Raw Story reports that LIBBY IS INDICTED.
We’ll post the names and links of the documents submitted by Patrick Fitzgerald on his Web site.
Your analyses and questions will be important while we review the documents and wait for Fitzgerald’s press conference at 2pm ET/11am PT. C-SPAN will air the press conference, as will all major television networks (I would expect).
Update [2005-10-28 12:49:21 by susanhu]: Libby is indicted on FIVE counts — obstruction of justice, on perjury (two counts), and making false statements (two counts). CNN. (Docs still not up on Fitz’s site.)
Update [2005-10-28 12:54:41 by susanhu]: NEW THREAD ABOVE.
NOTE: All earlier updates are now below the fold.
Update [2005-10-28 12:15:30 by susanhu]: Apparently the Grand Jury still has the documents. The documents will be released shortly — not at noon ET as originally stated.
Update [2005-10-28 12:18:37 by susanhu]: Andrea Mitchell is reading a letter from Patrick Fitzgerald to Congress — John Conyers et al (the ranking members of the intel committees). In his letter, he says that he is not releasing all Grand Jury documents to Congress “except in strict compliance” with appropriate rules. He was not named by Congress but by the Dept. of Justice. However, Andrea Mitchell says, the indictments will not be sealed. Some documents, though, will not be released.
Update [2005-10-28 12:26:17 by susanhu]: MSNBC is showing Tricky Dick Cheney speaking live on — guess what — terrorism.
Joe DiGenova on CNN is an ass.
.. he is a loathsome mustached worm.
MSNBC sounds more tolerable (even if it’s Andrea and Twitty).
Got stuck at bar watching Fox. It is a celebration that “Rove Will Not Be Indicted.”
Fuck. Is there no reality?
Can’t be here for Fitzsmas. 🙁
Will read all great analysis at Booman Trib later.
to celebrate that the Titanic hasn’t sunk yet?
The worst thing for the administration is to STAY under investigation.
Look what he’s saying–he’s just laid out the mechanism by which this entire exercise is shut down the first moment management decides it’s had enough.
The real issue DiGenova is laying out is the conspiracy of the CIA and others to undermine the President of the United States in a Time of War.
We need to think about that long and hard.
The CIA has conspired to get these indictments on the Bush admin. They have orchestrated a campaign against them. And yes, it was in a time of war.
I thought of this before many times. It’s a tough spot to be in. I don’t have any love for the CIA. I think they are, as an organization, incredibly dangerous to world security and peace. Normally, I would be appalled that they were doing this.
But then again.
The people who work in the CIA are American citizens too and the Constitution does say that citizens are required to oppose the gov’t when it is corrupt. And with the classified info being the only way to prove how corrupt and dangerous this admin is… they lied to the nation, blew the cover of a NOC in a time of war, etc… the people in the CIA seem to be the only ones capable of bringing this info forward to the rest of the American population.
So in the end… I’m okay with it this time.
Now if they had offed anybody, that would be a different story entirely… but a Grand Jury? That’s just the wheels of justice.
That’s what they want their talking heads to be saying, it’s propaganda, not an actionable item.
Does this WH want to continue fucking with the CIA? Do they really want another round? I don’t think so. They have lost support for this war, they don’t have the rah-rah to survive that battle.
the Constitution does say that citizens are required to oppose the gov’t when it is corrupt.
Um, where does it say that? Or are you thinking of the Declaration of Independence’s statment that
Don’t get me wrong, if there is such a statement in the Constitution I would like to know where it is so I can shove it in the wingers’ faces.
sorry, I probably was thinking about the Declaration…. but on the other hand… isn’t that the case the militia’s make about their right to bear arms in the second ammendment?
and while I don’t own a gun, have never owned a gun and don’t really want to own a gun, there are days when I think it might not be a bad idea, and that’s exactly why.
I do have a WWII-era Japanese army issue katana but it’s not worth a damn at range. Even I’m not daft enough to take a knife — even a muckin’ big knife — to a gunfight.
Not the Constitution.
But the oath every major public service official and solider takes, “to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
If you believe that the current administration is a domestic Enemy of the Constitution, then it is your duty to oppose them, if you are to live up to that oath.
It is the Constitution, not the executive branch or its members, to which we owe our allegience.
Freep the Poll while you are waiting
http://www.cnn.com/
…so good.
I will be live blogging Fitz’s press conference at 2pm ET on the front page. Join me then.
Joe Wilson’s lawyer to hold press conference at 3pm, CNN is reporting.
What were people in the audience yelling at Bush?
Could not make out what he was saying but he had a DUMP BUSH tshirt on and they dragged him out yelling. He, whoever he is is a hero in my book by just getting into one of these staged propaganda events.
mpetrilis’ diary “Bush Heckled During Terror Speech Today in VA”
http://www.cyndilou6.com/zfrogdance.html
Excellent!
Today is a new definition of tenterhooks and pins and needles.
Regardless, I’m hoping the outcome will merit this becoming the first “national blog holiday”.
just when I think the rush can’t build any stronger, Susan adds an update and I almost pop an artery. I am not going to get anything done today at work!
The advantage of working for yourself: You can’t fire the lazy bum.
The dis-advantage of working for yourself: You can’t fire the lazy bum.
Sad to think we need to celebrate justice, even the first step in a return to the rule of law. I myself want to commemorate instead of celebrate. It’s a somber occasion, and calls for reflection.
You have a good point. This is a truly sad day for America, to be followed by more.
On the other hand, we have been watching for at least three years now how justice has absolutely not been done in very obvious ways. So to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps, is indeed cause to celebrate.
