to shoveling, I may have to outsource that. How’s every else making out?
Almost felt like Hannah was a prosecution witness.
Twisted Martini @
9
Yuck.
I live in Vegas, where weather is against state law (but where failing to drink and smoke are felonies).
_
Haha I thot you were making a suggestion where the trial bloggers could meet and talk. It looks…cozy.
legaleze at 7 — It was awfully fun, wasn’t it? Concise, to the point, and cut right through the BS in a very spare amount of words. Brilliant strategy to do so in such a spare fashion — great contrast to the tap dancing verbosity of Cline’s direct, I thought.
And, btw, I have found both Jeffress and Cline to be very organized and meticulous in their questioning — Wells is more loose, and his style is not my preferred trial style, so it’s tough for me to comment on him without that clouding my opinion that he appears disorganized. But that may be a calculated tactic to confuse the jury — it’s hard to tell, but it just has felt so disorganized.
Am hoping to find time to do a detailed analysis of the opening statements later this week, if I can get the time to finish them — it’s been illuminating going back through my eighteen pages of notes from the openings and the evidence presented thus far, let me tell you.
We are still waiting to see if the court will be open today. Ice storm.
From previous thread:
Libby trial info:
Washington is a bit dazed from an ice storm. We are waiting to hear if our trial will be on today or not. The schedule was documents to be filed no later than 9:30 for the judge; legal arguments at 11:30; jury to sit at 1:30.
The jury was told they don’t have to come in Thursday. Friday the court handles matters other than this trial. [What? There are other matters??] Monday is a holiday. Tuesday is supposed to be closing arguments, but I don’t see how they can do that if the jury doesn’t get what they need today.
[and]
In court they are arguing whether, in light of Libby’s decision not to take the stand, the 3 CIA briefers should still be permitted to
scare the living daylights out of the poor juryexplain in detail that Libby was handling Very Big Important Scary Matters regarding ScaryRealTerrorist Threats to the Nation and had no time to think about Wilson. Except for all the documented time, now in court evidence, that he DID work on destroying Wilson.That was a tasty cross examination. Bright shiny objects? What bright shiny objects?
Kind of makes you understand why Libby and Cheney might be reluctant to take the stand.
Christy, since we’re all sittin’ back here relaxing and enjoying the snow [unfortunately unable to convene @ the St. Regis for a spot of tea], could you explain a bit about the “sealed indictments” Fitz has?
How does this work? Why are they sealed? How are they “unsealed” and acted upon?
And “Ladies,” I hope you have a chance to travel up Connecticut Avenue to the Politics & Prose bookstore (and perhaps, Marcy, have a little “chat” with them). P&P is the site of many C-SPAN book talks. The place is owned by women and a great venue. And so much closer to me re coming to see you.
Many, many thanks for your True Journalism. My son is a freshman journalism student in college. I send him links to your coverage almost daily. And I’ve delivered a few “talks” to the Dean of the Journalism School re “old” vs. “new” media.
Many thanks and much aloha.
ccmask @ 8
Don’t know, but he got at least $2 million for getting Marc Rich a pardon from Bill Clinton, something one never hears about from the right wingnut welfare kings and queens who were so vocal about the pardon when Clinton issued it.
legaleze @
7
Totally agreed! That question blew the memory defense away. I wish I could have seen the defense team’s faces.
Here across the river from Firedog courtroom team, it looks slick. Maybe an inch of what looks like sleet overnight.
Twisted at 9 — Holy smokes! 5 feet! I might be tempted to crawl back under the covers and wait for a spring thaw! (LOL)
Do take it slow, though — we had a huge blizzard a few years ago and the house we were renting had a mile-long driveway. Shoveling that out was no easy picnic. *g*
Good mornin’ firepups,
Yep, cold and icy here in DC. But after Fitz’s cross yesterday, I’ll bet Scoots was feeling a little chill, anyway.
I’m staying home from work today. So if Walton opens his courtroom, I guess it’ll be all Fitz, all the time for me. (Like it wasn’t when I was at the office. *g*)
And after all those hours he spent with Judy, Judy, Judy – he didn’t even get a lousy article out of her.
I got married at the St. Regis. It is quite nice and almost on top of the White House.
Yesterday they were trying to make Hannah’s testimony stretch to say that the Busy Days in question might have been some of the most important, critical, and urgent in the history of the nation. For goodness’ sake, there was a CRISIS IN LIBERIA. Oh. Well hey, there was a CRISIS IN TURKEY. And the Vice President [”of the United States Government”—as they were fond of repeating] actually had to make a telephone call to Turkey.
So they were Busy, see?
The Q and A for Hannah reminded me of a church litany. Do you believe in the Father? Yes. Do you believe in the Son? Yes.
Did the Office of the Vice President devote a large amount of time to A? Yes. And “”"”"” to B? Yes. And so on thru the alphabet. Wished I’d kept a count of the number of such questions.
He was a regular one-man State Department. Say, don’t we have one of those somewhere?
Who picked up the tab? (clarification: at the St. Regis?)
Twisted @ 9
Raining on the south shore of Long Island. Some ice earlier but it’s long gone. Maybe it will freeze up again tonight. IOW it’s a beautiful day outside.
egregious @ 12
You did good yesterday. How you holding up?
