According to very latest conventional wisdom, Karl Rove will not be charged with any crimes in the Valerie Plame affair, although Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald wants to think it over a while longer. Scooter Libby, on the other hand, is likely to be indicted for perjury or obstruction of justice. With today the expiration date for the grand jury, Fitzgerald will ask for an extension. That's the conventional wisdom.
Since this may be the final day of the grand jury session, I'm going to make my prediction one last time. I'm still strong on the Wilsons. I think there may be other CIA people involved, perhaps former CIA people. Finally, I think there is press involvement.
I came across a copy of Newsweek from early October as I sat in a waiting room. In an article about the affair, a complaint from CIA sources was that Dick Cheney was frequently coming around talking directly to the analysts about their conclusions, and it was thought he was trying to pressure them into agreeing with his view of the threat presented by Iraq. None said he did.
But while reading that passage I was struck that apparently the Administration suspected the CIA was filtering the information they passed along to the top for political purposes. Isn't that exactly the complaint we bloggers have about the mainstream press? The press have guided policy. They've chosen our candidates for us, by telling us what's news and what's not, to the point where they've grossly misrepresented events, as with reporting on Katrina, and made up events, as in the case of Dan Rather. Cheney was spoke directly to the analysts looking for unfiltered information, in an effort to resist CIA attempts to guide policy by molding the intelligence. This case began with the leaking of CIA information -- Ambassador Joe's trip -- for political purposes.
I will be sorely disappointed with this Special Prosecutor if all he's been up to is looking for ways to indict somebody in the White House, and ignoring what from my view appears to be a conspiracy by rogue elements in the press and CIA to misuse classified information for the purpose of affecting policy decisions at the top. I like the Wilsons, some VIPS, and members of the fourth estate to go down for this.
If Scooter Libby is indicted for anything related to this affair, I hope he fights it all the way. And that will be my last word on it. For twenty minutes, at least.
Your blame the messenger, not the message argument is growing so old.
-Iraq has been a politcal albatross for this President and the Congressional Republicans who have followed goose-step behind his policies.
-The initial White House response to Katrina and subsequent problems with FEMA and Homeland Security were of the president's own doing.
-Tom DeLay was indicted for campaign fraud in Texas.
-Libby or Cheney or Rove or some connection to this triumvirate - but ALL employed by this adminsitration - leaked the Plame information to the press.
-The present budget deficit of nearly 1/2 trillion dollars has been run up by the Republican controlled legislature.
-2000 U.S. soldiers are dead in Iraq.
This list is factual. The MSM has a propensity - obligation? - to trumpet these political foibles, be it of a Republican, Democratic, or independent making. The president's 39% (and sinking) approval rating is not being made up. There is a consensus in this country that something stinks in Washington, it ain't necessarily the press.
So if you want to continue to kapr about the MSM's guilt in the pessimistic views of this country, fine. That is what the media does: it amplifies the problems of the world. Rightly or wrongly. But don't blame the current problems of this adminsitration on the messenger.
Posted by: ny patriot | October 28, 2005 at 10:21 AM
Well Pat, I think we're going to find out soon. Fitzgerald is scheduled to have a press conference at 2:00 this afternoon. Let's see what announcements he has then. "Goose-step"? I hereby invoke Godwin's Law. I win the argument. http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/G/Godwins-Law.html
Posted by: Tom Bowler | October 28, 2005 at 11:56 AM
fine.
"...and the Congressional Republicans who drink the same kool-aid."
Posted by: ny patriot | October 28, 2005 at 12:17 PM
I thought you were a libertarian, how can you in good conscience support those in the White House who are robbing you blind? You should be advocating for removing Rove, Libby Cheney, Bush and the whole pathetic group of pseudo-moralist scumbags from the White House. What the hell are you thinking? Here, you better read this...
All you so-called “conservatives” surely know that they don’t come much more conservative than the Cato Institute, at least on fiscal policy. Well the Cato Institute has concluded that George W. Bush and the Republican Congressional Majority has been viciously screwing you, me and every other ordinary American. Don’t take my word for it, read the article yourself, if you have the stomach for it.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa543.pdf
Posted by: phil | October 28, 2005 at 05:45 PM
Read the banner, Phil. "Ruminations of a New Hampshire Republican with decidedly libertarian leanings." "Pathetic group of pseudo-moralist scumbags from the White House"? Jeez, you must not be getting your news and opinion here.
In all seriousness, Bush wins my support for his position on Iraq. Regardless of the locations of the WMD, liberating Iraq was morally the right thing to do, and it was also the best possible strategic move in the war on terror. Wake up and smell the coffee. In a matter Iraq of just a few years will be our best and strongest ally in the region, and Iraq will also be a huge force in the war on terror.
Posted by: Tom Bowler | October 28, 2005 at 06:51 PM
You have zero liberatarian leanings. You are goosestepping to this administration blatently disregarding common sense and reality.
Iraq our greatest ally? Not in our lifetime. Iraq will continue to fester for decades to come. If you think that pre-emptive war is the way to accomplish you are sadly ignorant of the relative forces there. I am sorry to say but all we are doing there is keeping the proverbial stick in the hornets nest. What was once a SECULAR, but totalitarian state is now turning into an Islamic Republic as a theocracy. Personally, I will take Saddam over the a theocrat any day. This recent election that people voted along ethnic and religious grounds rather than choosing the best candidate (oh, I am sorry, that was the US).
How do you conceptually reconcile "libertarian" with someone as potentially intrusive as the REAL ID act with RFID tags in our IDs? CBP is already implementing this system in New York and LA for arriving aliens, thus the technology is currently available. While I personally can truly understand such a system for arriving aliens, it is but a matter of time before the full implementation of the REAL ID act.
You, most likely, are a pure 2nd Amendment "libertarian." All the more foolish you are. Well enough for now. I do enjoy your site I wish I could write a longer "editorial" however my kids are jumping on my laptop, so off to more important things "horsey rides."
Posted by: Ted | October 29, 2005 at 08:38 AM
Ted, I'm delighted to hear you enjoy my site. As regards my leanings, one of the things that almost all libertarians agree on is the need for government to provide for national defense. The Bush Administration is providing for national defense. You disagree with his strategic approach, that of liberating Iraq, but that doesn't make my leanings any less libertarian because I do agree with it. If you've been getting your news and world view from the New York Times and the Washington Post, or if you've been getting it from CNN or MSNBC, then I'm not at all surprised that you believe Iraq is a quagmire.
I think it's characteristic of liberal leaning people to have very limited faith in their fellow men. If you would have a little faith in the Iraqis, you might see that they're likely to avoid setting up a theocracy. The signs for it are pretty good, actually. Iraq's most infuential Muslim cleric, Sistani, refuses to endorse any candidates.
But there's hope! You found your way to my site, and that's going to expose you to my own uniquely libertarian viewpoint. Stop by any time and write your longer editorial.
P.S. I'm "goosestepping"? Godwin's Law again. I win.
Posted by: Tom Bowler | October 30, 2005 at 03:17 PM