Can someone please explain to me?? (re Woodward)

[MsKandice01]

I keep getting comments from my Repukelican friends that the Woodward relevation has hurt Fitzgerald's case. How?? I don't get it.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. No, it hasn't.

Since no one knows what "Fitzgerald's case" is, except Fitzgerald, no one know what anything means.

Tell your asshat buddies they're blowing smoke.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. It doesn't.

Libby was indicted for lying. He's still a liar.

The only thing that has changed is the number of cellmates he'll have.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. It is called a talking point.

The talking point is that because Libby is now not the first source of the Plame leak, that weakens Fitzgerald's case. The lie embedded in that talking point is that Libby is charged with 'being the first source of the leak'. He is not. In fact there are no charges at all against Libby concerning leaking the status of a covert agent. Libby is charged with lying and obstruction and nothing made public regarding that pantload Woodward changes that.

[blm]

4. Neither do they. That was desparate spin from Libby's lawyer.

They misquoted Fitzgerald and the transcripts from Libby's indictment prove it.

[tularetom]

5. Your repukelican friends are on the mailing list

for the daily talking points. Fitzgerald never said Libby was the first one to reveal Plame's status, he said he was the first one known to have revealed it. Not only that Libby was not indicted for outing Plame he was indicted for lying about it and attempting to hamper Fitzgerald's investigation.

[BJW]

6. they think it matters because there may be proof

that Libby wasn't the "first" to leak CIA covert status of Ms. Wilson to a reporter. But whether true or not, it doesn't matter. Actually, it supports the exact opposite--it tends to proves that there was an actual conspiracy of coordinated "leaks" by admin officials to reporters.

[napi21]

7. They are listening to TV news, probably FOX, and they hear

that Fitz said Libby was the first Admin official to have talked about Plame to a reporter. That's not correct. Fitz actually said "Libby is thr first KNOWN person in the admin to have spoken of Plame to a reporter." I realize that sounds like a silly difference, but it's NOT! Inserting the word "known" means that "at this time this is what we know."

The other thing that the Pubs are thinking is that if someone else heard the info first, Libby's off the hook. That's not true either! He was NOT indicted for leaking the info, he was indicted for purgury and obstruction!!!!

[On the Road]

8. It Would Only Hurt Fitzgerald's Case

if he had charged Libby with leaking secret information, and the charge depended on Libby's being the first person to give Plame's identity to a reporter.

There are two reasons that doesn't match the current situation: (1) the charges against Libby at this point are only for lying and obstruction. (2) Even if Woodward secretly knew Plame's identity, it doesn't change the fact that Libby could still be committing a crime by blowing Plame's cover. (The second is only an issue if Fitzgerald proceeds to charge Libby under different statutes.)

Fitzgerald is not expected to be omniscient, and his ignorance of the Woodward leak makes his case no less compelling. So your Republican friends are grasping at straws.