… WOW! Just as I was typing 2 HUGE tree branches came crashing down outside from the weight of the ice that hasn’t completely melted yet. Gotta run and get the camers…
Twisted Martini @ 9
We have a lot of sleet and freezing rain but not much snow, which is unusual for Danbury (the snow belt of Connecticut)
Christy Hardin Smith @ 20
No, that is just the drifts against my front door. Total was only about 15 inches, which is still a hell of a lot for Central Indiana. My neighbor called and said he’s got a snowblower, so my task got easier!
The Decider is having a new conference soon. Will anyone ask him about his previous Plame outing posturing? It’s test time for the MSM.
Seems like some of the witnesses for the prosecution like Judy, were more helpful to Libby’s defense than Mr. Hannah was as a witness for the defense. Fitz did a slice and dice on Hannah Barbera. Oops!
All you guys on the East Coast-it’s coming! Hunker down with a little FDL and let it snow!
TPhilip—Yesterday I was so excited I almost couldn’t breathe. I had trouble blogging at the lunch break from mania. This is not a literary device, I am bipolar.
Today while we are waiting to see if there will even be court, I am down to the level of not being able to sit still. I keep getting up and pacing. Hey, it’s exercise.
Christy, when did your power come back?
Badwater @ 29
They fail the test. Why bother watching?
Mauimom at 16 — Well, I don’t know that we know that Fitz has any sealed indictments, as he’s never said so. Because he cannot say so, otherwise they wouldn’t be sealed anything — the moment you talk about them, you break the seal. (There is a reason sealed indicments are held very close and secretly.)
There has been some speculative reporting on whether Fitz would or would not have things under seal — like plea agreements, indictments, immunity deals, and the like — but if they were for Libby’s case in terms of witnesses who have testified, they would have to have been disclosed to Team Libby as witness information. (Unless, of course, it was information about a defense witness, in which case that doesn’t have to be disclosed unless and until that particular witness actually takes the stand.)
How this sort of thing works in a typical prosecution case — say in a drug conspiracy prosecution, for example — is that a number of co-conspirators are rolled in as cooperating defendants and witnesses. They can enter a plea deal (a plea to an information, for example, so that they plead before they are indicted by the Grand Jury) and/or can be indicted secretly and then have this placed under seal as the investigation into the conspiracy continues. This is done sometimes to gain the testimony of people involved in the conspiracy as the investigation continues on up the ladder to the person at the top of the criminal conspiracy.
But, again, we do not know if this has or has not happened in this case. I have no information one way or the other from any of my contacts about this, and I have spent a lot of time trying to verify all of the rumors that have swirled around this investigation. (I take any rumor that I cannot verify with a HUGE grain of salt, btw, and suggest that everyone else does the same. Unless I can personally verify something, I am always a skeptic.) All we can do is sit back and see where things do or do not go from here — but if there are sealed matters and further proceedings in this investigation, we’ll likely know soon enough. But, again, I have no knowledge that there are, indeed, any sealed matters connected to this case — and that is because the folks investigating this have conducted themselves properly and kept their mouths shut about secret grand jury matters, as they are supposed to do.
Badwater @ 29
I bet they won’t. Or, maybe one relatively softball query that begets the std pissy ‘can’t comment on a legal proceeding’ deflection.
_
OT-Did you see that Bush will meet with the press at 11:00 today. I can’t help but think that everything is a game to these people. They pick a day with treacherous weather just to be difficult.
I’ll wager that Bush makes a joke about the reporters having to slosh through the snow and ice to get there.
TPhillip @ 26
I refuse to take responsibility for those tree branches.
I’m holding up enough here. :)
I was under the impression that Scooter and Judy had an affair or what that just metaphorically speaking..
egregious – I know, that’s why I asked :) Steady as she goes, eg, steady as she goes. You are courageous to plunge yourself into that atmosphere, I’ll say that.
Jay @ 38
The long mea culpa that the NYT finally put out [sorry] about Judy all but spelled it out in print. To say anymore would have violated a lot of standards.
egregious at 32 – It went on and off several times yesterday — there was apparently a tree limb across the lines somewhere near our house that kept causing a problem when the wind moved it around. I’m hoping we don’t have that same problem today — although we’re getting a bit more snow on top of a layer of ice at the moment.
A lot of folks were operating yesterday under the assumption there were sealed indictments. I sort of knew it was just speculation on their part. Thans for clearing that up, Christy.
Thanks Christy. It was Cline on direct, I had assumed Wells. The contrast you mentioned seems to run through this trial. Fitz incisive, focused always to the point; Wells and his team, rambling, shambling all over the place, lots of crap thrown against the wall hoping something sticks . . . . My impression of Wells gleaned from emptywheel’s trial notes, is that he has a forceful personality which he employs as his primary persuasive tool. Wells wants to put the focus on himself and away from his client, this time Libby. It’s as if he thinks he’s some sort of Svengali. But based on the juror’s questions of Hannah, it doesn’t look like anyone’s fallen under the spell.