It’s cathartic and natural human behavior to celebrate every victory, now matter how grim the big picture remains. We need to keep the team together. Tomorrow we will be again confronted with the enormity of the corruption and damage these evil men have done to our country. And we’ll keep working to undo it.
But today, I’m getting drunk.
The heartbreak is getting to the point where any small bit of justice is cause for celebration. The lies and the deeds that have been done in our names are so horrific, that it’s easy to lose perspective. Think about it, it’s not overly dramatic to say that for years, our Constitution has been null and void. My hope is that we can realize how much has been taken from us.
When we come to expect so little, we forget what should be. When we forget what should be, we surrender a part of who and what we are.
Franken on CNN: docs have moved from grand jury to the magistrate
has gone numb from hitting refresh…
Toobin on CNN: a new grand jury doesn’t have to be empanelled because there’s already a new one sitting. If the investigation continues, Fitz can just read transcripts to them. The witnesses don’t all have to appear again.
(Have I mentioned that DiGenova is an ass?)
Ugly people, very ugly. Venom-spewing hate-monsters, they make one Hell of a team.
Oh, that is very very good. And how much you wanna bet that it’s a “special” GJ whose term can be extended to a maximum of 3 years?
The documents are mostly sealed indictments, I’d wager. Maybe Libby and one other indictment will be announced.
22 may not have been off the mark. Now it’s game theory time. If you think you’ve been indicted, do you deal now and risk the repercussions from the goons, or do you wait and squirm and hope your co-conspirators remain silent? Classic prisoner’s dilemma stuff.
Remember, if there’s a conspiracy indictment, it only takes one person to flip to reel in the other fish. And there’s no prize for 2nd place unless you have new info. Can you afford to not be the first?
Classic prisoner’s dilemma stuff.
I have a feeling Prosecutor Fitzgerald is quite adept at applying game theory to these situations.
Just keep them all dangling until Cheney’s heart explodes. Now that’s an episode of House I’d watch.
Wife just called. She was watching CNN – I think – as they were covering President Bush’s speech. Right in the middle was a anti-war advertisment from Move-On! She also said CNN barely covered the speech and then went back to the Fitzgerald investigation.
The Bushies have lost the news cycle.
Or at least they’ve lost this one, but they have all weekend for their toadies to spin how Rove not being indicted today is some kind of victory.
Oh, and how perjury is actually ticky-tack.
It will work, but not as well as before.
True, but they are reacting rather than establishing ‘What Is News-worthy.’
Re: Perjury. They can’t trot out the same faces to say Perjury isn’t a real crime as all of these sleazebags are on record from the Clinton investigation.
I know, I think hypocrisy that incredibly blatant will actually matter this time, and will hamper their scripted narrative. Even guys like Russert will have an easy time confronting them with their Ken Starr dreams, and with Congress even more hated than Bush, most of them seem to dig their political graves even deeper every time they’re on TV.
Taken straight off of Think Progress:
President Bush appeared smiling and laughing before reporters this morning
They must have up’ed the dosage of his med’s again.
WHO AMONG YOU IS SO BRAVE AND STRONG …
that you’d be willing to watch FOX and report?
Puleeeeeze? It’d be such a riot.
Man Eegee. Bright. Computer skills. Able to multi-task in a single bound.
Seriously, I would but I don’t get Fox.
No t.v. at work :*(
Multi-task? I bet my boss would beg to differ. heh
They were trying very hard to downplay the implications. Only a few whackos like G. Gordon Liddy felt that it was totally overblown.
Fortunately, I could take more flu meds and go back to sleep before I got nauseous!
Too bad. You have “One Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
run away! Run Away!
G. Gordon Liddy was ready and willing to do anything to protect the WH, and even he was too nutty for Howard Hunt.
Fraken on CNN: the magistrate is picking up the docs now
The Today Show has dogs dressed up for Halloween.
Hello??
I’m dressing mine up as Libby and Rove. Gotta get doggy crutches.
Kathleen Koch on CNN: something’s happening…
DiGenova: motions to magistrate possibly about things will be assigned or whether indictments will be sealed
Toobin: doesn’t know anything about motions that might be presented before the magistrate
DiGenova: could have something to do with classified info…he doesn’t know either
LIBBY INDICTED!
Perjury
making false statements
obstruction of justice
5 counts total – 2 counts each of perjury and false statements
YEAH!
No surprise. Bet the rest are sealed. Rover would’ve been indicted but he’s either a)threatened Fitz with something pretty serious or b)has offered a deal. Either way, bet there’s still a sealed indictment as an insurance policy on some other charge that Luskin/Rove haven’t banked on.
5 counts
1 count obs of justice
2 counts perjury
2 counts making false statements
june 12, 2003 Libby was advised by VP that Plame worked for the CIA
Doing my frog dance in my office. Hope no one comes in just now. Whoot!!!
YEEEAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!
😀
Docs aren’t up on the site yet
via CNN:
May, 2003: [Libby] allegedly began acquiring info about Joe wilson’s trip to Niger
CIA decided on its own initiative to send Wilson
Subsequently Libby lied about conversations he had with Miller, Cooper and ?
Libby endangered Plame
What about them?
Libby’s being set up to take the fall for Cheney.
He’s going to go to jail or be pardoned somehow.
Doubt he’ll ever flip.
Fitz probably has decided he isn’t trustworthy or just plain unwilling to deal.
But I bet Fitz’s got other arrows in that quiver.
The real question: how many sealed indictments? Or, will we ever really know?
May 2003 Libby asked undersecretary of State about Wilson’s Niger trip
June/July 2003: Russert says Libby told him he didn’t know who had sent Wilson to Niger