NOVAK Fingers ROVE & Armitage As SOURCES FOR PLAME LEAK

[kpete]

Robert Novak takes the stand in Libby trial; fingers Karl Rove and Richard Armitage as the sources for his famous "outing" column 2/13

UPDATES: Novak Takes the Stand As Libby Trial Resumes

By E&P Staff

Published: February 12, 2007 7

WASHINGTON After a long weekend off, the defense took the field this morning and attempted to hold the line against the prosecution in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby in Washington, D.C. The witness list remains in flux, and could include Libby himself and Vice President Cheney -- or maybe not.

But by late morning, Bob Woodward and Walter Pincus of The Washington Post had taken the stand, followed by David Sanger of The New York Times. Pincus said that Libby did not leak Valerie Plame's identity -- but Ari Fleischer did. Then Robert Novak took the stand just after lunch. He named Karl Rove and Richard Armitage as the two sources for his famous "outing" column.

Novak said Armitage, a key State Dept. official, was his primary source and Rove only a "confirming" source. On July 8, 2003, Armitage referred to former Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife as "Valerie" and Novak then looked up his name in Who's Who to determine that he last name seemed to be Plame.

............

Then, in what could be a key (and hotly contested) new bit of information, Novak said he had quickly shared the column (pre-publication) with a lobbyist friend named Rick Holt. Novak thinks Holt told him later that he had mentioned to a White House contact at that time that a very interesting article would be appearing very soon.

MUCH more at:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003544488


EDIT TO ADD:

More from the NY Daily News:

It’s finally becoming clear why ex-White House mouthpiece Ari Fleischer took the fifth and had to be granted immunity from prosecution in the case: Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus testified that Fleischer leaked the identity of ex-CIA spook Valerie Plame in a July 12, 2003, phone call.

“It was Ari Fleischer,” Pincus testified as the first witness called by the defense. Pincus recalled that Fleischer wondered in that phone call why Pincus was writing about Plame’s husband former Ambassador Joe Wilson: “Don’t you know his wife works for the CIA as an analyst?” barked Fleischer.

more at:
http://blogs.nydailynews.com/dailypolitics/archives/2007/02/leaking_from_th.php

[liberal N proud]

1. One slug outs another

Sorry if I offended any slugs

[helderheid]

2. I don't know what we'd do without you, kpete!

[no_hypocrisy]

3. "J'ACCUSE!" n/t

[Kagemusha]

4. How many CIA analysts are usually called political operatives?

Anyone?

[BOSSHOG]

5. I don't understand this as a defense strategy

Whatever novak says has nothing to do with the fact that libby committed perjury.

[Mandate My Ass]

6. muddying the waters I guess

Scooter Pie is charged with obstruction and perjury, NOT LEAKING.

[MADem]

11. That's it precisely. Rove either has immunity or he is an unindicted co-conspirator

Perhaps they want the jury to feel badly that Rover is skating while Scooter burns....????

[Arkansas Granny]

20. That must be it. But, surely the jury won't fall for this ruse.

It doesn't matter that Libby didn't leak the info in the first place, it's the matter of Libby lying to a grand jury in order to obstruct justice.

[Bjornsdotter]

8. Maybe

Libby wants to take as many as he can with him. They let him swing in the breeze and now he is returning the favor. He no Liddy.

Cheers

[durtee librul]

9. Still say the shriveled up old

prune should be treated as a traitor.....HE was the one who released the information to the general public. If he was such a fine upstanding Amerikan patreeyat he would have NOT printed the story no matter what....however, him being the crappy old fart he is, he printed it and therefore should suffer all the consequences a traitor and a treasoner should be held for. Period. Novak is a traitor to this country and should be jailed accordingly.

[Jacobin]

22. You are right

but I think the defense is looking for a 'jury nullification' verdict, so their ploy may work

[tblue]

7. And Armit*ge has immunity, but not R*ve tho he'll be pardoned

[porphyrian]

10. I'll kick that. - n/t

[SpiralHawk]

12. Karl's Krappy Karma: Treason

Another republicon traitor against the United States of America.

Why are so many republicons lacking in honor?

Why are so many republicons traitors to the U.S.A.?

[Loge23]

18. They prefer another system

..one unlike a democracy such as the U.S.A.' s tradition.

[CelticWinter]

13. Thanks for keeping us updated on this----

I look forward to your posts.
Celtic

[Duer 157099]

14. This defense is truly baffling

All they are showing is that Libby had no reason to lie to the grand jury!! And yet... he did.

He and Cheney clearly felt that what they were doing was wrong, or there would be no reason to lie about it. I think that's what Fitz is trying to show.

[The Count]

15. So far, Turd Blossom's button still holds:

"I am a source, not a target"(Look, Ma! one step ahead of the Law)

[truedelphi]

16. Oh Goody I would love for Armitage to go down - WAY DOWN

He and Richard Holbrook were buddying up to Milosevic in early 1990's, telling that leader in Yugoslavia that Serbs *were* superior to Croats and that the USA saw it that way too. He totally gave Milosevic the green light

[Garbo 2004]

25. Don't hold your breath. Fitzgerald knew about Armitage and Novak from the beginning.

Armitage had gone to the Feds when the investigation began in October 2003 and told them he had told Novak.

Last year Armitage publicly admitted being Woodward's and Novak's source so those portions of Monday's testimony were not exactly news.

That Rove leaked to Novak is even older news.

Remember, Novak's testifying as a defense witness, for Libby. The sole purpose of this testimony is to muddy the waters....has nothing to do with whether Libby lied to the Feds and grand jury.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Popcorn

not that this will get to the SCLM....

:popcorn:

[louis-t]

19. Again, this proves that there was a concerted effort by the neocons

to leak Plame's name to journalists so they could say "see, everyone knew."

edit: Hey, thanks for the heart!

[lala_rawraw]

21. what do all the hearts mean?

sorry, i know it is a stupid question, but i see them everywhere...what are they for?

[SoCalDem]

23. Eeew.. two words never to be used together.. Novak .. fingers..

This image popped into my head

[Imagevision]

24. This is all well and fine, but when does anyone charged with a crime for outting a CIA agent??