Libby Team Admits Media Disclosures, Opposes Gag Order (PDF)

[kpete]

Friday :: April 21, 2006
Libby Team Admits Media Disclosures, Opposes Gag Order

On April 13, the judge in the Scooter Libby case issued an order (pdf) asking both sides to submit grounds in writing why a gag order should not be imposed as a result of disclosure of non-public information to the media and statements lawyers had made to the media about the case. Their responses were filed today.

Shorter Fitz: His office didn't leak anything and because his office doesn't talk to the media about the case he takes no position on whether there should be a gag order. http://talkleft.com/libbyshowcauserespo.pdf

Shorter Libby: Team Libby admits to two disclosures, explains and justifies them, (quite well in my opinion) and opposes a gag order.

I think the Judge will not issue a gag order based on Libby's response. The longer version:

more at:
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/014631.html

[Dogmudgeon]

1. The inevitable Next Step:

1. The Rove Hit Team will find someone on the Fitz team to admit to leaking.

2. Charges will be filed, then dropped, against Fitz.

C. The Media will have everything it needs to discredit Fitz.

--p!

[H2O Man]

2. Won't happen.

Last week, when Judge Walton sent the letter, I stated on DU that it was in regard to the "leak" of the document per Mr. Fitzgerald's "correction"; they were attempting to make it look like something more than it was. I was not aware of Mr. Jeffress being a chatty fellow, though.

Fitzgerald's team is on a mission.

Bullfight critics ranked in rows
Crowd the enormous Plaza full;
But only one is there who knows,
And he's the man who fights the bull.

[Peace Patriot]

4. You're being too cryptic, H20 Man. I get the bull and all. But I

missed this thing about a gag order. Who asked for a gag order? What was in Judge Walton's letter? What was the "leak" of the document "per Mr. Fitzgerald's 'correction'"? Did he give something to the press, to correct something? Who are "they"--who are attempting to make something look like more than it is? And if it's Libby's lawyers, do you mean that their being against a gag order has something to do with something Fitzgerald released?

Sorry to buzzbomb you like this. You are an incredible information provider here, and if you don't have time, okay. (Just the url back to the matter would help.) But I'm really interested in Libby's maneuverings. I'm trying to figure out if he's still the designated fall guy, or is now just trying to keep himself out of jail, and what that may mean as to Rove and the other perps, and to the deeper things beneath this case.

[H2O Man]

7. I'll try ....

but I don't have my files at hand, and am unabled to walk into the next room this evening. But last week, Judge Walton issued a rather harsh letter, delivered to both Mr. Fitzgerald & Co, and our friends at Team Libby. He reminded them that he runs a strict court, and doesn't like things "tried in the media." He said he would give both sides a week to get back to him in response; among the things he was considering was issueing a gag order on both sets of attorneys.

A number of people from various internet sites wondered what this meant? Could Fitzgerald & Co have leaked? was it the information on our president authorizing the NIE leak? Or was it something from Team Libby?

One of the lesser issues reported was a letter to the court from Mr. Fitzgerald, changing the sentence structure in a single line from his Response to the defense Motion #3 on Discovery. Though it would be reproduced in their exhibits in their Reply (to the Response), they couldn't wait to leak it to a media source, to try to make it look like Mr. Fitzgerald was back-tracking. In fact, he was expanding, but that's too complex to get into right now. It had to do with Cheney's instructions to Libby about what to leak to Judith Miller about the NIE.

Team Libby admitted their error in a filing today. More, there was information on Jeffress talking to a reporter, that I was not aware of. (The nerve of these guys!)

The quote from the poem is, I suppose, a bit of a cryptic message. I'll be curious to see if any DUers can identify the significance.

[Emit]

8. Kennedy quoted it, I think.

But, then again, didn't Reagan, too?

[H2O Man]

9. JFK did.

It was also included in his PDB on 11-22-63, in Dallas.

[kpete]

10. Robert Graves

Fitz is fighting the "bull" in more ways than one...

[Me.]

11. The Tone Of FitzG.'s Response

Was absolute and unequivocal, we did not leak. Now, there is a man who in control! Libby, take note.

[WiseButAngrySara]

12. JFK loved to quote this verse from Domingo Ortego's "Bullfight Poem"

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Quotations+of+John+F+Kennedy.htm

Bullfight poem:
Bullfight critics ranked in rows
Crowd the enormous Plaza full
But only one is there who knows
And he's the man who fights the bull.
President Kennedy (mis)quoted this bit of doggerel by the torero Domingo Ortega in remarks during a 16 October 1962 Presidential Backgrounder before the National Foreign Policy Conference for Editors and Radio-TV Public Affairs Broadcasters. The rhyme as President Kennedy gave it was:
Bullfight critics row on row
Fill the enormous Plaza de toros
But only one is there who knows
And he is the one who fights the bull.


http://www.worldandi.com/public/2001/April/tulai.html
Our youngest elected president and the only one to win a Pulitzer Prize also pointed out: "When I ran for the presidency I knew that this country faced serious challenges; but I could not realize--nor could any man who does not bear the burdens of this office--how heavy and constant would be those burdens." Kennedy was keenly aware that a president stands alone on a conspicuous stage. No other person shares his responsibilities, and no one else shares his blame and shame if those responsibilities are not carried out effectively. It is interesting that he sometimes quoted the following: "Bullfight critics ranked in rows" "Crowd the enormous plaza full" "But only one is there who knows" "And he's the man who fights the bull."

My guess is that the cryptic analogy is for Fitz.

[H2O Man]

16. It strikes me

as singular that the "corrected" version was quoted in the 11-22-63 PDB. And, of course, PDBs are at issue in this case.

Late on that November day, Chip Bohlen, then in Paris, said, "There was an unknown quality about Kennedy, despite all his realism, that gave you infinite hope that somehow or other he was going to change the course of history."

[WiseButAngrySara]

17. How strange! I didn't pay attention to the date on the PDB in your post

above. Who wrote it? It almost sounds as if someone knew the tragedy of the events to follow? That quote by Chip Bohlen is so perfect, it gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes at the same time. I'm e-mailing it to my Dad, who felt as strong about JFK. It also reminds me of a poem I wrote years ago in college, when I was starting to become disillusioned with the innate goodness of man, after reading about the Holocaust and other tidbits in history...could have equally applied to JFK's assasination.

"Infinite hope, infinite hope
Why stab me so bitterly
with your infinite hope?"

Only verse of many that I still remember.

[H2O Man]

18. The PDB

was compiled by his CI briefer.

[WiseButAngrySara]

19. Do you know who that was? ....n/t

[Peace Patriot]

14. You think Bush is going to be indicted?

If the president is the only one who knows--if he is the bullfighter in the pit--as JFK felt--then the poem points to Bush. Is Bush going to give Cheney up? Or Rumsfeld? Is that the sense in which he is the only one "who knows"? Or is Fitzgerald going after Bush?

Obviously, Fitzgerald in like a bullfighter--brave, sure, facing the danger as no other does.

And Bush is none of these things. But Bush is still RESPONSIBLE for it all. Doofus, or not; mean little hangman, or not--he is on the hot seat.

[H2O Man]

15. Bush?

No. Very unlikely. I'm not sure what Mr. Fitzgerald thinks about VP Cheney. There are times that I think he is willing to go for Cheney, should Karl or Scooter sing; other times I think he expects the House to fulfill its constitutional duty.

[H2O Man]

3. Nominated.

Extremely important information here.

[WiseButAngrySara]

5. K and R! ...n/t

[Missy Vixen]

6. K&R

We'll see what happens next week.

Julie

[DemReadingDU]

13. K&R