Fitzie-Boy to DC: "Um, Washington, We Have A Problem."
Bob Woodward, no friend to conservatives, dropped a major bombshell on Monday, and it seems he's the first to throw a wrench into the works for Fitzgerald's prosecution of Scooter Libby. (Hat-tip: Wizbang)
http://wizbangblog.com/archives/007607.php
Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward testified under oath Monday in the CIA leak case that a senior administration official told him about CIA operative Valerie Plame and her position at the agency nearly a month before her identity was disclosed.
(I picked up this technique from Marcie.) It appears to me that Mr. Fitzgerald has a slight problem with his case. With this revelation, Fitzgerald's case just got blown out of the water. Remember: This case is about Scooter revealing the name of Valerie Plame, lying about it to obstruct Fitzgerald's investigation, and doing so willfully. If Woodward was told about this one month prior to Novak "revealing" her in his column, the Scooter couldn't have "blown her cover."
In a more than two-hour deposition, Woodward told Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald that the official casually told him in mid-June 2003 that Plame worked as a CIA analyst on weapons of mass destruction, and that he did not believe the information to be classified or sensitive, according to a statement Woodward released yesterday. ...
Woodward's testimony appears to change key elements in the chronology Fitzgerald laid out in his investigation and announced when indicting Libby three weeks ago. It would make the unnamed official -- not Libby -- the first government employee to disclose Plame's CIA employment to a reporter. It would also make Woodward, who has been publicly critical of the investigation, the first reporter known to have learned about Plame from a government source.
Whoops. This sounds like Fitzgerald might have moved a bit too quickly on the indictment. It also sounds like Scooter's off the hook. He couldn't have been the one to name her if someone else did beforehand. Damn these facts. I'm sure the liberals aren't happy with Woodward right now, and I'm sure that if asked about this particular revelation, the nearest Democrat will spin away from answering how they feel about this.
The testimony, however, does not appear to shed new light on whether Libby is guilty of lying and obstructing justice in the nearly two-year-old probe or provide new insight into the role of senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, who remains under investigation.
On the contrary. Let's say it's proven that he didn't lie. The obstruction charge goes away, as well. Likewise, Woodward's testimony makes it so that Scooter didn't commit a crime. He didn't blow her identity. Granted, he's still going forward with the indictment's charges, but when it's proven that he didn't lie, what will the liberals say then? They're still ticked that Rove wasn't part of this indictment, and that Cheney and Bush didn't join him, but what will they do next?
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Rove, said that Rove is not the unnamed official who told Woodward about Plame and that he did not discuss Plame with Woodward.
William Jeffress Jr., one of Libby's lawyers, said yesterday that Woodward's testimony undermines Fitzgerald's public claims about his client and raises questions about what else the prosecutor may not know. Libby has said he learned Plame's identity from NBC's Tim Russert.
"If what Woodward says is so, will Mr. Fitzgerald now say he was wrong to say on TV that Scooter Libby was the first official to give this information to a reporter?" Jeffress said last night. "The second question I would have is: Why did Mr. Fitzgerald indict Mr. Libby before fully investigating what other reporters knew about Wilson's wife?"
BINGO! Give Jeffress a cigar! This investigation was deemed to be extremely inportant because of the subject. A CIA operative (I don't think so) had her cover blown. This is a serious offense, and Fitzgerald moved right on ahead with an indictment of Scooter Libby. The testimony given by Woodward shows that Fitzgerald didn't do a thorough job. And not only is this embarrassing to him, but also the Special Counsel's office. He got burned by one person. Like I said, Woodward has no fans on the Right, and I'm no friend of his. However, I do have to congratulate the man.
In one bold move...In one broad stroke...In one fell swoop, he single-handedly drove a stake through the heart of Fitzgerald's case.
Mistress Pundit
Bob Woodward, no friend to conservatives, dropped a major bombshell on Monday, and it seems he's the first to throw a wrench into the works for Fitzgerald's prosecution of Scooter Libby. (Hat-tip: Wizbang)
http://wizbangblog.com/archives/007607.php
Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward testified under oath Monday in the CIA leak case that a senior administration official told him about CIA operative Valerie Plame and her position at the agency nearly a month before her identity was disclosed.
