Just as I suspected, Scooter Libby was convicted in his trial moments ago:
Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted Tuesday of obstruction, perjury and lying to the FBI in an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was accused of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters.
He was acquitted of one count of lying to the FBI.
Libby had little reaction to the verdict. He stood expressionless as the jury left the room.
The verdict was read on the 10th day of deliberations. Libby faces up to 30 years in prison, though under federal sentencing guidelines likely will receive far less.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered a pre-sentencing report be completed by May 15. Judges use such reports to help determine sentences.
Libby faced two counts of perjury, two counts of lying to the FBI and one count of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said he discussed Plame's name with reporters and, fearing prosecution, made up a story to make those discussions seem innocuous.
For further updates see the following blogs:
Update 12:55. Juror Denis Collins says he was a reporter. For whom?
Update 13:00. Colins: Questions asked by jury: Where is Rove, where is Cheney? We believe he was tasked by the vice president to talk to reporters. (No comment on Libby motive.)
Update 13:03. Dave R asks in comments what my impressions of the trial were. I was asked that by a radio host later in the day after closing arguments.
I thought no one seemed obviously antagonistic (at least outwardly) to him. I thought that it looked like Libby had lied about the Russert counts and it was disputable whether he had lied about the Cooper counts.
I think the counts were very carefully formulated to find Libby guilty on as many counts as possible.
Update 13:06. Juror Colins: We would have liked to have seen Bush here.
Update 13:11. Jury did not negotiate with each other. Two jurors voted not guilty on count 3.
Update 13:16. FNC's Jim Angle says he believes defense will use judge's limitation of its "memory defense" on appeal. I did feel the defense was hamstrung and eventually stopped playing to the jury. On the last day of the argument, Team Libby's defense was surprisingly short.
Update 13:18. Robert Novak: I still believe Valerie Plame wasn't a covert employee as covered by federal law.
Update 13:35. In remarks after the trial, prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald broke many a moonbat heart and said he does not expect to file any more charges.
—Matthew Sheffield is Editor of NewsBusters.
Comments Policy
The charges were too good f
March 6, 2007 - 13:35 ET by Matthew SheffieldThe charges were too good for him. I suspected that he would be found guilty on 3 of 5 charges.
Matthew,You spent some time
March 6, 2007 - 13:57 ET by Dave RMatthew,
You spent some time directly observing this trial. Would you characterize this jury as a jury of his peers, or was it the OJ jury (the Peggy Bundy) crowd?
"Special Prosecutor Patr
March 6, 2007 - 20:25 ET by garvin"Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who has led the leak investigation, said no additional charges would be filed. That means nobody will be charged with the leak and Libby, who was not the source for the original column outing Plame, will be the only one to face trial. "
Me thinks I. Scooter Libby was more a scapegoat for the real leakers, Novak and Armitage.
The entire investigation was
March 6, 2007 - 13:36 ET by mattmThe entire investigation was based on false accusations of an act that wasn't a crime (Plame was not covert). Therefore the whole thing is a travesty. All counts should have been dropped and Joe Wilson should be on trial.
This is what we get when the Right sits on its hands and lets the Left drive the agenda. Conservatives better wake up! Or, soon it will be illegal to be a conservative and they'll be able to throw us all in jail.
God help us.
Perhaps a conservative here
March 6, 2007 - 13:47 ET by sarcasmoPerhaps a conservative here can explain to me how the left "drove the agenda" in this case. The CIA (in the executive branch, which is controlled by a Republican) referred the case to the DOJ (also in the executive branch, and again led by a Republican...) which then went-against Libby in the judicial branch & won on most counts in front of a jury which deliberated for 10 days. Seems pretty simple to me, so what am I missing??
JMR
sarcasmo, the CIA still has m
March 6, 2007 - 13:54 ET by Conservative Voicesarcasmo, the CIA still has many people from the Clinton administration in it. President Bush has a need to work with the enemy so he didn't clean house. He doesn't have control over the CIA or with the DOJ (same reason) or with the state department. Hence he has struggled with leaks and political issues like this. I do blame President Bush as much as I blame the media...who drummed the he outed a CIA agent, which is false. In fact the person who did, gets away without a scratch.
I was disappointed when Presi
March 6, 2007 - 14:04 ET by bigtimerI was disappointed when President Bush named a special prosecutor in the first place...
IMO he just did it at the will of public pressure...
I wished he would tell them all to get screwed.
Just once.
