... the jury gave to me, four guilty counts against Libby... Take it away, MSNBC:
WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative’s identity.
Libby is the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony since the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid-1980s. The conviction focused renewed attention on the Bush administration’s much-criticized handling of weapons of mass destruction intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war.
The verdict culminated an almost four-year investigation into how CIA operative Valerie Plame’s name was leaked to reporters in 2003. The trial revealed how top members of the Bush administration were eager to discredit Plame’s husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who accused the administration of doctoring prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Libby, who was once Cheney’s most trusted adviser and an assistant to President Bush, was expressionless as the jury verdict was announced on the 10th day of deliberations. His wife choked out a sob and sank her head. Libby was found guilty on one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury for his statements about what he learned from Tim Russert and Matt Cooper of Time Magazine and one of two counts of lying to the FBI (about Russert, but not about Cooper). Prosecutor Pat Fitzgerald did throw out some red meat for Bushophiles:
Fitzgerald said the CIA leak investigation was now inactive. “I do not expect to file any additional charges,” he said. “We’re all going back to our day jobs.” What? No squeezing Scooter to give up the Dark Lord, Dick Cheney? One can still hold out hope, Jeralyn Merritt and her commenters know well.
There's still an outside possibility that the Libby conviction will have a ripple effect on Mr. Cheney, who is being treated for deep vein thrombosis, who remains a rather unhealthy lout, and who could still resign before Dubya completes his term if the oven gets hot enough.
Again, hope springs eternal. And the speculation on a possible early retirement for Sicky Dick isn't exactly dead, including at Mark Daniels' blogspot:
The Bush Administration, trying to assert its leadership on Iraq, the war on terrorists, and a number of domestic initiatives, may decide that they can't afford a drawn-out defense of the Vice President. Cheney, a loyal soldier, may also be able to use his new health issues as a convenient (and legitimate) reason for stepping down. His resignation would give Bush Administration critics one less thing to complain about. And the right replacement nominated by Mr. Bush could earn him points and goodwill.
The most likely opponents of a Cheney resignation, at least in the short run, would be Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, frontrunners for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. They would be fearful that any new veep who gained popularity would be likely to sweep their cracks at the presidency aside, automatically becoming the frontrunner for Republicans next year. If Cheney is to resign, they will lobby for the President to nominate a Republican elder statesman for President, someone like Richard Lugar or John Warner, people unlikely to run for the presidency themselves. For now, kudos to Pat Fitzgerald and to the jury on a job well done. Libby was proved to be a liar, and the "cloud over the White House" remains. Congress, it's your move.
Update: The reax are coming in to the Libby convictions. Dick Cheney and the prez are quotably "saddened" -- Dubya even watched the verdict on the picture box. A juror in the case says the panel felt sorry for Libby, feeling that he was the fall guy. The question is, fall guy for whom? Meanwhile, the National Review swings for the pardon. Labels: Bush administration, Dick Cheney, Iraq, Iraq war, Joe Wilson, lies, Patrick Fitzgerald, Plamegate, Scooter Libby, Valerie Plame |
