Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Libby Trial May Put Cheney, Press in Hot Seat

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Libby Trial May Put Cheney, Press in Hot Seat

Posted on Jan 15, 2007

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s Plamegate trial finally gets started on Tuesday, promising to reveal the polluted secrets of a dishonest and opportunistic Washington elite. Expect to see Dick Cheney, the first sitting vice president to testify at a criminal trial, squirm as lawyers and witnesses discuss the administration’s cherry-picking of intelligence.

He won’t be alone in his discomfort, joined by the reporters who, according to the Washington Post, “traded freely in gossip and protected their own interests as they worked on one of the big Washington stories of 2003.”

Washington Post:

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s case will put on display the secret strategizing of an administration that cherry-picked information to justify war in Iraq and reporters who traded freely in gossip and protected their own interests as they worked on one of the big Washington stories of 2003.

The estimated six-week trial will pit current and former Bush administration officials against one another and, if Cheney is called as expected, will mark the first time that a sitting vice president has testified in a criminal case. It also will force the media into painful territory, with as many as 10 journalists called to testify for or against an official who was, for some of them, a confidential source.

Besides Cheney, the trial is likely to feature government and media luminaries including NBC’s Tim Russert, former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, columnist Robert D. Novak and Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward.

Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald’s investigation into the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity became a popular spectator sport in Washington in the summer of 2004, when reporters were first ordered under threat of jail to reveal their anonymous sources in the administration. In October 2005, Libby was indicted on charges of perjuring himself before a grand jury, making false statements to investigators and obstruction of justice (though he was not one of the leakers to Novak, who first disclosed Plame’s identity).

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TAGS: fleischer libby media novak plame russert trial washington woodward

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By Quy Tran, January 16, 2007 at 1:46 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

With Cheney there’s absolutely no difficulty with Libby’s trial. He can control everything from Bush down the floor so stop dreaming that he would be harm or in hot seat.

There’s only one solution to resolve this criminal aministration’s fate is to impeach them both.

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By HeadlessHessian, January 16, 2007 at 1:04 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

If he is found guilty, Bush will pardon him, lets get that out of the way. If he is found innocent, then our justice system has failed miserably. There are sooooooo many lies to wade through. But!..... the bottom line is, someone leaked her name, on purpose! Armatige fell on his sword, the wreched fool!!! I don’t think Darth will let his ‘main man’ sink and so he too will lie. Darth will not be easy to pin down. Deceit is his energy.
But I sure as hell want to see him squirm..I want to see all the scum and dirt brought out.

Headless

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By Rodney Matthews, January 16, 2007 at 10:04 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Dick Cheney woll find a way not to answer any uncomfortable questions citing national security. Why he and Bush aren’t on trial with Scooter Libby is a crime itself.

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By Montie Shields USAF RET., January 15, 2007 at 7:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Something I have believed all along should have
been done is: Robert Novak should have been
asked who outed Valerie Plame to him. If he ref-
used to answer inform him that this was a matter
of National Security. This could cost people’s
lives. Ask him didn’t he care? If he refused
to give the answer. Very carefully put his Tes-
ticles (Balls) in a vice and slowly start turn-
ing the handle. I believe it would have saved
the Tax Payers many, many dollars in investig-
ation cost. This case could have been marked
CLOSED A LONG TIME AGO!

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By Eleanore Kjellberg, January 15, 2007 at 7:29 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It would be grand to see DISHONEST DICK, writhe while testifying, about how they scammed the public into accepting the invasion of Iraq—-those responsible should bear full burden for this debacle, and for the hundred of thousands of needless deaths--sadly though, those liable, have no conscience and no concern about the future—-“It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence.” MLK

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By DennisD, January 15, 2007 at 7:02 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

With Scooter at the plate and Jack Abramhoff loosing up on deck what better time to start a war with Iran. “Wag the Dog II” is about to bring another deferment to Cheney and his co-conspirators.

“Questions are a burden to others; answers are a prison for oneself” - We won’t see much of either.

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