Flashback: Giddy Cafferty 'Hoping' Rove Will Be Indicted and Fitted for Prison Jumpsuit

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An October 17, 2005 NewsBusters item I wrote recounted: CNN's Jack Cafferty, on Monday afternoon's [October 17] The Situation Room, took a cheap shot at Karl Rove's weight and expressed delight in the possibility Rove will be indicted. Just past 3pm EDT, Cafferty announced his question of the hour: “What should Karl Rove do if he is indicted?” Cafferty then answered his own question: “He might want to get measured for one of those extra large orange jump suits, Wolf, 'cause looking at old Karl, I'm not sure that he'd, they'd be able to zip him into the regular size one." Wolf Blitzer pointed out: “He's actually lost some weight. I think he's in pretty good shape." Cafferty conceded: "Oh, well then maybe just the regular off the shelf large would handle it for him." Blitzer then cautioned the indictment might not come: "Yeah, but you know, it's still a big if. It's still a big if." A giddy Cafferty replied: "Oh, I understand. I'm, I'm just hoping you know. I love, I love to see those kinds of things happen. It does wonders for me." (Transcript follows)

Video excerpt (45 seconds): Real or Windows Media

NewsBusters Executive Editor Matthew Sheffield alerted me to Cafferty's Monday slams on Rove and the MRC's Megan McCormack tracked down the 3:09pm EDT comments so she could provide this transcript checked against what aired:

Jack Cafferty, via remote from Manhattan: “Karl Rove, the Deputy White House Chief-of Staff, may have a plan B. According to our colleagues over there at Time magazine, if Rove is indicted in the CIA leak case he would immediately resign or possibly go on unpaid leave. Now they don't know, they don't say in the story whether or not he could stay on as a consultant, like that guy Brown over there at FEMA. Time sources say that the resignation is the most likely outcome. By breaking his ties with the White House, one source says that Rove would then have more time to fight whatever charges could come out of this thing. Rove’s lawyer, Robert Luskin, says there is, quote, ‘absolutely no truth whatsoever,’ unquote, to the Time magazine report. Here's the question. What should Karl Rove do if he is indicted? Now, you can e-mail us your thoughts at Caffertyfile@CNN.com or you can go to CNN.com/Caffertyfile. Both those addresses will get you to the same place. We’ll read some here. He might want to, he might want to get measured for one of those extra large orange jump suits, Wolf, 'cause looking at old Karl, I'm not sure that he’d, they'd be able to zip him into the regular size one.”

Wolf Blitzer, anchoring from DC: “He's actually lost some weight. I think he's in pretty good shape.”

Cafferty: “Oh, well then maybe just the regular off the shelf large would handle it for him.”

Blitzer: “Yeah, but you know, it’s still a big if. It’s still a big if.”

Cafferty: “Oh, I understand. I'm, I’m just hoping you know. I love, I love to see those kinds of things happen. It does wonders for me.”

Blitzer, bemused: “All right, Jack. We’ll get back to you. Thank you very much.”