Btw...Look at the false outrage over him finally firing eight from the Justice Dept.
He should of cleaned all of that out when he took office the first time...as the Clinton's did...he had to be simple to leave those people in in my opinion.
I am just very angry with this whole thing...Armitage...Wilson should be the ones to be in front of a Judge and jury...if anyone should.
Bush a modern-day Nero
March 6, 2007 - 14:38 ET by j17ghsre: bigtimer post March 6, 2007 - 13:04
Yep, bigtimer, you have lots of company. Bush is little different than if a Democrat were in the White House. He rarely defends his own party and panders to every Democrat who attacks Republicans. Bush is now our modern-day Nero: he fiddles while Rome is burning, brother.
Well, that's a problem ever
March 6, 2007 - 14:05 ET by sarcasmoWell, that's a problem every administration apparently faces, or at least likes to blame for problems...I just find it a little amusing to see the cries on NB of: "she wasn't covert" here WHILE Patrick F. is on my idiot-box saying the face of the indictment -- which he swears is true as an officer of the court, and can go to jail himself over if it's not -- says the CIA's relationship with this woman was classified. It either was, or it wasn't, if there are the moral absolutes everyone claims to like, and that means someone's fibbing. Note: I haven't said WHO is doing the fibbing, I've just said WHAT must be happening either here or on my TV screen.
JMR
Sarc, if she was 'covert' where's the charge?
March 6, 2007 - 15:22 ET by acaiguanaSarc, if she was 'covert' where's the charge?
Now, I can agree that 'lying' is wrong. I can agree that lying is a prosecutable offense.
I'm a little confused as to what the big deal is here? He obstructed justice. The Jury found that to be true.
He is appealing, of course, but like Oliver North, he'll never overcome this verdict.
What has this country come to when a 'Special Prosecutor' cannot determine the law?
That's my question.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
The 'covert' charge is, and
March 6, 2007 - 16:44 ET by sarcasmoThe 'covert' charge is, and I'll directly-quote Mr. Fitzgerald from while I was reading the denial right-here, "on the face of the indictment." Presumably that's a public record somewhere. I've reported what I saw -- albeit on MSNBC-not-Fox this time -- you decide, but unless I somehow heard Fitzgerald wrong I'll repeat myself for the record: "someone's fibbin'!" The truth isn't binary, it's the truth.
JMR
While avoiding quibbling ov
March 6, 2007 - 18:57 ET by Challenger GrimWhile avoiding quibbling over "truth isn't binary" (but then, i work with computers), here's a quote from the juror that spoke to reporters:
"There was a tremendous amount of sympathy for Mr. Libby on the jury,”
said juror Denis Collins, the only one of the 11 jurors who chose to
speak to the press after the verdict. “It was said a number of times,
‘What are we doing with this guy here? Where’s Rove? Where are these
other guys?’ I’m not saying we didn’t think Mr. Libby was guilty of the
things we found him guilty of. It seemed like he was, as [Libby
attorney Ted] Wells put it, he was the fall guy.”
And his conviction was entirely on "one count of obstruction of justice, two of perjury, and one of making false statements" with NONE made on 'outing' a CIA agent. So if he was never charged with that... I'll leave you to find your conclusion.
You've already seen my conc
March 6, 2007 - 19:50 ET by sarcasmoYou've already seen my conclusion. Life's not fair. I relish telling conservatives to deal-with that trite fact right now just as much as they relished telling it to me in the Richard Paey case. Tit for tat, Bush could pardon both and I'd be fine with it, but only when you're guilty you need a pardon, and regardless of his conviction, the indictment said what it said. And that indictment saying Plame was covert according to the CIA was sworn-to by an officer of the court who risked going to jail himself if he lied, like it or not. Nobody
JMR
"...only when you're gui
March 6, 2007 - 19:55 ET by fossten"...only when you're guilty you need a pardon..."
Is that how you feel about the two border patrol agents too, sarc?
Yep, but note they each get
March 6, 2007 - 20:02 ET by sarcasmoYep, but note they each get at least 100X the media coverage of Mr. Paey -- in part due to big government payoffs to the news media in the form of various anti-drug ad-propaganda which -- if anything -- HELPS the border agents' case IMO...Note also that Dr. Ron Paul, the unspeakable-on-TV candidate, is very much in the Tancredo-camp on immigration, but you probably needed sarcasmo to do the media's job on that issue, once-again. Anyway, ANOTHER issue people here need to learn about is that the USA needs drastically fewer prisoners in our very-expensive and union-supported big-government prison system, it is one of those areas where Finland -- for example -- does a lot better than we do here in "the land of the free."
