Memo to All re: Bob Woodward

[No Exit]

I think I've now gotten up to speed on today's big Woodward whirlspin.

I hear that Wells, Libby's attorney, has said Libby is "grateful" for Woodward coming forward (after Bob-o had ducked subpoenas for 2 years.)

I'm no expert on this high-level investigation, but I have at least defended persons charged with crimes in federal court, and I've been a prosecutor, though not a federal prosecutor.

The big Bob Woodward story is a red herring, spun by Libby's lawyer in order to influence prospective jurors. IMO, it is significant 99% in a public relations way, and maybe 1% in a legal way.

(A small but good point, made by Tweety today: Is this the same Attorney Wells who indignantly said, about 3 weeks ago, that "we will not be trying this case in the press?" And now he's jumping in front of the cameras with the tearful but "grateful" Tiny Scooter peeking from behind his coattails?)

Why in the HELL has Scooty-boot been all along publicly defending against an IIPA and/or Espionage Act charge, when Scooty-boot is actually charged with: Perjury, Perjury, Obstruction of Justice, Lying to the FBI, and Lying to the FBI?

Answer, IMO: Scooty-boot is still clinging to the erroneous "defense", most publicly (and embarrassingly) propounded by Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hoofinmouth. That discredited canard is: "Oh, he's not charged with the REAL CRIME--they just got him on a technicality." (Okay... FIVE technicalities.)

Scooty-boot's lawyer's hope is that the public (including potential jurors, to whom he would of course NEVER "try the case in the press") will see Woodward's convoluted story as "proof" that it wasn't SCOOTER who first leaked Valerie Plame's name to a reporter. And that therefore Scooty-boot couldn't have committed "the underlying crime(s)", so Scooty-boot didn't have anything to cover up, so of course Scooty-boot didn't cover up, so Scooty-boot didn't lie or obstruct. (Oh, man! They sent my boy up on a technicality!)

If your "illogic" radar goes off over this "argument", you are not alone.

Pat Fitzgerald said Scooter was the first official KNOWN (kudos to Keith Olbermann for emphasizing this) to have leaked Plame's name to someone who was forbidden by law to know about Plame. Fitzgerald only said this after he had scrupulously gathered plenty of evidence of this.

Meanwhile, if we are to believe Woodward (a large leap, true), some OTHER administration bigwig was leaking Plame's name to Woodward (who is supposed to be a "reporter".)

So, two administration bigwigs leaked Plame's name/job to two different reporters.

All that tells me is that two people committed two different crimes.

And the effect of Woodward's latest attack of narcissism on the case against Scooty-boot for Perjury, Perjury, Obstruction of Justice, Lying to the FBI, and Lying to the FBI?

Nada. Scooty-boot still allegedly did all those things, and it looks like Fitzgerald can prove it.

(About Woodward's proud boast that he was "ducking" being subpoenaed. If a regular person went around saying that, he might very well face the wrath of a judge. Or at least the wrath of citizens who wish the system to work properly so we can have faith in it. But, hey, Bob Woodward's special, right?)

[Catamount]

1. Your post makes me feel a little better....

as you touch on so many points I was wondering about.
And you speak from a legal point of view!
Thanks
:thumbsup:

[No Exit]

6. Thank you!

It's hard for all of us to get a handle on the personality of this inscrutable Fitzgerald. But I can't help thinking that part of him is just like all the other federal prosecutors: they are in a sense hunters, and when someone plays with them the way Woodward is doing, it has the same effect on them as when a mouse wriggles or squeaks between a cat's paws. It increases their adrenaline level.

[Gman]

2. This could very well be a STUNT

(where have we heard that word before?) Hell, it is a stunt.

But I'm sure that when the jury hears the charges (perjury and obstruction of justice) and hears the evidence of the perjury and obstruction of justice, and once the jury gets it's instructions (on the perjury and obstruction of justice), there should be no doubt that Libby's case is about perjury and obstruction of justice.

As you know, but it is also easily lost by many, the current Libby case has nothing to do with who he told what to. It's about lying and obstruction of justice.

As you say, anything else is a red herring.

[No Exit]

7. Yes, those little technicalities: PERJURY and OBSTRUCTION

OF JUSTICE. Funny thing about those technicalities, the people who are jailed for them are just as unhappy as the people who are jailed for "real crimes".

Stunt? Don't be silly! It's only a stunt when democrats do it!!

