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Originally posted by hideyoursheep
But Clinton was worth it to you?
Hypocrite.
But Clinton was worth it to you?
Hypocrite.
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The Libby Verdict
The serious consequences of a pointless Washington scandal
Wednesday, March 7, 2007; Page A16
THE CONVICTION of I. Lewis Libby on charges of perjury, making false statements and obstruction of justice was grounded in strong evidence and what appeared to be careful deliberation by a jury. The former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney told the FBI and a grand jury that he had not leaked the identity of CIA employee Valerie Plame to journalists but rather had learned it from them. But abundant testimony at his trial showed that he had found out about Ms. Plame from official sources and was dedicated to discrediting her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. Particularly for a senior government official, lying under oath is a serious offense. Mr. Libby's conviction should send a message to this and future administrations about the dangers of attempting to block official investigations.
The fall of this skilled and long-respected public servant is particularly sobering because it arose from a Washington scandal remarkable for its lack of substance. It was propelled not by actual wrongdoing but by inflated and frequently false claims, and by the aggressive and occasionally reckless response of senior Bush administration officials -- culminating in Mr. Libby's perjury.
Mr. Wilson was embraced by many because he was early in publicly charging that the Bush administration had "twisted," if not invented, facts in making the case for war against Iraq. In conversations with journalists or in a July 6, 2003, op-ed, he claimed to have debunked evidence that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger; suggested that he had been dispatched by Mr. Cheney to look into the matter; and alleged that his report had circulated at the highest levels of the administration.
A bipartisan investigation by the Senate intelligence committee subsequently established that all of these claims were false -- and that Mr. Wilson was recommended for the Niger trip by Ms. Plame, his wife. When this fact, along with Ms. Plame's name, was disclosed in a column by Robert D. Novak, Mr. Wilson advanced yet another sensational charge: that his wife was a covert CIA operative and that senior White House officials had orchestrated the leak of her name to destroy her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson.
The partisan furor over this allegation led to the appointment of special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald. Yet after two years of investigation, Mr. Fitzgerald charged no one with a crime for leaking Ms. Plame's name. In fact, he learned early on that Mr. Novak's primary source was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage, an unlikely tool of the White House. The trial has provided convincing evidence that there was no conspiracy to punish Mr. Wilson by leaking Ms. Plame's identity -- and no evidence that she was, in fact, covert.
It would have been sensible for Mr. Fitzgerald to end his investigation after learning about Mr. Armitage. Instead, like many Washington special prosecutors before him, he pressed on, pursuing every tangent in the case. In so doing he unnecessarily subjected numerous journalists to the ordeal of having to disclose confidential sources or face imprisonment. One, Judith Miller of the New York Times, lost several court appeals and spent 85 days in jail before agreeing to testify. The damage done to journalists' ability to obtain information from confidential government sources has yet to be measured.
Mr. Wilson's case has besmirched nearly everyone it touched. The former ambassador will be remembered as a blowhard. Mr. Cheney and Mr. Libby were overbearing in their zeal to rebut Mr. Wilson and careless in their handling of classified information. Mr. Libby's subsequent false statements were reprehensible. And Mr. Fitzgerald has shown again why handing a Washington political case to a federal special prosecutor is a prescription for excess.
Mr. Fitzgerald was, at least, right about one thing: The Wilson-Plame case, and Mr. Libby's conviction, tell us nothing about the war in Iraq.
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Originally posted by Warham
DEMON CUNT, is that you?
Bill-O, is that you?Comment
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I should have known....Originally posted by Warham
www.washingtonpost.com
Spin that shit, WarFag!Comment
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Such a hateful little liberal.Originally posted by hideyoursheep
Spin that shit, WarFag!
I'm having a hard time understanding what you're saying with that sheet over your head.Comment
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"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."Originally posted by Warham
Such a hateful little liberal.
-GSP jr.Comment
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Try reading NEWS instead of right-wing NeoCunt rags and blogs, 'Ham.
Imagine a world in which you can actually form your own opinion without someone else funneling information to you that hasn't been distorted by THEIR opinion.Comment
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But you were thinking about him, you obsessed little agenda monkey...Originally posted by Warham
Again, you never read my posts.
I'm not talking about Clinton here. This is about Libby. Stay on subject!
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Originally posted by Nickdfresh
But you were thinking about him, you obsessed little agenda monkey...
= WartHand.
=His obsession.
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Then why the fuck doesn't the reporter go to jail? In truth...isn't he the real criminal? What if he found out the launch codes? Is he free to report them to the world? What if the press were made aware of a weakness in US security? Should they report it? I could go on...but this "freedom of the press" bullshit should be put to rest when our national security is at risk. I would consider restraint an act of patiotism....but the real purpose of the press is to destroy Bush. Objectivity? Common sense? Fugitaboutit.Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Here, I'll explain it slowly.
She was "WORKING FOR A FRONT COMPANY!!" By illegally exposing her name, they destroyed the cover of the company and many other CIA agent's lives were jeopardized...it are go good with pizzaComment
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Originally posted by studly hungwell
Then why the fuck doesn't the reporter go to jail?
One did, and one was threatened with prison, for not giving up their sources.
Novak is a dick, but he may not have knowingly "outed" a clandestine agent depending on what he was told.
And why should the press be blamed for the illegal actions of gov't officials?
The "real criminal" as compared/opposed too whom?In truth...isn't he the real criminal?
What if those weaknesses in National security was the result of gov't incompetence or malfeasance?What if he found out the launch codes? Is he free to report them to the world? What if the press were made aware of a weakness in US security?
Couldn't they just hide their criminal or incompetent actions by claiming "it's classified" and cover up anything by merely classifying it and prosecuting reporters that only stated the truth?
Well, in fact I heard an editor of the much vilified (by conservatives) NY Times claim that they've actually buried many a story out of fear that US agents, or nat'l security secrets, would be put at risk.Should they report it? I could go on...but this "freedom of the press" bullshit should be put to rest when our national security is at risk. I would consider restraint an act of patiotism....
The dividing line is the public's' right to know if the leaders, whose salaries they pay, are fucking up or breaking the law...
Yeah, I mean it's all their fault. I mean, he's such a hypercompetent and well read individual that has made so many great decisions....but the real purpose of the press is to destroy Bush. Objectivity? Common sense? Fugitaboutit.
If only those damn liberals in the press were not deceiving us as too fearless leaders true greatness, we'd realize how intelligent he really is...Comment
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Nickdfresh...
Semper Paratus.
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Ah yes, the neocon disdain for rule of law these days is truly heartwarming.Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Don't forget my reply
Bush to Reid:
Personally, I follow the example set by our leaders. My moral relativism is making the world a worse place to live, but that's ok because I don't go to jail for it.gnaw on itComment
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Great story? What the fuck do you think the CIA does?Originally posted by BigBadBrian
That's a great story.
Not true, but a great one nonetheless.
Do you think they're just here so Cheney can pressure them into making fake intelligence estimates?
They're suppose to be an intelligence agency...gnaw on itComment
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why don't you give it a shot and explain it to us?Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Damn dude, if you even knew how the CIA, or any other operation like it operated, you may be able to figure it out.
I'm betting you can't, though.
gnaw on itComment
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