I’ve been trying to digest everything going on in the “Scooter” Libby trial, everything from whether or not Tim Russert gave Libby the name of Joe Wilson’s wife to whether or not Dick Cheney gave it to Libby or maybe Richard Armitage got it from Karl Rove even though Libby is claiming that he’s not going to take the fall for Rove but somehow Judith Miller refused to divulge Libby as a source even though Libby was under indictment but Libby is mad at Russert again because Libby says Russert knew he would be indicted but meanwhile Patrick Fitzgerald granted Ari Fleischer immunity to testify and then Fleischer announced in his testimony that he Can you see why this damn story is giving me one big headache (and I’m not even taking an active role in it, thank God)? And can someone please explain to me again how Bob Novak, the conservative mouthpiece who got all of this started by outing her to begin with, manages to get a total pass in this?
I’m not impugning anyone for covering it; I admire them, actually, for trying to decipher this utter mess. This needs to be covered as thoroughly as possible (and of course, the “old, wise heads” are going to say that it isn’t worth our time).
But in the midst of the exposure of the tawdry, cliquish game played by the politicians and their slavish sycophants in the media-industrial complex (with Russert getting the once-over today and yesterday, though it looks like he’s done for now and it will be someone else’s turn shortly), I’d like to point something out.
Valerie Plame’s career was severely damaged by the revelation that she was a spy. That is what matters, not how many times Tim Russert crossed his legs on the stand or how many times Judith Miller adjusted the hem of her skirt or how much meta-commentary can be generated from the fact that Russert (if he is to be believed) automatically assumes that talking to government officials is off the record “unless specified.”
And I know the people reporting on this know that, but I think it needs to be mentioned again (and, of course, a lot of the goings-on here have no doubt been orchestrated by Bushco to shield itself and hang Libby out to dry).
And that’s why I’m going to pay more attention to the Plame civil trial than this one, since the charges will pertain more directly to the crime than in this case, which is, after all, based on obstruction of justice dealing with a crime for which no one was formally charged.
2 comments:
funny, i liked your post. you were a little off on a few things. they have live blogging from the trial at firedorglake, plus easy to understand videos at the end of each day.
the transcripts make clear judith miller does say she heard it first from libby, ari says that too. libby's grand jusy testimony which was played in court does say he heard it first from cheney and good luck w/following the story.
check here
yesterday
I had a feeling I would be, and that's why I've held off on saying anything until now, but I just got to the point where I thought my head would explode. Thanks for letting me know.
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