can someone post me a link to Russerts statement?

[boston bean]

I can't find it, but I want to parse it.

If Libby called russert to complain about Tweety's reporting on Niger Yellow Cake, did russert say they didn't talk at all about plame, or that he (russert) didn't tell libby that reporters knew about plame.

Any help in this arena would be helpful.

[papau]

1. Good Luck! :-) some links below

(N.B., The agreement between Fitzgerald and NBC avoided a court fight over a subpoena for Russert's testimony about his July 2003 talk with Dick Cheney's top aide, Lewis (Scooter) Libby. The deal was not, as many assumed, for Russert's testimony about what Libby told him: it focused on what Russert told Libby.)
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/sort_of_serious_stuff/little_russ_and_the_prosecutor_23885.asp


Prosecutors, however, have a different account from Russert. The network has said Russert told authorities he did not know about Wilson's wife's identity until it was published and therefore could not have told Libby about it.

Prosecutors also have evidence that Libby initiated the call with Russert and had initiated similar contact with another reporter, Judith Miller of The New York Times, several weeks earlier. Miller was jailed for 85 days before agreeing to testify before the grand jury.



http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/20/cia.leak.investigation.ap/

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/012922.html

Tim Russert said today that Lewis Libby called him to complain about a reporter's comments on a cable show. He did not identify the reporter or the show.

In Lewis Libby's indictment, the Government charges:

On or about July 10, 2003, LIBBY spoke to NBC Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert to complain about press coverage of LIBBY by an MSNBC reporter. LIBBY did not discuss Wilson’s wife with Russert. (page 7, Paragraph 20.)

I think I found the show transcript. It's Hardball for July 8, 2003. The reporter is Chris Matthews. It does sound like something Libby would complain about because Matthews keeps saying that the Vice President's office had the CIA send Joseph Wilson to Niger. I'll bet Libby was steaming.

[boston bean]

2. thanks papau, it really does help.

when you look at the official msnbc statement it is very vague. For instance it where it says:

"As NBC News previously reported, Mr. Russert was not a recipient of the leak, which resulted in the public disclosure of the name and CIA employment of Valerie Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson."

So what, does that mean that russert didn't disclose it, even though he may have been told.

And where it says:

Mr. Russert told the Special Prosecutor that, at the time of that conversation, he did not know Ms. Plame's name or that she was a CIA operative and that he did not provide that information to Mr. Libby. Mr. Russert said that he first learned Ms. Plame's name and her role at the CIA when he read a column written by Robert Novak later that month.

Libby could have told him during the conversation and called her wilsons wife and told her that she worked at trimpac, like he told miller.

Why didn't Fitzgerald let Russert off the hook so easily.

Am I reading too much into this.

[papau]

5. Like you I read that there is much more that Fitz can go after - and I

suspect he will.

Russert today was trying to kill the story by killing time.

We will see if that is possible.

[Rainscents]

3. Reporters should know better to be inbedded with BushCo...

When the basters go down, they'll bring everyone else down! I don't feel sorry for Russert, Miller or anyone else for that matter! If you sleep with enemy, you deserve what you get!

[boston bean]

4. I agree, these slime balls belong in jail with Bushco. they are

just an extension of the ugly beast.