Christy,
The other case Judge Walton was doing yesterday was “Sealed v. Sealed”. Jeralyn was chasing that one down so you might contact her for the details. We think the rescheduling of our trial yesterday from 1:30 postlunch break to 2:30 was because of the snow “transportation emergency”. S.v.S. was supposed to be heard at 3:30. Jeralyn thot the case might be Hannah, now that he’s finished. As it were.
How I know it was this case, it was printed on a piece of paper by the courtroom door.
After “listening” to John Hannah, it makes me wonder what the POTUS does all day. Sounds like Scooter ran the world
Thank you so much FDL for the coverage of this important trial. As usual the MSM has either dropped the ball or carried it in the wrong direction.
I think Jane, Christy, Marcy, Swopa, Pach, Jeralyn and the rest would really look good having coffee in the pic above (ST. Regis), but then all us pups would probably have to quit commenting and just keep pushing the PayPal button.
I’m financially challenged, or I would be pushing the button, but I am trying to convince myself that I can afford to order “Anatomy of Deceit” and have it imported into Canuckistan.
egregious @ 14
Are you at the court house eg?
Do we (or can we) know if TYOI testified before the grand jury?
I was wondering about the fact that neither Scooter or the Shooter will testify. I had always thought that they’d only testify if the defense thought that things were “close”, that they had a chance of pushing it over the edge toward aquittal (or at least a hung jury) by testifying — and that if it was clear Libby was going to lose, or clear he was going to win, they wouldn’t.
I just wonder — does reality permeate the Libby bubble, or is it possible that they think they are winning decisively already?
Fairfax @ 45
You can pose a model of government that is essentially monarch plus prime minister. The monarch comes out and gives speeches, the prime minister runs the government. Just because we have bad people in these positions doesn’t undercut the model.
Btw did we ever get the capability to use the plus sign? Test: . End of test. Back on the wish list, looks like.
Lindy @
25
not-so-wild guess: you & we did… sigh…
egregious, now on the bench with TEAM FDL. Gets better all the time.
Reading Anatomy now. Punch ‘n Judy, Judy, Judy. What a show.
Anyone see Frontline last night? Sorry, late to party, missed all day yesterday, no time to read back yet.
egregious at 44 — Yeah, we’ve all been trying to chase down details on that one for ages. But no one has been talking. I have gotten some hints that there may be something more to come, but nothing solid and I hate to even speculate as to what it might or might not be — because it might be something as simple as an announcement of the close of the investigation or it might be further indictments, or…well, the possibilities are endless. I find it best to just wait until we hear something directly from Fitzgerald or someone on his investigative or legal team because, truly, they are the ones who control what we do or do not get to know on this. And thus far, they haven’t said anything on whether this is done or not done…and so, I wait. *g*
Cold, icy and folks are moving slow here in south/eastern Ohio. I was in Boulder,Colo during the three big snow storms in December and January.
Americans sure are committed to burning fuel they insist on driving (filling their tanks with the blood of people that die due to our need to access) even when they do not have to. Walk? Forget about it!
This morning Tony Snow responded to General Pace’s comments about the lack of “hard evidence” to support what is being said about Iran. Snow said that “General Pace is welcome to speak for himself”.
How can we forger when Cheney went on MTP just after Iaea’s El Baradei told the world that the NIger Documents were false and completely undermined what El Baradei said…
The Bush administration and the neocons (that have never been held accountable for the false pre war intelligence) are marching (these chickenhawks have never marched a day in their lives) towards Iran….The Clean (fucking bloody) Break has not been completed.
Fairfax @ 45
He’s the Play President. He was, recall, simply appointed to provide cover for the looting of the federal by cronies. His tenure was just gonna be an ongoing all-you-can-embezzle buffett below the radar until 9/11 made him self-appointed Savior of Humanity.
Adie @ 51
Actually, I read somewhere that Libby is always very careful to pay his share of any meals/drinks with cash. Following *that* law to the letter, which makes it all the more interesting that he didn’t pay attention to the laws re classified info, perjury and obstruction of justice.
TPhillip @ 33
The decider’s qualifier was “anyone who leaked classified information”, he was emphatic and repeated it – classified information with his teenage boy smirk. This is what they believe gets Boy King off the hook. The leaked info was insta-declassified. In other words, they declassified the name of a covert agent and then leaked it. Nobody has to pay the piper. Rove gets to keep his job. Will the press press? I doubt it.
For the record I sat about 12 feet away from Libby. He looked at me several times. I tried to examine whether I felt anything spiritual, whether good or evil, incuding when he walked past me a few times. Nothing out of the ordinary.
theExile @ 46
By all means, order the book. It’s so helpful in understanding all the ins and outs of this case. And it reads like a novel–I couldn’t put it down.
