David Corn --Was Scooter Set Up? Did Cheney Conspire?

[Catherine Vincent]

February 02, 2007
Libby Trial:Was Scooter Set Up? Did Cheney Conspire?

Scooter Libby was thrown under the bus. No, Scooter Libby gave the bus driver false directions.

On Thursday, the prosecution and the defense in the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby spent much of the day clashing over evidentiary matters, but, as they battled, each side laid out its core theory.

The initial dispute concerned special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's effort to enter into evidence video clips of White House press briefings held in October 2003 shortly after the news broke that the Justice Department, at the CIA's request, was launching a criminal investigation of the leak that outed Valerie Wilson, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, as a CIA officer.

Here's the background: in mid-September 2003, White House press secretary Scott McClellan responded to a remark made by Joe Wilson, in which the former diplomat said he looked forward to the day when Karl Rove would be "frog-marched" out of the White House for having been involved in the CIA leak. It was "totally ridiculous," McClellan said, to suggest that Rove was a party to this leak. (Reality break: as was revealed years later, Rove had slipped information on Valerie Wilson's CIA connection to rightwing columnist Robert Novak and Time's Matt Cooper.) After the criminal investigation became public in late September 2003, McClellan again told reporters Rove had nothing to do with the leak. But when he was asked about Scooter Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, McClellan declined to offer a similar denial.

Libby freaked out. According to Ted Wells, one of Libby's attorneys, Libby went to McClellan and White House chief of staff Andrew Card asking for the same treatment that Rove got. They "blew him off," Wells exclaimed in court. Then Libby went to his boss, with talking points he wanted McClellan to recite:

I've talked to Libby. I said it was ridiculous about Karl and it is ridiculous about Libby. Libby was not the source of the Novak story. And he did not leak classified information.

more at....
http://www.davidcorn.com/

[formercia]

1. These creatures would throw their mother under the bus,

if it meant their survival.

[Warpy]

2. Scooter was perfect

He was enough of a loyalist not to spill the beans at the beginning of the investigation, but not enough of a loyalist to be in the inner circle where all the real filth is.

I think it may be beginning to dawn on him. I sincerely hope so.

[formercia]

5. He knows the penalty for disloyalty

With the boys, loyalty is a one-way street. If he taks a hit for the gang, he will probably get a pardon and a good, well paying job when he gets out.

[Fridays Child]

3. This is an excellent synopsis of the trial, to date--very clear and easy to understand.

[radfringe]

4. scooter didn't hear the beeping

when cheney was backing up the bus

[Supersedeas]

6. Seems to me ANDY CARD ought to be a key Defense witness.

[formercia]

7. Card knows a lot

I doubt if he would volunteer.