JMR
Sarcasmo and Drugs...
March 6, 2007 - 20:27 ET by Six String SpiffWell I'll be... Sarcasmo managed to include drugs in that post as well. Is there ANYTHING that you can tlak about without mentioning how unfair it is to prosecute potheads? Give it a rest
Sure, I watch the MSM... Through a pair of crosshairs.
Whine, whine, whine. Deal w
March 7, 2007 - 06:13 ET by sarcasmoWhine, whine, whine. Deal with it. I pay the taxes that support your racist, tax and spend drugwar, and I therefore have every right to say anything I want here unless your name's Matthew Sheffield (and he, unlike a lot of you people, never-bitches about anything I say!). Give it a rest. I'll say what I want how I want here, and if I discover it upsets you, I'll say even-more of it, or bring up the inconvenient racism-facts government schools didn't teach you.
JMR
Working with the enemy?
March 6, 2007 - 17:35 ET by MobiusStripActually, CV, most of the career CIA people who have left since Bush was elected were in their positions for many, many years before Clinton! The brain drain in the CIA because of Bush's administration is unprecedented. So, unless our senior intelligence experts are the "enemy", as you say, the fault lies apparently with Bush's willful and politically motivated denigration and dismissal of their work. How many resigned under Clinton vs. Bush, and why? Google it.
The Left controls the media,
March 6, 2007 - 14:14 ET by mattmThe Left controls the media, and the D.C. courts. Obviously, Sarc, as your name implies, you can't be serious....
However, if you are...then either you're a blithering idiot, or deliberately ignorant or deceitful.... If the former, wise up; if the latter; God help you if you're ever falsely accused by a bunch of partisan hacks with an agenda...
Nope, and name-calling wo
March 6, 2007 - 17:27 ET by sarcasmoNope, and name-calling won't help you here. I'm totally serious when I say what I heard, and in between what I heard and what I saw you write, someone's gotta be fibbin' like it or not. See "face of the indictment" comment above, Fitzgerald was very clear in this press conference about what was on the indictment he swore to in this case as an officer of the court under penalty of law himself. I say either he's fibbin' or you are on this issue. The truth is one or the other, she either was or wasn't "covert," period. Since the CIA originally brought this up and since they're said to kinda be a bit of an authority on covert stuff, I guess you'll just have to pardon me if I say I believe Fitzgerald today & the CIA back-then instead of you & various-other partisan-Republican blog posters who wish this hadn't happened this way & -- perhaps correctly -- think it's not fair... Life's not always "fair."
Anyway, please point me to facts that'll change my mind! And rants about how "everyone within 20 miles of DC knew who she was" don't count, because under the law it's not up to "everyone," covert status is only up to the CIA. For another example, this time regarding the NSA, "everyone" who hangs out long-enough in various bars near Fort Meade knows a hell of a lot more about US electronic intercepts than they should, but that doesn't make "everyone" knowing that stuff in any way legal, or even legally-relevant if the teller(s) get busted somehow for telling another person.
JMR
Sarcasmo, I'm not sure exac
March 6, 2007 - 18:49 ET by Challenger GrimSarcasmo, I'm not sure exactly how to address your question except to refer you to Byron York who's been doing a wonderful job covering the Libby trial. As he pointed out:
"The indictment of Libby, announced on October 28, 2005, is made up of
five counts. Two of the counts, one each of perjury and making false
statements, are based on a single conversation Libby had with Matthew
Cooper, then of Time magazine, on July 12, 2003. Two other
counts, one of perjury and one of making false statements, are based on
a single conversation Libby had with NBC’s Tim Russert on July 10 or
11, 2003. The remaining count, obstruction of justice, is based on
Libby’s testimony about both conversations. (Originally, the
obstruction count was also based, in part, on a conversation Libby had
with Judith Miller, then of the New York Times, but midway
through the trial prosecutors conceded that they had presented no
evidence to support that element of the case and agreed with the
defense’s request that it be stricken from the charges against Libby.)"
So if Valerie was covert (and that's pretty much been proven false) then Libby has NOT been charged with, nor is he going to jail for outing her. To put it another way: Say there was an aleged crime of a candy bar being stolen from a store. Libby was on trial for the equivalent of mistelling which store he was shopping at across town from the burgalized one on a different date from the robbery. Make any sense?