(I picked up this technique from Marcie.) It appears to me that Mr. Fitzgerald has a slight problem with his case. With this revelation, Fitzgerald's case just got blown out of the water. Remember: This case is about Scooter revealing the name of Valerie Plame, lying about it to obstruct Fitzgerald's investigation, and doing so willfully. If Woodward was told about this one month prior to Novak "revealing" her in his column, the Scooter couldn't have "blown her cover."
In a more than two-hour deposition, Woodward told Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald that the official casually told him in mid-June 2003 that Plame worked as a CIA analyst on weapons of mass destruction, and that he did not believe the information to be classified or sensitive, according to a statement Woodward released yesterday. ...
Woodward's testimony appears to change key elements in the chronology Fitzgerald laid out in his investigation and announced when indicting Libby three weeks ago. It would make the unnamed official -- not Libby -- the first government employee to disclose Plame's CIA employment to a reporter. It would also make Woodward, who has been publicly critical of the investigation, the first reporter known to have learned about Plame from a government source.
Whoops. This sounds like Fitzgerald might have moved a bit too quickly on the indictment. It also sounds like Scooter's off the hook. He couldn't have been the one to name her if someone else did beforehand. Damn these facts. I'm sure the liberals aren't happy with Woodward right now, and I'm sure that if asked about this particular revelation, the nearest Democrat will spin away from answering how they feel about this.
The testimony, however, does not appear to shed new light on whether Libby is guilty of lying and obstructing justice in the nearly two-year-old probe or provide new insight into the role of senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, who remains under investigation.
On the contrary. Let's say it's proven that he didn't lie. The obstruction charge goes away, as well. Likewise, Woodward's testimony makes it so that Scooter didn't commit a crime. He didn't blow her identity. Granted, he's still going forward with the indictment's charges, but when it's proven that he didn't lie, what will the liberals say then? They're still ticked that Rove wasn't part of this indictment, and that Cheney and Bush didn't join him, but what will they do next?
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Rove, said that Rove is not the unnamed official who told Woodward about Plame and that he did not discuss Plame with Woodward.
William Jeffress Jr., one of Libby's lawyers, said yesterday that Woodward's testimony undermines Fitzgerald's public claims about his client and raises questions about what else the prosecutor may not know. Libby has said he learned Plame's identity from NBC's Tim Russert.
"If what Woodward says is so, will Mr. Fitzgerald now say he was wrong to say on TV that Scooter Libby was the first official to give this information to a reporter?" Jeffress said last night. "The second question I would have is: Why did Mr. Fitzgerald indict Mr. Libby before fully investigating what other reporters knew about Wilson's wife?"
BINGO! Give Jeffress a cigar! This investigation was deemed to be extremely inportant because of the subject. A CIA operative (I don't think so) had her cover blown. This is a serious offense, and Fitzgerald moved right on ahead with an indictment of Scooter Libby. The testimony given by Woodward shows that Fitzgerald didn't do a thorough job. And not only is this embarrassing to him, but also the Special Counsel's office. He got burned by one person. Like I said, Woodward has no fans on the Right, and I'm no friend of his. However, I do have to congratulate the man.
In one bold move...In one broad stroke...In one fell swoop, he single-handedly drove a stake through the heart of Fitzgerald's case.
Mistress Pundit
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 7:22 PM
1 Comments:
Love it! I have a few questions. The first is, who leaked the deposition? LOL. The second is, When did Fitzpatrick know of Woodward and what he had to say? One scenario is that Woodward is trying to cover his rear end thinking Fitzgerald knows what he knows. I don't exactly trust Woodward but he does enjoy a flair for drama. I doubt if Fitzgerald will empanel a new investigatory grand jury. Clearly, his case against Libby is greatly weakened. All of a sudden, Fitzgerald becomes a witness for the defense! Love it! Rawriter!
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