CHS—rumors abound.
egregious @ 44
Intriguing.
ok, you are libby’s attorney, and you are talking to your client;
you; you’re toast
libby; I paid you 5 million bucks, what do you mean?
you; scoots, you’re toast
libby; well, I think I can expect a pardon
you; not likely, if you get a pardon then cheney’s toast because you are forced to testify against him without any 5th amendment
libby; what do you advise?
you; we’re gonna see what the prosecution is going to offer
libby; what do you mean?
you; they don’t want to spend more resources on your appeal, they don’t want to take a chance the jury hangs, and you are not the person they are after
they’re gonna ask for some information and give you a plea deal for purjury, 6 months probation…but you are gonna have to throw a number of people under the buss
libby; rove?
you; no, rove already rolled,they don’t need anything on him
libby; cheney?
you; uhyup
libby; how much time do I serve if I don’t roll?
you; we don’t know, fitz has more up his sleeve, if he gets this conviction you are probably going to be implicated in his other indictments as well
libby; I’m toast
dab—Not at the courthouse yet, at chezEgr waiting to hear if they will be open. I live in the suburbs.
Thad at 49 — You know, I’m fairly certain the lawyers on the case are making their decisions based on solid, tactical analysis. My impressions of all the attorneys on the defense end is that they are, to a person, quite sharp and well aware of how things are going in the courtroom. Jeffress, especially, impressed me quite a bit, and he seems to be very much the realist on tactics. Where things stand with Libby personally? No idea, because I didn’t have a lot of interaction with him. But I’d say he has had to confront a lot of reality in speaking with his attorneys and has already faced down the spectre of a possible guilty verdict well before they went to trial — a good attorney prepares their client for all the contingencies before they ever step foot in the courtroom, and Libby’s team has a lot of trial experience. (You also do that to insure that your client can’t sue your ass later for not disclosing all the risks, but really you want your client to have ALL the information in order to make an informed decision about their defense through the WHOLE process.)
libby; I’m
toastdead. I’m a dead man.[CHS notes: I’m certain that you did not intend this to sound like a threat, but merely to describe Libby’s state of mind as being morose. But please, let’s all be careful how we phrase things in a public forum. Nothing that sounds like a threat in any way. We have a lot of folks reading the comments, and I would hate for something to get misconstrued by a law enforcement officer who would then be required to show up on your doorstep and investigate. If you get my meaning. Thanks.]
Ok, went outside to see what the inch of stuff is. Alexandria is basically coated in an inch of snoopy snow cone shaved ice. Too bad we don’t have any syrup.
BobbyG @ 55
Ok, then. What I want to know is just who are these “cronies” and can we have them shipped to Baghdad as part of the splurge – er, I mean surge.
13,000 more potential targets being freed up for Iraq:
Maybe Bush will get a presser question about this great domestic economic news.
_
The other case yesterday, I mean what would be important enough to INTERRUPT OUR case? Kind of like getting Grenier out of his meeting with Tenet…not so common.
The court has the capacity to hear other cases on Fridays. So why this one is the exception? Pardon my word order, I’m still a little on Russian grammar.
Christy Hardin Smith at 13 says:
What do you think of the idea of you being there again just for closing arguments. That way you could examine and contrast both.
Whattsup with the other Cowboy Imus?
He is smearing Joe Wilson
He should keep his fucking mouth shut…
Jack
hackworth @ 57
We keep batting this theory around, and it makes sense from a legal standpoint, but it’s not going to pass the “smell test” with the casual viewer. If he really did insta-declassify the information, then why didn’t he just say so? Why have we had a federal prosecutor on this case for the past 3 years? (Rhetorical questions, btw.)
Did you see Nightline last night? They are covering Plamegate, the role of the press and the Libby trial. I think this is a 4-part series but not sure. Good coverage. One of the key points that hit me was in talking about the confidentiality that the press gives to sources, but which the courts have now said can be challenged by subpeona – as we all now know! Anyway, a key point was that in the past the press did not automatically offer confidentiality to sources, but that has changed – as Russert demonstrated on the stand – and that is one of the key problems. By giving confidentiality to all sources – not just whistle blowers – the press has become complicit in providing the government’s talking points and spin and has become corrupted. Well, my take anyway.
Always interesting to read about winter in the lower 48 from up here in Alaska, where the winter racing season – dogsled, snowshoe, Nordic ski, snowmachine, bicycle (!!), you name it – is in full swing. The governor’s husband, Todd Palin is halfway through the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, with his team in first place. Our son, ET, Jr, has two more ski races left before his last HS season ends.
No big storms here or in the offing. Yet. Winter is long.
CHS—Jeralyn has a fantastic idea for predicting what the defense will do for their closing argument. She is great, I was so glad to meet her.
Christy: would standard practice be to unseal after the conclusion of a related trial, or after appeal?
Or is there no real ’standard practice’ with sealed indictments?
As for Sealed vs. Sealed, I hope that Mrs Sealed gets the house and the yacht.
TPhillip @ 42
TPhillip, there does appear to be a Sealed vs Sealed indictment from the GJ in cold storage. However, it’s a Jason Leopold story, he’s not considered credible around here.
Thad at 49, I’m with you. No way Team Libby thinks things are going well. They know that the odds are against them and that testifying will only make matters worse. Here’s the problem for the defense as I see it. Wells has made credibility the central issue. But Libby and Cheney’s job was misinformation and propoganda, i.e., lies. So with Fitz in the role of the Terminator destroying every defense witness in his path, Team Libby knew better than to take the stand and be shown for the absolute liars they are. I posted this before, but it’s worth repeating. There’s a saying, “Better to be thought a fool, then to speak and remove all doubt.” We can paraphrase that saying and apply it to Cheney and Libby as, “Better to be thought a liar, then to testify and remove all doubt.”
