Tim,

What do you think of the speculation by some that Fitzgerald went after Libby due to the latter's involvement in the pardoning of Mark Rich by Bill Clinton? Rush touched on it briefly but discounted it. Savage says it was his (Fritz's) sole motivation.

Either way, I don't think you could describe them as friends.

Fineman is quite an idiot, no?  If the covert-agent-identity law was actually broken, why would Fitzgerald pass on the opportunity to prosecute on this law, just to cross-up and trap Libby in a perjury case?

This we know.  Fitzgerald knew the identity of the 'outter' before his investigation even began, because Armitage had already 'confessed' to the Justice Department.  So, all he had to do was establish that Plame's vocation was covered under that law, and he had his criminal dead-to-rights.  He doesn't need Scooter Libby's testimony, because all he had to do was get the CIA to state that Plame was uncover when her name was revealed.   Heck, put the DCI on the witness stand in the Grand Jury.

But he never even attempted to establish such a violation in even the Libby trial.  So, it's obvious even to those of us without law degrees, that Plame did not fall under that description and protection.

Fineman, like many of his profession, makes no sense.

I heard this interview this morning. I get annoyed at Laura Ingraham from time to time. She made the comment that she was "good friends" with Chris Matthews, as is Fineman. Laura likes to have her feet on both sides of the fence. She talks about the "elite" media, well sometimes she is talking about herself. I don't care if she is "good friends" with Matthews, I just don't want to hear about it on her show.