Makes sense & doesn't m
March 6, 2007 - 19:52 ET by sarcasmoMakes sense & doesn't matter in the least legally. I repeat: Life's not fair.
JMR
Huh?!
March 6, 2007 - 21:50 ET by contraryHuh?!
Huh?!
March 6, 2007 - 21:50 ET by contraryHuh?!
Reading is fundamental.JMR
March 7, 2007 - 06:14 ET by sarcasmoReading is fundamental.
JMR
When the CIA referred the lea
March 6, 2007 - 20:45 ET by DemonhunterWhen the CIA referred the leak to DOJ, was it a specific detailed charge, or was it a "blanket form" CIA officer's name mentioned in press article?
If it's not the Crusades, it's the cartoons
Once they made the referral
March 7, 2007 - 06:15 ET by sarcasmoOnce they made the referral, presumably triggered by the Novak column, I'm not sure how it would even matter, legally.
JMR
today's CIA menu includes "Kung Pao Chicken"
March 7, 2007 - 06:37 ET by CarpareusSomebody left the memo in the cafeteria on "Beef Stroganoff" day.
Spooks make poor warriors at best.
Shadow Goverment at Work
March 6, 2007 - 14:05 ET by pickerseniorWe should be convinced that there is a shadow goverment which includes Fitzgerald, Russert, Gregory, Scheifer, Rather, Couric, Maher, Kerry, Murtha, Pelosi, Clinton, Leahy, Schumer, Waxman, Gore, etc. etc., that is dedicated to destroy anyone capable of individual thought. they are dedicated to rid themselves of anyone that might question their cruel and repressive power in this country.
This Libby - Wilson - Plame thing is just a minor skirmish which they have won on their way to 100% control of our thoughts and fortunes, which by the way, will disappear when they get their way.
I view this with overwhelming disgust. Where are we going with this?
What can we do about it picke
March 6, 2007 - 14:16 ET by bigtimerWhat can we do about it pickersenior?
The juror talking away is the one I mentioned earlier on a thread about a writer being on the jury, wrote for WaPo, and I guess wrote a book on Spying...let alone another juror was a neighbor of Russerts.
Wilson is going to be television non-stop, he is going to be on Hardball, Ubermann on and on...he makes me ill, mad enough to do things I shouldn't think about, this whole ordeal is sickening...he should be behind bars, he and others are the enemies within.
Nothing happens to a guy who steals documents from the National Archives, Sandy roams free!
I am steaming mad!
Almost a good day to make a stiff drink or two.
Whew...
March 6, 2007 - 14:40 ET by Chidi NwachukhuShadow Government? Really? Was 9-11 an inside job? What about the Masons?
Do you even know what he's ta
March 6, 2007 - 14:59 ET by Chicago RepublicanDo you even know what he's talking about when he says "shadow government"?
**************
Support the Spread of Open Society and Capitalism around the World. Do it for the Children.
Rookie.
March 6, 2007 - 16:19 ET by Roger the ShrubberRookie.
Libby verdict and Stalin show trial a crock!
March 6, 2007 - 14:31 ET by j17ghsquoting new mattm (italics)
March 6, 2007 - 12:36
The entire investigation was based on false accusations of an act that wasn't a crime (Plame was not covert). Therefore the whole thing is a travesty. All counts should have been dropped and Joe Wilson should be on trial.
This is what we get when the Right sits on its hands and lets the Left drive the agenda. Conservatives better wake up! Or, soon it will be illegal to be a conservative and they'll be able to throw us all in jail.
God help us.
* * *
mattm, you are oh-so right. You saved me the trouble of trying to formulate what I wanted to say and how to say it. It's been more than six years of frustration while Republicans have held the Congress and White House and let the DeMarxists run the country through the media.
What happened to Libby today is a real crime. The media will run wild with it and a false story from the beginning will go in the history books as proof the Bush administration attacked a poor innocent defenseless woman because her husband exposed the WMD "lie." I also heard Warner Bros is planning a movie (like All the President's Men?)!
The real scandal is what were this socialist socialite and her inept hubby doing monitoring WMD?? Of course, the answer is that each were big Clinton fans. That was their only qualification.
Plame NOT covert?
March 6, 2007 - 14:41 ET by MobiusStripReally- that talking point has been pushed around so much you actually still believe it? Plame was indeed an in fact covert. Do you even know what she was working on? Try googling it and include the words pretrial motion. Learn something new and don't get all your talking points from Fox. You are just dead wrong.
