I just finished reading the indictment. And I am sure that there have been numerous diaries, and I know that there have been numerous main thread entries. So, I write this diary with a little bit of hesitation and perhaps it says nothing new. I hope that is not the case. But I digress...
White House Withheld Documents
We now know some significant new information. And as Armando just wrote (his behavior problems aside), the indictment provides us with a number of facts - including that he and Rove outed Valerie Plam. I say Libby and Rove because Rove knowingly told Novak who actually broke the cover. Libby tried to break the cover (and he did) but with less success. So Libby broke her cover first but failed to succeed at making it totally public and Rove succeeded where Libby failed. What kind of an idiot is Novak... for another day.
But what we know is that Libby went through lengths to obstruct justice and to lie. There is much information that has been leaked that suggests Rove did the same. Now, let us step back to when this investigation started. Given this new information that highly suggests (even with innocent until proven guilty assumed) that this White House and its top officials would obstruct justice and provide false testimony we now need to look back at past events with the appropriate critical lense.
Given this information, what did the White House do inthe hours between learning of this investigation and sending out 'official' notice to preserve records? What records were destroyed? What might Libby and Rove been capable of?
I'm sure everyone remembers how Gonzales gave a heads up to certain officials that a request to preserve records would be coming the next day? What happened in those hours in the mist of purgatory?
Knowing Plame was covert
The indictment is a fascinating read. But I wonder how many people got to page seven and asked, "How could anyone who had all of these conversations with all of these officials at the CIA and State and White House not know that Plame was classified info?" I mean it wasn't just the info pointed out by Joshua Marshall and Kos. It is all over the indictment that Libby was researching what her status was.
And it is also in the indictment that Libby told his Principal Deputy and acknowledges that the information needs to be protected:
Shortly after publication of the article in The New Republic, LIBBY spoke by telephone with his then Principal Deputy and discussed the article. That official asked LIBBY whether information about Wilson's trip could be shared with the press to rebut the allegations that the Vice President had sent Wilson. LIBBY responded that therewouldbe complications at the CIA in disclosing that information publicly, and that he could not discuss the matter on a non-secure telephone line.
And one has to wonder about the timing of Libby telling Ari Fleischer (just before the aggressive effort to re-contact Miller and other press):
On or about July 7, 2003, LIBBY had lunch with the then White House Press Secretary and advised the Press Secretary that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and noted that such information was not widely known.
What to do about Tim Russert
Russert has been mostly silent about this affair (compared to its importance). And yet, one thing is clear from the indictment, Russert was blamed for it all. I'm not sure if Russert was simply being smart since a lot of that probably depends on his word. Any aggressiveness on his part could be perceived as a means to pin things on Libby. Of course, Russert didn't know about the 300 (slight exageration) conversations that Libby had about it already. But nevermind that...
But what the hell is Russert thinking of his buddy Libby now? He was the most used reporter out there in some ways.
I am somewhat interested in the fact that NBC's short statement on Tim's behalf is really all that is in the indictment from Russert's perspective. That conversation about Plame's wife not happening with Russert is the basis for the perjury charge. I find that interesting.
And what about Judy Miller
Anyone struck that his conversations with Miller are such a minor aspect of Counts two to five? What I mean is that Libby lied all over the place about his conversations with Cooper and Russert and was caught red handed. So why, when we know there was some disengenuous talk about his words with Miller is there no perjury or false statement counts? Or is there something else there?
It seems very likely to me that Fitzgerald caught Miller lieing and her sudden finding of her journalistic morals was the result of some indictment pressure. This is speculation but I still don't understand Miller's sudden desire to testify. Nor do I understand what this all means for the turning aspens. And while her information was key to the obstruction of justice charge, it isn't clear that it was necessary or that it had any impact on the perjury charges themselves. Any insight on this?
I just think that Miller did her best to cover for Libby to the extent practical. There is something fishy about their ties. She seems to have only talked with his permission (couldn't be more obvious). That is some sway!
Just my two cents and it was too long for a comment in a thread.