BobbyG @ 68
If ? is posed he’ll blow it off w/platitudes, perhaps a smirky non sequitur or half-joke. There will be no follow up per usual.
modthinglet @ 23
Was it something else before it was a St. Regis? I grew up in DC and don’t remember it.
Scooter’s reputation doesn’t fit the image I have of him as being a milquetoast. After loving Cheney for hours every day, I wouldn’t have thought he had the time and gusto for Judy. As for Scooter being Cheney’s sidekick, Libby may be just the antidote for the h***-raising Mrs. C.
egregious @ 44
Oh *YES*!
I meant the Frontline series (PBS), not Nightline. Here is the link
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/newswar/
Christy Hardin
Smith @ 34
Thank you for explaining this in peasant terms. So do you consider Jason Leopolds articles having to do with Rove’s sealed indictments “grains of salt”?
Another question.
Why are White House officials or others able to continue to work if they have received immunity?
egregious at 69 — Well, pretty much any case with an emergency in negotiations, in a need for an immediate revocation of a plea deal due to bad conduct on the part of a defendant…there are a buttload of reasons that a judge, on a tight schedule, might need to schedule an emergency hearing for another case.
BTW- Feith has an OpEd in the WaPo this morning.
Dougie!!! Like a rock, only dumber.
Never mind, Dougie, that they were right, and you were wrong. Call the waaaaaaambulance.
_
perris @ 62
Instant classic, perris!
theExile @ 46
Perhaps you can ask your library to order it, and provide them with the purchase details.
egregious @ 58
Are you saying he has no soul?
Ann at 70 — I’d like to be there, but The Peanut had a rough time when I was gone that first week. Mr. ReddHedd and I are trying to figure out logistics for a possible trip for me again. But there are things that have to be worked out to do that and, frankly, The Peanut comes first.
BobbyG @ 68
Those tax cuts just keep on working! It a good thing the Decider has that MBA….Did he actually earn it or did his father get it for him?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 84
Judge Walton called it a “transportation emergency”.
Also it interests me that we were supposed to adjourn early, at 3:30, so that this other case could be heard. What could be so important that it would stop our trial for the day, what couldn’t wait until Friday like all his other stuff?
BobbyG @ 68
Any reason they can’t just make a car that people want to buy, like a Prius?
Those tax cuts just keep on working! It a good thing the Decider has that MBA….Did he actually earn it or did his father get it for him?
Whatever. Pretty much ever since it’s been W/F. Withdrew/Failing from every job he’s ever done.
Jwoods @ 88
No I’m saying the opposite. I do sometimes feel a spiritual void in people but that didn’t happen despite my being quite open to it and testing several times.
Frank Probst @ 72
I been saying that all along, e.g., what I’ve been sending my reps and the papers:
If the details comprising “getting the full story out” were [1] so utterly within Bush/Cheney’s declassification authority and [2] so friggin’ vital to the national interest, then [3] why not simply call a White House news conference and announce it to the entire press corps and the nation? Why the necessity to leak it to this or that favored reporter? And then stonewall out the wazoo to keep the leaks under wraps? If it was all so proper and lawful, why the need for all the lies culminating in perjury?
We know why. Some things in life are indeed relatively simple. These people committed high crimes and misdemeanors by using classified information for purely hardball, vengeful (”Plame-is-fair-game”) political ends. I intend to be a broken record on this point to Reid, Ensign, and Porter.
_
egregious @ 63
North VA?
I used to live in Bethesda & Rockville, MD (20 years). I miss the D.C. area and am thinking of moving back there
HotFlash @
77
I don’t believe he’s considered credible around most places.
bg @ 52
YES! I did. Just happened to blunder into their promo, so was transfixed, watching & listening, till the end.
Wayyyyy too much judyjudyjudy trying ever-so-hard to play the wounded heroine. I now have a far better idea why so many firepups have a visceral, negative to her style of “journalism?” and ethics-schmethics.
Still half the program yet to air – isn’t that right? Anyone know when?
Christy, Marcy, Jane et al, would love to hear what you make of the Frontline program. To me it seemed far less clear than FDL or Fitzie, in their attempt to draw all the loose strands of plot together. My eyes glazed over at times, but maybe because it was so hard for me to watch judyjudyjudy & way-too-woodward tootling their own selfrighteous horns. strong gag factor here whenever they appeared…
Perris at 62, great script. He’s toast.
What I don’t get is how the notion of legality surrounding “insta-declassifying” the low-hanging, pro-Iraq-invading parts of the NIE is being extended to the notion that the same “insta-declassifying” can be extended to cover felonious activities like outing the secret ID of a CIA employee, and of her brassplate operation — with all the attendant risks to life, limb and US intelligence capabilities.
How in the hell can anyone put forward with a straight face the prima facie stupid proposition that the Executive Branch can commit treasonous felonies and just skate???
Isn’t this exactly why the CIA immediately asked for a criminal investigation? Would someone please help me out on this?
I was watching when David Frost interviewed Richard Nixon on TV and the Prez said “when the president does it, that means it is not illegal.” — bullsh*t then, bullsh*t now.