Some of- not all of- you guys here seem to live in a movie world morphing between Groundhog Day, Andy of Mayberry and Pleasantville. Like you're sitting around in Floyd's barbershop, in black and white and living the same inane conversation over and over and over again. Maybe you should get off your duffs and learn something new- by reading. By the way anyone want to talk about the Walter Reed issue? I hear Britney Spears is passe.
Sometimes you go to war with the leadership you have- not the leadership you want.
Go fly your kite somewhere e
March 6, 2007 - 14:51 ET by bigtimerGo fly your kite somewhere else mb.
Mobius, I agree. The fact
March 6, 2007 - 15:01 ET by Chicago RepublicanMobius, I agree. The fact that Valerie Plame was outed is a travesty. Lets do something about the person responsible.
Lets indict Richard Armitage.
**************
Support the Spread of Open Society and Capitalism around the World. Do it for the Children.
Go
March 6, 2007 - 15:02 ET by cvgbuckeyeYou need to go somewhere else mo. By all things under heaven, this is enough, now. We need to run this left wing press, left wing congress and every other lefty back to the rocks that they crawled out from under. If this keeps on, every Conservative will be in danger of being thrown in jail just for what he believes.
Go somewhere else and tell you lies mo.
Mobius, I agree. The fact
March 6, 2007 - 15:02 ET by Chicago RepublicanMobius, I agree. The fact
March 6, 2007 - 15:02 ET by Chicago RepublicanI really enjoy Newsbusters but the mechanics of this website suck. How I posted the same comment three times is beyond me.
Sandy Berger good, Scooter Libby bad?
March 6, 2007 - 17:50 ET by j17ghsquoting (italics)
RE: Chicago Republican Says:
March 6, 2007 - 14:02
I really enjoy Newsbusters but the mechanics of this website suck. How I posted the same comment three times is beyond me.
* * *
The site works like a polygraph, and you're busted.
By the way, when you say it's a "travesty" that Valerie Plume was outed (another lie), did you instead mean it was a travesty that Sandy Berger is still a free man? That's very true. Both of these Clinton goons compromised national security and have blood on their hands from 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan.
J17 - you kill me - you and I
March 6, 2007 - 18:20 ET by Chicago RepublicanJ17 - you kill me - you and I are on the same team and you have come after me for the second time already! In military terms, that's called Fraticide.
Whether or not Valerie Plame was confidential or covert is immaterial. Libby did nothing wrong. Fitzgerald knew that the "leaker" was Armitage yet still pursued Libby. A total partisan witchhunt. Fitzgerald should have indicted Armitage, "Who's who in America" and that snake oil salesman Joe Wilson (who had several conversations with reporters "hinting at" the fact that he had a CIA wife. By the way, Wilson has ENOURMOUS credibility problems, but no one seems to be paying attention to that.
My comments to Mobius were mostly sarcasm.
And yes, Berger's crime was largely yawned at by the Media, and Clinton WILLFULLY lied under oath. Where's the justice there?
J17 - come on buddy, at least read my profile before you start attack me like I'm Rhayes.
**************
Support the Spread of Open Society and Capitalism around the World. Do it for the Children.
Now I know you're not trying to be stuckup and dog on Floyd are
March 6, 2007 - 15:03 ET by Carl Kolchak"Like you're sitting around in Floyd's barbershop, in black and white and living the same inane conversation over and over and over again. Maybe you should get off your duffs and learn something new- by reading."
Now I know you're not trying to be stuck up and dog on Floyd now are you? I guess we could watch stuck up left wing shows on PBS like "Masterpiece Theater" or some other stuck up left wing show like "Law and Order". Oh that Floyd sure was funny wasn't he? Now I like to read too. I'm thinking about reading the book "Gulag" by Anne Applebaum, or the book "Adventures in Stasiland" as this gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect once Hillary comes into power.
Andy Taylor: Floyd.
Floyd Lawson: What's the matter?
Andy Taylor: My sideburns.
Floyd Lawson: Your sideburns - what's the matter with your sideburns?
Andy Taylor: Why, they're both even.
Floyd Lawson: Well, I'll be dogged. How'd that happen?
Andy Taylor: I declare, Floyd, I believe you're getting the hang of it. And looka there - they're the right length and everything.
I do believe I remember that episode...
March 6, 2007 - 17:41 ET by MobiusStripBut Otis was always my favorite. Why they never elected him Mayor, I'll never know, but it sure woulda nipped Barney in the bud.
