Libby’s motion is up an his appellate lawyer’s website.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 67

TiredFed at 57 — I did some work on that issue way back when Team Libby first started bringing it up. I’ll try to pull up some of my older posts on that and re-read all of the CFR and DOJ rules and regs on delegation of authority and get back to you on specifics. But, essentially, my rationale was that there had to be a way to “Chinese wall” an AG with a conflict of interest from a criminal investigation in order for it to continue without a taint — otherwise, members of a Presidential administration would be able to break the law with impunity. And that is unreasonable, because the law always tries to find the way to punish the lawbreaker in the way that things are constructed. But, as I said, I’ll go back over that again.

I would love if we could get an entry or two breaking down this issue. It is still very confusing to me!

Teddy at 18 — Judges who follow the law as written rather than skewing it for political or other inappropriate reasons are never, ever tainted by the likes of Comstock. Plus, she has to practice in front of them in DC — the last thing she is going to want to do if she values her license to practice is attack the character of federal judges. Trust me on that one. If she does, then she is even dumber than I thought she could ever be…

Us common folk can’t BUY this kinda deep insight and hope.

Thanks so much CHS, for all you post.
When FDL does this kind of blogging, everyone wins . . . even the masses.

Information is power, and you can’t get this kind of info elsewhere . . .

Not having had a chance to read all the comments, I plead a bit of ignorance about whether my thought is original. With that proviso, let me say that this column by Cohen is absurd to the point of either idiocy or prostitution. Libby was a knowing part of a plot to make political hay. He and his co-conspirators were willing (or illegally insensitive) to trash a covert intelligence network whose mission was to help us understand the threat of WMD. This occurred in what the President described as a time of war. That’s treason; and whether or not it violated the IIPA, it may well have violated the Espionage Act. It certainly constituted an underlying crime. He lied to prosecutors and a grand jury to throw them off the scent. He was caught. His lies prevented other prosecutions (which was, after all, the intent of his lies.) Even if there had not been an underlying crime (which there certainly was) obstruction of justice can prevent the discovery of underlying crimes and is therefore itself a serious crime deserving of punishment for its own sake and as a deterrent. If GW Bush’s cronies who were indicted during Iran-Contra been incarcerated and disbarred as they deserved, we might have 3,500 live men and 3,500 whole families and tens of thousands of intact bodies and psyches hundreds of billions of dollars available for worthwhile causes. But apologists like Richard Cohen banded together and made it possible for the malefactors to get off scott free and gain entry to another administration to do their evil. Richard: I hope your blood money buys you some good stuff. (walks away spitting on the ground)

So, no, I wouldn’t view this as a good selection from the point of view of seeing justice served. It will turn on Henderson.

Eureka Springs @ 138

A.Citizen

You should really consider reading the old FDL Book Salon post and thread anent John Dean and the very book you mentioned..

One of the best salons evah!

(Will look for a link and post it here if I can find it)

Don’t want to step on your toes but it’s right here

Great minds think alike Eureka ;-)

edit: you beat me anyway lol ;-)

Thanks for the help folks. I did read that when it was posted. My reference this book was a shorthand way of injecting into the Comstock discussion the simple fact that WingNuts are just plain iinsane and will not neccessarily act in a coherent or rational manner.

Sentelle seemed concerned that a reporters’ privilege could be invoked by too many people. “You want us to come out with a privilege from grand jury testimony for anybody who wants to take three minutes to set up a blog?” he asked Abrams.”

The most important issues remain, why was Valerie Plame “fair game”? Was she investigating the Niger Forgeries. How these Forgeries helped start a war.