The Warmonger in Chief is going to doing a whiny presser today.
North Korea–hooray!
Iraq–Surge is going hunky dory.
Congress–US troops will commit suicide if you criticize me.
-GSD
kathleen at 84 — I consider any bit of information that is floated out there to be spin or manipulation or what have you planted by someone with an agenda unless and until I can confirm solid facts on it on my own. That’s just my inherent skepticism talking, but I have found that it has served me well over the years. So I take a lot of stuff with grains of salt, to be honest.
As for the immunity question, Ari Fleischer is the only person that we know for certain has an immunity deal at this point, and he no longer works for the WH.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 89
Can you bring her? You are welcome to stay here, lots of space and toys. Mr. ReddHedd too. I can watch her while you go to court, then you can be with her again. Alternative, remember the poodles are at plamehouse. Didn’t she get along super with them?
This exchange had to hurt too:
According to the pattern described by Hannah, Libby would have been “quite good” at remembering the “idea or concept” of Wilson’s wife. Nothing in this description suggests a pattern of knowing things, and then learning them again “as if they were new.”
As others have noted, Hannah’s description of Scooter sounds more like a pattern of not giving credit than a pattern of forgetting!
The Frontline Program seemed to really pooh-pooh the whole affair and lay it off on hardball politics.
Seems Lowell Bergman really bought the Woodward analysis.
-GSD
I just got the Anatomy of Deceit. Went thru it in 24 hours. Great book!
Seems that Libby does satisfy at least two of the tests for breaking the leak law:
1. He knew Valerie was covert
2. He intentionally told of her covert status to folks with no clearance.
Am i missing something?
Adie @ 99
_
egregious at 92 — Sounds to me like there was a fear that someone coming in for the hearing would have problems with the ice storm coming in to DC. Which would lead me to think that they had an inmate transport issue with that particular matter — you never, ever want to be on the road with an inmate in bad weather that might cause you to have car trouble. For obvious reasons. But that’s just my experience with cases here talking. Could also be a case where a particular person had travel issues to work around in terms of a flight schedule, etc.
Also, it really does appear that there is a rift between the Pentagon and those in other areas spinning the ginned-up Iranian connection.
It seems more pronounced than a good cop/bad cop schtick.
-GSD
BobbyG at 93, I hear you. They did it via leak because reporters love getting the scoop and fall all over themselves to report that which they think is secret. Also, if it came directly from the administration, it would be immediately suspect and subject to scrutiny and analysis; two things this administration’s policies cannot withstand. So it had to be leaked in order to have the desired impact.
lina @
80
I think the St. Regis brand bought the hotel about 10 years ago and did extensive restoration (it’s closed for another one), but I can’t remember it’s previous name. (I believe it was somewhat run down in it’s previous incarnation.) It’s the historic hotel on 16th across the street from the Hay Adams. If you’re walking up 16th from the White House, it’s the hotel with the walled patio/garden. (16th and K)
Changing topics: I observed a trial a few years ago for a client where Ted Wells was lead counsel for the defense. Totally lost. Just a happy thought.
Woodhall Hollow at 56
Good point.
And I always wonder anyway, when someone is so careful to have his own virtue trumpeted grandly & publically (e.g., always-always-always pays his own tab, spoken with a jab of the elbow to make sure you’re listening).
Guess I’m just too suspicious by half, uh-huh.
Oh yes, and for anybody with an inkling of respect for known racist Don Imus.
Wilson is a big, fat, lying sack…..
-GSD
BobbyG @ 86
This was mentioned in an earlier FDL thread, but it’s good to keep the pot boiling over there. I got my lix in on p. 9 of the comments but in the last hour or so, they’re now on p.14. Go denounce, all! :)
Adie @ 99
I was disappointed that they spent so much of the last half being sympathetic to the reporter privilege issue without connecting that issue to what they’d said earlier about the difference between shielding a whistle-blower and being a conduit for a smear campaign. That point can’t be emphasized too much, IMO.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 108
The other group of folks for which I’ve heard judges use “transportation emergency” are jurors – especially in the case of a longish trial.
A good judge pays close attention to the care and feeding of a jury, because the last thing they want is to have to declare a mistrial or have a jury hang. If she/he is worried that jurors will have their minds on the drive home instead of the courtroom, that’s an emergency.
Walton strikes me as a good judge. The DC Metro is fine, but if you’ve got to drive in DC . . . well, let’s just say that it’s bad enough in good weather.
GSD @ 105
I was disappointed in this program in many ways as well, but I am hoping that it will get better next week.
That said, two things jumped out at me, Bill Keller’s regret that they had gone out on a limb for such a lame reporter as JudyJudyJudy and the NY Times lawyer (can’t remember his name but he was the one who had been using the Powell argument for the last 30 years) who agreed that the Miller fiasco had undone all of his hard work.
I was really pissed about the way that most of the reporters seemed to hold Joe Wilson personally responsible for the mess. Esp that guy at the very end (I would have to go to the PBS website to match names with faces).