Go
March 6, 2007 - 15:03 ET by cvgbuckeyeYou need to go somewhere else mo. By all things under heaven, this is enough, now. We need to run this left wing press, left wing congress and every other lefty back to the rocks that they crawled out from under. If this keeps on, every Conservative will be in danger of being thrown in jail just for what he believes.
Go somewhere else and tell you lies mo.
Go
March 6, 2007 - 15:03 ET by cvgbuckeyeYou need to go somewhere else mo. By all things under heaven, this is enough, now. We need to run this left wing press, left wing congress and every other lefty back to the rocks that they crawled out from under. If this keeps on, every Conservative will be in danger of being thrown in jail just for what he believes.
Go somewhere else and tell you lies mo.
Matt said:
March 6, 2007 - 15:03 ET by Sonny Lykos"This is what we get when the Right sits on its hands and lets the Left drive the agenda. Conservatives better wake up! Or, soon it will be illegal to be a conservative and they'll be able to throw us all in jail."
BINGO. No, double BINGO!!
Who was it that said something tothe effect of: "For evil to win, all good men have to do is nothing."
Between the White House and Congress, we got pansies for Republicans.
V. Plame was a "NOC.&quo
March 6, 2007 - 20:34 ET by j. frank wilsonV. Plame was a "NOC." If she wasn't a covert agent, the CIA wouldn't have asked the Justice Department to investigate, the Justice Department wouldn't have continued, and the panel of 3 Federal judges wouldn't have let the process so foward and allowed a journalist to go to jail. Have you read the judge's opinion?
And have you read the redacted portions of it? If you haven't, how do you know?
And that's besides the point. One can't lie under oath and the jury was smart enough to know that. They believed Tim Russert (Guilty) they didn't really believe Matthew Cooper (Innocent).
And what in the world is Joe Wilson accused of? Doing his job and serving his country, just as he did in Iraq when he stood up to Saddam Insane and risked his life doing it?
You're full of it JFrank. If
March 6, 2007 - 20:59 ET by DemonhunterYou're full of it JFrank. If Valerie Plame was NOC, why didn't they prosecute Richard Armitage? For that matter, why didn't they charge Libby under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, instead of a process crime?
If it's not the Crusades, it's the cartoons
Even Darth Vader is getting
March 6, 2007 - 13:41 ET by MightyMouthEven Darth Vader is getting in on the Circus. Sheesh.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
GMTA! I thought I was going
March 6, 2007 - 13:43 ET by lnthompGMTA! I thought I was going to be first with that one!
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Hillsboro, Oregon
I have enough money to last me the rest of my life. Unless I buy something.
"I thought I was going
March 6, 2007 - 16:36 ET by MightyMouth"I thought I was going to be first with that one!"
You probably were Lee, I just have a faster Internet connection than you! Mine is 1 point 21 jiggawatts! :-)
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Is that Darth Vader in the
March 6, 2007 - 13:41 ET by lnthompIs that Darth Vader in the back right of the photograph?
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Hillsboro, Oregon
I have enough money to last me the rest of my life. Unless I buy something.
Yes. The would be Dick Chene
March 6, 2007 - 13:46 ET by blarsenYes. The would be Dick Cheney in the background.
Cute by half blars. I'd say
March 6, 2007 - 13:53 ET by bigtimerCute by half blars.
I'd say more like Joe Wilson.
This whole ordeal makes me il
March 6, 2007 - 13:44 ET by bigtimerThis whole ordeal makes me ill.
My heart goes out to Libby... his family and friends.
Talk about injustice.
Libby
March 6, 2007 - 14:16 ET by SanityClauseBigtimer:
I also am saddened about the jury verdict and the pain it is inflicting on Scooter, his wife, and their family and friends.
But this is not the end... The appeals process will focus on the defects in the prosecution and what the judge did not allow to be presented to the jury. I am thinking here of Tim Russert's misstatements here, for example.
I see the MSNBC, NYT and MMFA crowds going into overdrive here, which will cause the center folks to consider the personal side of Libby's situation, perhaps for the first time.
All is not lost...Stay tuned.
SC... Well, that makes me fee
March 6, 2007 - 14:27 ET by bigtimerSC...
Well, that makes me feel a little better for a moment... I need to calm down!
Thanks for your calming words...they make perfect sense!