[babylonsister]

3. Why do you discount a conspiracy to use the media

to further their goals?

[No Exit]

8. Well... I don't discount that!

One blogger had a big explanation of how they "laundered" their leaks through media people. It made sense to me.

(But... but... but... Libby's lawyer Wells SAID he "wouldn't try this case in the press"! Surely he could not have been INSINCERE when he said that??!:wow: )

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. Terrific analysis.

Scooty-boot. :rofl: I love it.

best

[No Exit]

9. Thank you! It just makes my skin crawl to see hardened

criminals given these little baby names like "Scooter"!

I distinctly remember hearing G. Gordon Liddy on the radio in the 90's. (Yes, :puke: sometimes I actually listened to that mental case.) Every single time he referred to Dee Dee Myers, he would say "Dee Dee I'm-not-making-this-name-up Myers."

I'm waiting for someone on TV or radio to say "Scooter I'm-not-making-this-name-up Libby".

[ChiciB1]

5. Yeah.. Bob-O Is Soooooooo Special!

Maybe special enough to have a Special Prosecutor GO AFTER him!!!

I can recall way back when, waiting with baited breath during Watergate for information from the famous duo! Seems Bob-O has seen the Green in the skies, NOT the blue!

As always... he's about making the big bucks!

I sure wish Carl would come out and Blast this ass-hole, BIG TIME! If there has been NO notice, THEY rarely appear ANYWHERE together anymore!!

Come On Down, Carl!!!

Good Post, glad you put it all together! And even though I rarely give it up for Tweety, he DID seem genuinely outraged!

Of course, Keith.... WELL I Think I LOVE him!

[No Exit]

10. Yes, I'd love to hear what Bernstein thinks of it all. He probably

already knew that Bob was an Attention Whore. I picture Bob posing for "Penthouse", maybe as a centerfold, so millions of people can look upon his wondrous self! It would throw him into ecstasies of fulfillment, I imagine.

[ProSense]

11. See this thread!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5377313


Your analysis was on point. Thanks.

[No Exit]

12. WOW!!! Bernstein's reaction was everything I wished it would be!!

Thanks for the link!!!

[ChiciB1]

15. Whoa.... Thanks, I Didn't See This One!

I knew of the complicated relationship that has been brewing for some time, and when Deep Throat became "the issue," I picked up on that uneasiness with Bernstein.

I think we are blessed here at DU to have such GREAT, observant and diligent people!

I wasn't directing that at myself, but to so many others here.

This is MY ADDICTION!

Good reference ProSense, THANKS!

[ProSense]

16. You're welcome! n/t

[tblue37]

27. Arianna also quotes Bernstein in a piece on

the Huffington Post.

[Neil Lisst]

13. Agreed. If you're accused of bigamy, it's no defense to say ...

... this proves I didn't murder anyone.

[No Exit]

18. Yes--did you notice that they repeated one of their tricks?

Remember when we were told that some ex-staffer of Rove's was re-interviewed during the final week of the GJ? And we were told that the ex-staffer told Fitz that "No, during such-and-such week, I talked to Karl, but he never mentioned Matthew Cooper." Something like that.

This bit of nothing was trumpeted by the administration apologists to mean, "See? Karl didn't even remember about all this CIA leak stuff when he talked to that ex-staffer, right during the thick of the leaking! Therefore, the Plame stuff wasn't even on Karl's mind then!"

So today they tell us that Libby talked to Woodward in mid-June, 2003, and Plame didn't come up! But that was in the thick of the actual scandal! So that must mean Libby wasn't even thinking about all this Plame outing stuff!

What hogwash. They are literally trying to prove a negative. I heard that you can't prove a negative.

[Gman]

14. Recommended & Kicked

This needs to be over at Greatest. Good analysis especially considering your background.

[No Exit]

17. Thanks!!

I see a lot of talk about how Scooter will surely "make a plea bargain". That's always a possibility, but people need to realize that if a defendant makes a plea bargain with a federal prosecutor, the feds will require that he spill his guts BEFORE the plea bargain even goes down. They will commit him to whatever his gut-spill contains. If he later repudiates it, or if he welches on a pre-plea promise, the feds attack him like a hawk. Suppose he pleads guilty. Then there's the gap between the guilty plea and the SENTENCING.

In a case where more than one person is involved in any way, during this gap, a federal convict's life expectancy is considerably lower than that of the general population.