The other thing which irritated me about the show was that they really didn’t do a great job of differentiating between protecting *real* whistleblowers (as in the Pendagon Papers) and the press being the voice of political PR. They did mention this, and try to explain it a little, but they really didn’t dig into it, and my feeling is that the journalists and first amendment lawyers did not want to have to look at the ethical responsibilities on the part of journalists. Huge everything is relative elephant there.
GSD @ 114
Actually, according to the article, it was Imus’ guest who said that. Imus apparently responded by saying that the guest was speaking nonsense.
Fresh thread, for everyone.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 109
For instance, a trip to the Pacific?
Nouveau Nazi Frank Gaffney uses a made-up Lincoln quote to smear war critics.
Yes, you shoul all be hanged.
-GSD
*xyz @
119
Oops. Can I make a retraction on the second allegation. The racist allegation still stands.
-GSD
From the New York Times WRT decision not to have Libby or Cheney testify:
Anybody seen Luskin around, or is this a Babs Comstock production?
I think it IS a preview of the close: “The government has the burden of proof. they have failed to meet that obligation. If the glove won’t fit, you must aquit.”
legaleze @ 111
Not much coming from this administration has been scrutinized or analyzed more than this leak. If that’s their strategy, they should have just had the press conference. The whole thing would have slipped into the tapioca and disappeared in two days. *Nothing* is louder than a whisper.
Is the courtroom packed with spectators? I’ll be in DC next week and would love to watch closing arguments. Go Fitz!
Thad Beier — if you’re still here…I think that not only did the defense team encourage Libby not to testify or ask Cheney to do so is three-fold:
1) Libby’s toast in their opinion, no sense solidifying that in the juryists’ minds if they are still on the fence in any way;
2) Babs Comstock thinks that the media would have a field day with this, so is minimizing that opportunity to trash the OVP;
3) this was a very expensive fishing expedition, and all the bait is no longer needed to pull in what they sought — on either side, defense or prosecution. This may have been the OVP’s defense’s fishing trip, but the prosecution snagged a few amusing bites and doesn’t need to exceed its limit at the risk of the rest of its potential catch…
Good morning. Snow day here (6-8 inches), so I didn’t have to drive into Ann Arbor. I wasn’t expecting school to be canceled, since there were cancellations last week due to the cold. Wheeee!
Everyone in Detroit is digging out of the white stuff and lamenting more job losses. We (unfortunately) expect them from Chrysler, Ford, GM. The Pfizer surprise really took the wind out of us a couple weeks ago. Our Governor has a very difficult road ahead of her – a challenging economic situation, a greater gap between the “haves” and “have nots” (and the highly educated and the traditional Motown worker who does not pursue college). But, like a snowy day, the sun shines, we dig out from the mess, and we try to go on our way.
Can anyone tell me what Scooter’s defense is? I thought the Judge wasn’t going to allow the bad memory defense if Scooter wasn’t going to testify. The Scooter-was-really-busy line seems pointless to me as Scooter is on trial for lying to the Grand Jury and I don’t believe that they have said that Scooter-was-really-busy during the time he was testifying. The opening statement talked about a possible Scooter-as-scapegoat defense, but that seems to be abandoned.
The Frontline program was disappointing to me, seemed to be designed with a lot of tiptoeing around, hooking pinkies with the involved “journalists”. Par for most all Public Broadcasting in recent years.
Woodhall Hollow @ 118
Yeah, Frontline dropped the ball last night IMO. The current crop of MSM reporters/”journalists” want to present themselves as in a category w/Edward R. Murrow & H.L. Mencken, but track record points more toward Little Mary Sunshine…
Christy, yes, bring Peanut!
You are welcome to stay with us (me & hubby) on the Hill near LOC– a 15 min walk from the courthouse, so you could check on the peanut @ lunch.
Jwoods @
107
Just the fact that he isn’t charged with violating that law.
froggermarch @ 124
Anybody seen Luskin around, or is this a Babs Comstock production?
I think it IS a preview of the close: “The government has the burden of proof. they have failed to meet that obligation. If the glove won’t fit, you must aquit.”
I agree that sounds like spin. It infuriates me that the media continues to play the role of stenographer, even after getting a black eye from the Libby trial.
If the defense is so confident that the prosecution hasn’t won its case, why are they so hysterical about this 11th hour request to show tapes from nine years ago in an attempt to impeach Russert’s testimony.
HotFlash @ 121
Wo.
When they opened the courtroom doors at the end of the other case, Sealed v. Sealed, only a handful of people came out. I didn’t recognize any of them. It did seem odd there were so few.
GSD @ 106
I was afraid of that. I was, ahem, multitasking at the moment, so not totally concentrating, but whatever muddy conclusions they were approaching didn’t seem to ring true to my half-tuned ear. Dang!
All the more reason for touting Marcy’s book.
Thanks gang, for helping unknot this long string of confusing details. I don’t think the badguys thought anyone would be able to do what you’ve done.
{{{FDL}}}
LOL at the final line of your post, Christy.
Thanks to all at FDL, TalkLeft, and The Next Hurrah for your trial coverage on your blogs and the Huffington Post. Excellent work!