Red Green
March 6, 2007 - 18:18 ET by SanityClauseBigtimer,
Like Red Green (of duct tape fame) always said on his TV show from Possum Lodge:
"Just hang in there....Remember, we're all in this together"
No, this is justice served
March 6, 2007 - 14:50 ET by MobiusStripLast I checked, when you break the law- as in lying to grand juries and obstructing justice- you pay a penalty. Does following the law resound here at all, or is this just a pity party for someone that took the fall for higher-ups and got caught? The law is the law is the law. We are a nation of law. Or are we just a nation of men? If you're a proponent of breaking the law, go rob a liquor store.
Justice has been served- Scooter will scoot througha pardon anyway, so you can wipe your elephant tears away now. And pick me up a six-pack of Blatz while you're there.
Ok all lawbreakers should be
March 6, 2007 - 15:25 ET by Dan The Man 2Ok all lawbreakers should be punished. If a person lies to a GJ then they should pay. But, was it a lie, intentional or just a mispeak? I guess he could get teh same as punishment Sandy Burglar.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
So basically you want it to
March 6, 2007 - 18:25 ET by Challenger GrimSo basically you want it to be illegal for a person's memory to ever be faulty. Seriously examine the list of charges in detail. It's the equivalent of your wife telling you to get chuncky peanut butter and when you bring home smooth peanut butter, you claim that's what you thought you heard her say. Apparently Mobius is in favor of every witness being the equivalent of robo cop with crystal clear memories and playback.
the Fugue State defense
March 7, 2007 - 10:48 ET by MobiusStripLibby's defense of memory loss was contradicted by no less than 9 witnesses. Apparently, the jury decided that they collectively remembered what really did happen, and that LIbby lied. A preponderance of evidence- not a man being punished for a fugue moment.
Never had a Chance
March 6, 2007 - 13:55 ET by Rod PenningtonLibby never had a chance. A political show trial being held in Washington where over 90% of the folks in the jury pool are registered democrats.....
Rod...That is exactly how I h
March 6, 2007 - 13:58 ET by bigtimerRod...
That is exactly how I have felt the whole time too...
Past pathetic.
I wondered why Libby did no
March 6, 2007 - 14:01 ET by Matthew SheffieldI wondered why Libby did not file for a venue change to Virginia.
I believe this demonstrates a
March 6, 2007 - 14:22 ET by mattmI believe this demonstrates a fatal flaw of conservatives/republicans: Their utter lack of appreciation of how low the Left will sink to destroy anyone on the "Right". Also, their naive belief that the Left is interested in justice, as opposed to the furtherance of their agenda at any cost and by any means.
This is why they get sucker-punched like this at practically every turn.
The sad thing is mattm...They
March 6, 2007 - 14:35 ET by bigtimerThe sad thing is mattm...
They (conservative/repub's) keep coming back for more...
Will they ever learn...
Ever!
Matthew... I too have always
March 6, 2007 - 14:30 ET by bigtimerMatthew...
I too have always wondered that.
Does anyone know?
I have discussed this with a very good friend over the past months...and we cannot for the life of me figure out why they didn't change it to Va.
As per my reply (above). Repu
March 6, 2007 - 14:35 ET by mattmAs per my reply (above). Repubs are too naive. They falsely believe that the Left is actually interested in justice. They refuse to recognize the fact that the Left are the enemy - not just the opposition.
When they come for the GOP ...
March 6, 2007 - 17:59 ET by j17ghsquoting (italics)
mattm Says:
March 6, 2007 - 13:35
As per my reply (above). Repubs are too naive. They falsely believe that the Left is actually interested in justice. They refuse to recognize the fact that the Left are the enemy - not just the opposition.
* * *
Again, you are so right. When they come for the Republicans, there will be no one left to speak up. And after hearing Bush say during the campaign last fall that Democrats are patriotic, they just disagree with him on national defense, I have to blame Bush for once again covering for Democrats, undermining Republicans and being a wimp in general.
in fact some of the jurers ar
March 6, 2007 - 14:02 ET by Conservative Voicein fact some of the jurers are now saying where is Cheney and Rove? They were out for blood.
CV,I just heard the same thin
March 6, 2007 - 14:12 ET by Dave RCV,
I just heard the same thing. This whole thing stinks.
I'm no lawyer (thank God), but if you have jurors running around saying this, would this not be looked upon by an appellate court as a valid reason for an appeal?
After watching what happen
March 6, 2007 - 14:21 ET by Rod PenningtonAfter watching what happen to Tom Delay and the kids down at Duke, it is becoming clear that activist judges are not the only problems with our legal system.
