Fox is reporting that Cheney assistant, "Scooter" Libby will be indicted on obstruction of Justice charges. So, basically, he will be prosecuted for attempting to cover up a crime that never happened. Expect Rex and his anti-Bush squad to be here shortly crowing about this "blow" to the administration. In reality, it's just partisan "politics as usual". By the way, Karl Rove appears to have escaped unscathed. Expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth over this as well. Let the Bush bashing begin.
They are saying it's perjury, not obstruction. Perjury is a crime, unless you are a President named Clinton. They are also saying Rove will not be charged today, but the investigation will continue.
Po-tay-toes Po-tah-toes. :wink: Oh yeah. Got to keep digging or the Demos may have to find some other white elephant to chase around.
The CIA agent was exposed by White House officials. Outing an agent is a federal crime that is being investigated by a grand jury and a federal prosecutor. The truth will come out in time. There could be more indictments. Meanwhile, perjury is a crime if Libby lied about the matter to the grand jury. Conspiracy is a crime if Libby discussed covering this up with Rove or anybody else. What am I missing here?
Scooter Libby's notes prove that George Tenet met with Dick Cheney in June 2003 and discussed the Joseph Wilson mission to Niger, why and how he went, and Valerie Plame's role in that mission. In September 2003 Cheney went on "Meet the Press" and told the American public that he didn't know Joseph Wilson, didn't know who sent Joseph Wilson to Niger, and that the matter had never come up with George Tenet. Libby told the prosecutor that he learned of Valerie Plame from reporters, but his own notes prove he learned of her from Dick Cheney. So, here's the big question for you: if Cheney and Libby did nothing wrong then why did they lie about it? Here's another question: if they lied about the whistleblower and then tried to cover it up, what does that say about their case for war in the first place? WHY did they do those things?
Valerie Plame was not an active covert CIA operative at the time of the alleged outing. Further, even her milkman knew she worked for the CIA. The law which was allegedly broken requires an intent to harm which is an insurmountable burden in this case. In their haste to try and take down Bush staffers, the Dems launched an investigation. Now, in order to save face, they are now trying to say Libby lied to investigators apparently in an effort to cover up a non-crime. Call it what you will but I smell a witch hunt.
The law was written by a Republican Congress who were certain that only Democrats would ever expose a CIA agent. Active or not, her covert activities were protected by the law, and outing her prevented her from any future covert work. I do not believe an intent to harm is unreasonable regarding such political skullduggery. Let's see what the Grand Jury thinks. First of all this is not a Democratic investigation. It isn't even an investigation by an independent special prosecutor. It is a Grand Jury investigation being conducted by a Justice Department prosecutor. The Justice Department is a part of the Executive Branch and is controlled by the President (who is a Republican, by the way). George W. Bush stated that this crime would be investigated and anyone found guilty would be prosecuted. That is exactly what is happening. No, A witch hunt would be, say . . . The Whitewater Investigation where a Special Prosecutor appointed by a Republican Congress tried to undo the results of two elections but failed to find any wrongdoing by the Democratic President. And then, instead of ending the investigation, it was shifted to a prosecution of a silly affair by the President ending in an impeachment which eventually acquitted Bill Clinton.
5 charges against Libby: 2 perjury charges, 2 false statement charges and 1 obstruction of justice charge. Say goodbye Mr. Libby...
You are way off, Red. No way Rove or anyone else gets indicted for any supposed outing. The lying, obstruction, etc charges are politically motivated b/s. You don't see it because you don't want to see it.
They've still got to prove it. An indictment only means that the prosecuter asked for it. Inoocent until proven guilty still applies in this country.
