Scooter Libby: why did he roll over?

[Ernesto]

I see he excused the Time reporter's promise not to out him for the Plame leak. But why?

[Inland]

1. did he implicate him? nt

[gratuitous]

2. Libby released the reporter from his confidentiality promise

The reporter promptly went to the grand jury to testify. The contempt citation was dismissed. The circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that the reporter named Libby as his source for the Valerie Plame spy story. Who else would the reporter name?

Other interesting questions: Why didn't Libby immediately release the reporter from his promise of confidentiality? After all, his boss said that everyone in the White House was ordered to cooperate as fully as possible. Is some kind of fix in, which means that Libby can disclose with impunity? Will the investigation now get to the point of indictments? Will those indictments be issued before or after Election Day?

Stay tuned. Indications are that the prosecutor on this one may actually have some personal and professional integrity.

[Warpy]

3. Who else?

Although Scooter Libby remains the prime suspect of the press, Doublas Feith and Karl Rove have also been named as suspects.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Would you give up Libby to get Rove?

I sure as hell would.

[TacticalPeek]

5. Not knowing, but it is hard to see how Libby

Not knowing, but it is hard to see how Libby could release a reporter to disclose confidential information about a third party. Like for Libby to say "Matt, I release you, and it is now ok to blab about John."

Or maybe there is some screwy way this could be the case? Immediately, I think of a few ways this could be so. Nevermind.

:shrug:

[H2O Man]

6. Libby only released

him to discuss a specific conversation, and there is no reason to believe that involved Rove.

[wishlist]

7. Prosecutor is laying groundwork destroying Libby's defense arguments

I think that Libby leaked Plame's identity ONLY to Novak who already may have caved in to a subpoena. But to muddy the waters and cause big problems for an investigation, Libby led Novak to believe he had already discussed her identity with several other journalists and Novak is responsible for news reports implying that other journalists were told about her identity, not just him. Libby has probably told prosecutor that he did reveal Plame's identity to Novak, but that he did not consider discussing her identity to be an intelligence leak because several other journalists had already mentioned who she was to Libby in previous conversations, so it was widely known already.

Prosecutor has forced Libby to release the other journalists since Libby is using them for his defense. The prosecutor is laying out a case that Libby not only feloniously leaked her identity but is obstructing justice and lying- because other journalists such as Kessler of WPost and Russert have testified that they never mentioned Plame to Libby and he never mentioned her to them.

I am getting much more optimistic over seriousness of the indictments, and hope they go beyond just Libby. This whole scheme may finally be revealed to be a very deliberate malicious web of conspiracy.

[David Zephyr]

8. Is This Story Related to Cheney's Bizarre Endorsement of Lesbian Daughter

Two Very Big News Stories Regarding VP Cheney on the Same Day

1.) VP Dick Cheney's assistant, Scooter Libby, releases Time reporter in Plame Grand Jury investigation.

2.) VP Dick Cheney distances himself publicly from Bush one week before Republican National Convention on the GOP call for Constitutional Amendment Against Gay Marriage and publicly uses the word, "lesbian" to describe his own daughter.

Coincidence? If not, is Cheney going bye, bye as VP?

[UTUSN]

9. Would We Take LIBBY, Even ROVE, & Let CHEENEE, Shrub Off?

Do the Shrubbites see the election handwriting on the wall and are willing to trade for a pardon? Would we back a KERRY pardon just to be rid of the Shrubbites (for now)?

[louis c]

11. I would do anything that is within the bounds of legality

to defeat George Bush. Anything.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

10. because he's not the leaker?

Maybe hes not the guy? But he knew who it was?