Well at least the MSM will stop talking about that POS ANS
March 6, 2007 - 13:57 ET by Six String SpiffWell, it looks like I won't be even turning on my TV tonight.. This will be the news of the week. It's too bad people don't see the BLATENT left bias from the MSM which orchestrated this entire thing. You are eith a moron, blind, metally challenged, or just a liberal. Bush won't pardon anybody. He doesn't have the testicular fortitude to do such a thing. I am waiting for a day when a TRUE Conservative has THE BALLS to stand up to the left wing MSM and the Liberal democrats in Congress. You know all of this BS; Haliburton, "Torture", Club Gitmo, "Duh Where's the WMD Jim?", "Securing the peace", "not equiping the troops enough", the prosecution of every soldier who would like to defend him/herself, and countless, COUNTLESS other MSM born LIES would never happened if we just BOMBED THE BEJESUS OUT OF THESE PEOPLE! It would have been a one or two month news cycle and thats it! Nope we had to go the DIPLOMATIC route and trade our soldiers lives for theirs just so it's "fair" F*ck em all. F*ck their children who will just grow up to hate us anyway. People live in the god damn stone ages arguing over who loves god the right way,bogging this country down. I am tired of it! Yes, I meant every word I said. No I am not taking anything back toning anything down.
Sure, I watch the MSM... Through a pair of crosshairs.
Can he get a witness? ;)
March 6, 2007 - 14:00 ET by toolzCan he get a witness? ;)
Spiff... Don't hold back, n
March 6, 2007 - 14:01 ET by Tim the EnchanterSpiff... Don't hold back, now. Tell us how you REALLY feel!
Spiff, I understand your emot
March 6, 2007 - 15:24 ET by Chicago RepublicanSpiff, I understand your emotion, believe me. Even if I don't agree with the entirety of your post, I know how you feel.
I would like to see Bush pardon Libby, though.
**************
Support the Spread of Open Society and Capitalism around the World. Do it for the Children.
Chicago Republican -- oxymoron? No, just moron!
March 6, 2007 - 18:03 ET by j17ghsOpen Society is George "Marxist" Soros. He undermines capitalism, you deceitful dink.
THAT'S 3 TIMES! J17, when yo
March 6, 2007 - 18:26 ET by Chicago RepublicanTHAT'S 3 TIMES! J17, when you played football in high school, did you take the handoff from the QB and run the ball into your own end zone? I can see it now, you spike the ball, pound your chest like you're Keyshawn Johnson and look around for someone to high five, but everyone on your team is like "What the f*** is wrong with you?" Save your attacks, your coming after the wrong guy! This is hilarious.
**************
Support the Spread of Open Society and Capitalism around the World. Do it for the Children.
J - when I say "Open Soc
March 6, 2007 - 18:42 ET by Chicago RepublicanJ - when I say "Open Society" (just to clarify), what I mean is a society where people are free to criticize the government without fear of reprisal. The antithesis is a "fear society", where government controls the media and dissent is squashed. In fact (I'm sure you know this) in authoritarian regimes, the media is nothing more than a puppet/mouthpiece of the regime. North Korea is a classic case of a Fear Society.
One of the things I really love about Bush is that he does NOTHING to control the media in this country. So when these knuckleheads come forward and call him a "tyrant", "dictator", or claim that he's "stifling civil liberties" they look absolutely foolish.
No TV tonight? But it's Gilmo
March 6, 2007 - 15:55 ET by Roger the ShrubberNo TV tonight? But it's Gilmore Girls night!
Keith Olbermann is going to h
March 6, 2007 - 14:08 ET by ZoneDaiatlasKeith Olbermann is going to have a full blown orgasam with David Schuster over the quilty verdict of the "Scooter" Libby case on his Countdown with No Ratings Show....
Yeah, as if he will actually go to jail
March 6, 2007 - 14:11 ET by Chidi NwachukhuHA HA HA. You folks are cracking me up! Keep up the comments. I need more laughs.
On a serious note, my bet is that sentencing will be delayed until the summer or early fall, with an appeal that will also creep up. "I scooter" will not have to report to prison during the appeal and he will be pardoned by W on his last day in office.
Chidi...Not if Dirty do-nothi
March 6, 2007 - 14:25 ET by bigtimerChidi...
Not if Dirty do-nothing wimpy cry-baby Harry has his way...Your limp wristed leader who should be in prison himself for illegal land deal manipulations with his own family members to-boot!
Prairie Parkway
March 6, 2007 - 14:31 ET by Chidi Nwachukh