Nan
Frank @ 7:12 am. BobbyG @ 7:22 am, and SOS @ 7:24 am -
Here’s a link to the full text of Executive Order 13292: http://www.fas.org/sgp/bush/eoamend.html
There is nothing in this executive order that gave anyone the ability to instantly declassify anything. Please pay particular attention to this excerpt from EO 13292:
OhioTex 116
“…the difference between shielding a whistle-blower and being a conduit for a smear campaign. That point can’t be emphasized too much, IMO.”
Agreed
I think Wells is intentionally playing to his expectations of the average juror. “You were told what, when? You don’t remember; well that’s understandable, we all forget things. I’m just so confused by all of this, maybe there were misunderstandings, but a crime, ladies and gentlemen?”
A tornado touched down on the West Bank, then Carrolton and then Pontchartrain Park, early Tuesday am. A poor woman was killed in her FEMA trailer waiting on the last utility connection so she could return to her home. But New Oleans continues to dig out, clean up and move on.
Christy:
Thanks for bringing up the St Regis. I have been impressed all along at Fitz’s elegance at direct and cross. By merely bringing up the St Regis meeting with Hannah he blows right through the entire Libby defense. And, in the process, brings Darth Cheney front and center.
I love Perris’s post (62) above regarding Libby. He really is toast but I don’t see how Fitz gets Cheney in a legal proceeding outside of a congressional impeachment. Do you think he might get Cheney in a lie from the GJ testimony and/or from Scoots?
Impeach Cheney!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 90
Christy, of course the Peanut comes first. That’s a given. But just a word of caution. I’ve raised 2 kids and watched many others raise theirs, and much of the time you unwittingly expose yourself to the law of unintended consequences. Trust me, you do not want to raise a child that grows up knowing that, if she plays her cards right, she can rule the roost. Nor do you want to raise a child who is so tied to her momma’s apron strings that momma cannot get away even for one day.
I had a girlfriend with six kids, and there was a time she had a problem with her oldest, and her mother counseled her. Her mom stressed that my friend owed her child something because “you gave her life,” to which my friend replied, “but I didn’t give her my life.” She said she was a woman before she was a mother and that needed to be considered, too, and I always felt that was some wise advise. Just consider, it’s all I ask.
OMFG, I’m listening to W’s presser on C-SPAN2 right now. The rising gorge…
Feith was on Faux News..even Chris Wallace hammered him just a little in regard to his pushing of false pre-war intelligence.
Ledeen is still busy pushing his lies over at National Review read his latest push for more wars “The War of the Persian Succession” this fits in nicely with his “creative destruction” agenda.
As long as Micheal Ledeen and the other pre war liars are able to walk around free instead of being held accountable for the part they played in the run-up to the invasion. They keep marching (others) towards Iran. LOCK THEM UP FASTER PLEASE!
PHASE II OF THE SSCI!
Christy @ 109:
If anyone happened to have to travel by air, both Dulles & National airports were closed last night & into this morning. United began cancelling all flight at around mid-day yesterday. Coulda been this.
perris @ 62
For a laugh, here’s another toasty one:
http://home.comcast.net/~johang/Toast.jpg
A friend copied it from an FDL banner over a year ago.
Frank Probst @ 72
I heard an interview on NPR where someone said that in order for this case to even BE investigated in the first place, someone has to confirm that the information was in fact classified. Had it been declassified (one way or another) the case wouldn’t be investigated at all.
Chrisy were Hannah and Wurmser given immunity? I had read some time ago that they were talking to Fitzgerald.
Does it change anything to consider that the notes that Cheney wrote on the Wilson article were actually Talking Points and not just off-the-cuff notes?
egregious @ 135
This may have already been covered, but the Federal Government closed early yesterday because of the predicted ice storm. Perhaps that is the transportation emergency. Everybody was getting out of town.
Hey Pat in Alex, I’m in Prince William County, VA and we have that icey cone ice down here, too.
I am enjoying the fact that Shooter and Scooter are afraid of being confronted by Fitz. For all Cheney’s bravado it’s obvious to me that he could not handle simple, straight forward questions in a venue where he must answer them with out his usual bluster and obfuscation.
I’ve been thinking about Fitz’s closing statements. I guess I’d appeal to the jurors for their help. “Yes, this is a confusing case involving lots of important people. If people like Scooter lie about their involvement it makes it more confusing. If you find him guilty of these charges, perhaps we will be able to find out what actually happened. Help me get to the bottom of the mess.” What would you say?
bg @ 94
My good friend got an MBA from Harvard in the early ’60s. I remember that it was all group projects on case studies. You chose or were placed in your group at the beginning of the 2 year program and you stayed in that group. I remember there was talk about some people in my friend’s group being a lot weaker than others.
I’ve always imagined that Bush offered little to his group as they analyzed the case studies. We already know he has great difficulty expressing himself orally. I can’t believe that his reading or writing are any better than his speaking.
I think he got that MBA on the strenth of his group with very little personal contribution. But that’s just my guess.
Can you explain where the quoted text in the St. Regis cross examination post comes from. Immediately preceding the quoted piece is a link to WaPo (Carol Leonnig & ) that does not contain the quoted text.
Is this a case of later edits on the Post piece? Or is it a misdirected link.
The actual Post piece is much too kind to Libby, presents defense in better than reasonable light and skimps on any Fitz actions or cross examination.