It's scary.

It's not as easy as some people think to "make a plea bargain". Scooty-boot gives up a LOT if he does it because there is no way any federal prosecutor, with this much evidence, will allow a mere plea to a misdemeanor. It means something to be a convicted felon in the world inhabited by people of upper-middle-class upbringing, which is the world Scooty-boot has to live in. And I imagine it means something even worse in the high-octane world of high government officials.

[moondust]

19. 2+ bigwigs + 2+ reporters

+ 2+ different occasions x same damaging info = conspiracy.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

24. This sounds like two separate violations of the espionage act

nm

[No Exit]

30. Yes, it's sure beginning to look like we're going to see some

OFFICIAL RECOGNITION of this conspiracy which we all knew in our hearts was going on all the time.

Just in the past two days, it appears that Patrick Fitzgerald is giving it official recognition.

[Kahuna]

37. Yep! And in my mind, Woodward's attacks on Fitzgerald was an

attempt to obstruct justice. Book 'em Dano.

[July]

20. Memo to Wells: Martha Stewart wasn't even CHARGED w/ an

underlying crime. And yet, she did time for lying. Got that?

[Captain Hilts]

26. It wasn't even lying, it was dissembling. And she got cooler time.

And Fitz NEVER said that Libby was the 'only' or the 'first'.

[July]

28. You are correct, MW. nt

[flordehinojos]

21. "JOHN" OF ARC = WOODWARD!

[No Exit]

31. We shall all bow down and praise him.

But first, I demand that they burn his ass at the stake.

[sendero]

22. I think you've nailed it..

... it's completely obvious this is a tactic to influence the case. Your scenario sounds well better than plausible to me.

[No Exit]

32. In the last 2 days, I'm pleased to see that Fitzgerald apparently

thinks the big Woodward "story" is a whole lotta nothing.

And as a bonus, it appears that, if Woodward's latest 15 minutes of fame has any significance at all, it is because it tends to show a conspiracy.

IOW, Woodward's big revelation ends up hurting the guys he obviously wants to help.

[Vinca]

23. Another result of the PR campaign by Scooter's lawyer is

that Scooter now appears dumb as a stump for having lied. It was stupid to lie in the first place, but after the Woodward revelation there is obviously no reason why he needed to. Bottom line, the case against Scooter hasn't changed. A lie is a lie is a lie.

[No Exit]

33. Yeah... he's looking stupider by the day.

Maybe he really is a dumbass... or maybe he actually does have some of the smarts he's credited with, but was just so scared he was peeing in his widdle britches.

[Nimrod2005]

25. Fitz must be mad as hell right now...He is not going to let them

get away with this -- Them, so far, Woodward himsel, and lIbby and his team. They are going down, all of them, going down hard!!!

My money is on Fitz BIG TIME.

[No Exit]

34. God knows he should be! I hope Woodward ends up getting

charged with something... maybe (depending on the rest of the facts which we still don't know) Obstruction of Justice.

[Roland99]

29. I prefer "Fibby" over "Scooty-boot"

;)

[No Exit]

35. Works for me! For some reason, it just annoys the

hell out of me when these supposed bigwig, high-powered men call themselves by ridiculous little cutesy names like "Scooter".

[windbreeze]

36. My Radar went off immediately

as I thought...wait a minute...what on earth is Woodward thinking...to implicate himself as he has, he avoids subpoenas, and then testifies to his own involvement, is that sensible??.... or is he trying to throw a little water in the dirt surrounding Libby to create a murky muddy mess???...well, somehow, I don't think it's going to work...and he may not be so proud of his actions come payback time...(especially if what BW has now said is NOT exactly the truth)
windbreeze

[itzamirakul]

38. Your post is great and the last paragraph, especially,

sums up my feelings about the whole thing.

I started to wonder, if, the Scoot-man and Woodward were in cahoots all along, so that if he, Libby-the-Liar, was indicted, then Woodward could step up, all innocent-like, All-American-Reporter-who-outed-Nixon-so-can-be-trusted to get the Scooty-Booty out of his sh!t.

Boy! Just tie together, money, power, greed, privilege, and stardom and see what you get. Woodward lost his halo a long time ago.

As far as his publicly admitting he was ducking a subpoena, it goes without saying that the average joe would probably be facing judicial censure or even time behind bars.

Woodward will get to go to ethics rehab classes.