The Grand Jury Speaks...

I guess I will have to change the Category name to The Rove/Plame/Libby thing, huh?

LIBBY INDICTED ON 5 counts:

Obstruction of Justice

Making False Statement

Perjury

other sites talking about this: Think Progress, Michelle Malkin, and check out the many links at Crooks and Liars

Welcome newcomers! Hit the comment link and join the debate...

Comments

[Tristan Hagen]

And so it begins...

Liberals (of the DU and Daily Kos ilk) will now be going 'durr hurr. guilty because he's republican so he can't be innocent. durr hurr.'

[HC]

This is just the tip of the Ice Berg. Treasongate has more to come. They lied us into war. They smeared anyone who told the truth. They committed treason when they revealed an uncovered CIA agent, which they are still lying about. Hence they are being indicted for lying. If refuse to tell the truth on the outing then indict for lying.

[Tristan Hagen]

Nice to see there is still objectiveness among the left.

[Chris]

The indictment doesn't look like a prosecutor over-reaching for a witness who forgot or misspoke--there are 5 charges and they don't all stem from the same incident. I've heard people say this was a colossally stupid move on the part of Libby who, by all accounts is not a stupid man. So I have to ask myself why this guy would lie and why would he put himself, his boss and his President in this position? I really don't get it...it doesn't make sense to me--not that stupidity often makes sense...also who the hell is Novaks source? The indictment seems to confirm that it was/is a government official rather than, as some have claimed, a member of the press.

[Lisa]

Wow HC...writing a book? Don't you think you're over reacting just a weeeee bit?

[JFH]

Can you name one person that fits this category: "They smeared anyone who told the truth."

No one lied to get us into war... Wilson lied that the administration lied, however.

"They committed treason when they revealed an UNCOVERED CIA agent"... Freudian slip, HC??

[JFH]

Y'all DO realize, that this is going to be near impossible to convict. Libby's lawyers are going grill reporters AND Wilson AND Plame on the witness stand... I predict alot of claiming press confidentiality AND pleading the 5th.

[Matt Hurley]

I welcome any opportunity to get Joe Wilson in a Court and under oath...

[Chris]

At all relevant times from January 1, 2002 through July 2003, Valerie Wilson was employed by the CIA, and her employment status was classified. Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson’s affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community. (FROM THE INDICTMENT)

Libby is the first Government official to put this information out there. Because he lied in the grand jury they can't tell what his motives were, but it seems pretty clear that Libby outed her.

[JFH]

Chris, I think your right... but there was insufficient evidence that he knew she was covert.

[Chris]

You are probably right but as we have discussed in so many situations before, we are at war and it was a bad thing they did to not err on the side of caution in disclosing her identity. I do, however, believe he did this on purpose.

[Chris]

I also find it offensive that Vice President Cheney would talk about how Libby, who is accused of willfully lying to a grand jury and obsructing justice, has served his country admirably. Blech!

[Bombtruck]

I thought a perjury charge in Washington circles was like a badge of honor. I mean, hey, the last big Washington official to be charged with perjury seems to wear it with pride. ;)

In any case, weren't we lectured just a few years ago that perjury under oath wasn't a crime??? Oh, wait, I forgot: different administration, different rules. Gotcha.

But what will the pundits do now that Libby wasn't charged with outing Ms. America 007? I mean, that supposedly what this bruhaha was all about. And when does Joe Wilson's trial for his lying about his investigation begin? Or does he get a pass for being liberal?

Oh, and HC, its only a lie if your knowledge of history only stretches back to 2001, which since you're a liberal its a given that's the case.

[Lisa]

I find it interesting that Wilson would walk into Washington parties introducing his wife as his "CIA wife" and that makes no difference...but if Scooter did this, then he was wrong, no matter how Wilson introduced his wife at parties. Sometimes arrogance can cloud the mind of even the most intelligent of people.

[JFH]

But "not common knowledge" doesn't mean nobody knew. Here's the bigger thing, once Valerie married Wilson, a known State guy, in 1998, her career as a covert op was OVER.

[Chris]

Bombtruck--welcome back--and how dare you defend someone charged with the same crime of someone you vilified--can we at least agree that the subject matter that started this investigation is a little more serious than a blow job?

Also, the indictment is pretty clear that Wilson said he was sent by the CIA and that the CIA sent someone because of the VP's request for information on the Niger thing so where exactly is his lie...

And Lisa, when was the last time you went to a Washington Party with the Wilsons's where you heard that? The indictment says her status was not known...

[Chris]

Doesn't matter if her career was over in your opinion. Her position was still classified.

[Shari]

Chris,
My thought exactly, well mostly! I'm trying to figure out why he would lie? What was the purpose?

On another note, it looks like some people actually do go to trial (and possibly jail) for perjury. Who would have thought it?

[JFH]

Wilson's lies weren't to federal agents or Congress or to a Grand Jury... which is where Libby screwed up: Lie to reporters and the press and the citizens of the US all you want: once your under oath, say you were misquoted or misinterpreted.

[HC]

While listening to the prosecutor's new conference I was overcome with Grief. This is a sad day for the country. It sad that the people we entrusted to protect us abused their power to lie us into war. The country deserves better leadership better we are getting from this administration.

[Bombtruck]

Ok, Chris, here's the thing: Libby's not mentioning a conversation or an email to the grand jury may be, in the law's eyes perjury...

But, sorry to bring this up, Clinton authored a false affidavit, coerced Monica to sign it, got his lawyer to testify as to its accuracy, and when given a chance to defend himself when the court figured out it was false didn't. The only reason he wasn't put through a trial for it was because Robert Ray decided it would be better not to put the Country through a trial. Libby's case is not so clear cut.

The press didn't think perjury was a big deal 7 years ago, still doesn't think it is for a democrat to do it, but a Republican does it and katie-bar-the-door it's the crime of the century. Try to deny that if you will, but you'll just be flat wrong.

And it DOES matter what Ms. 007's status was, because by the letter of the law it determines whether or not her outing was a threat to national security. With Wilson running around publicly making outlandish charges at the administration and lying publicly about who sent him to Niger, when he told the press it was Cheney who personally authorized him and later said his wife had nothing to do with it, what were they supposed to do? Wilson brought all this on himself by being a political zealot and lying about his alleged 'investigation' into nuclear weapons, so when does his trial start?

[JFH]

Lots of things are "classified" that are commonly known, my point is that outing 'her' wasn't a major national security problem (and that assumes that Libby knew her employment was classified)

[JFH]

What press conference are YOU listening to, HC???

[Lisa]

Again JFH...arrogance..simple arrogance.

[Bombtruck]

"While listening to the prosecutor's new conference I was overcome with Grief. This is a sad day for the country. It sad that the people we entrusted to protect us abused their power to lie us into war. The country deserves better leadership better we are getting from this administration."

You mean just elect liberals and all the world's problems go away. What a simpleton.

Again, HC, you want to do revisionist history, be my guest, but you might not want to try it in front of me.