'Law & Order' Senator Fred Thompson Rips Libby Trial Tactics: Blasts Fitz

[DeepModem Mom]

ABC News: 'Law & Order' Senator Rips Libby Trial Tactics
Former Sen. Fred Thompson, Supports Libby, Blasts Special Prosecutor

By DAVID CHALIAN

Feb. 13, 2007— After making a star turn observing courtroom proceedings last week in Washington, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., is now publicly railing against Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's prosecution of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, calling it a "travesty and injustice."

While serving as chairman of the Senate Government Affairs Committee in the late 1990s, Sen. Thompson led the fight to allow the Office of Independent Counsel to expire and in the years since, Thompson clearly remains wary of prosecutors with too much power.

"When you put too much power in the hands of unelected, unaccountable people who have every incentive to focus massive resources onto one particular person — who gets the plaudits in the media for doing so — it's a bad thing. And many, many times an injustice can occur," said Thompson in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

Thompson, a character actor who plays a conservative district attorney on television's "Law & Order," indicated that he still believes it is appropriate for the U.S. Attorney General to appoint a special counsel when a conflict of interest exists and a clear violation of the law has occurred. However, Thompson — who has contributed to Libby's defense fund — doesn't believe Libby's case meets that threshold.

Thompson claims that it was clear Valerie Plame, the CIA operative whose identity was leaked, was not covered under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and that, he believes, should have short-circuited the entire investigation.

"There was no indication that a law had been violated," said Thompson....

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2869909&page=1

[Kagemusha]

1. So there was no reason for Libby to lie under oath.

Yet he did.

Why? And why should that just be let go?

Or does he not realize he's not a district attorney, he only plays one on TV?

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I used to like that show too

Now I can barely stand watching scenes with him.

[spanone]

3. You are now part of what YOUR party calls the 'Hollywood Elite'. STFU.

[KG]

4. gee, don't recall him whining about ken starr having too much power

"There was no indication that a law had been violated," he never said that about the clintons even tho that was the case there.

[Clark2008]

14. Actually, he voted not guilty to the perjury charge under

the articles of impeachment when he was in the Senate. So... he's not a total hypocrite.

[ljm2002]

5. The very fact that the CIA asked for an investigation...

...is in itself an "indication that a law had been violated".

Geez.

[Orangepeel]

6. he's not really a lawyer, but he DOES play one on TV

:eyes:

Did he stay at a Holiday Inn Express, too?

[Clark2008]

16. Actually, he is a lawyer and served as co-chief counsel to

the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal, (1973–1974). He was responsible for Sen. Howard Baker's asking one of the questions that is said to have led directly to the downfall of President Richard Nixon—"What did the President know, and when did he know it?"

[Orangepeel]

20. ha, ha! okay.

I stand corrected.

How about, he is an asshole and he ALSO plays one on TV!

:D

[Clark2008]

26. That would work.

Except, personally, he's not really an asshole either - he just happens to belong to a party of assholes.

I knew him well from my reporting days and he was always a really nice person and pretty honest, as politicians go. I don't agree with his party many, many, many times, but he's a nice enough fella. :)

[hlthe2b]

32. So then how do you square this stance with

his being a "nice person and pretty honest?" How can he claim that perjury and obstruction of justice is not at issue here, especially after his role in Watergate and the Clinton impeachment debacle? Seriously. How can he possibly square this supposed legal opinion? :shrug:

[Clark2008]

36. Because he didn't vote for impeachment (of Clinton).

Not sure what you mean...

[hlthe2b]

38. I didn't realize he voted against impeachment...

But, I still don't know how a lawyer can argue against a straight up perjury case... Whether he believes the RW meme that Plame was not covert or not, doesn't seem to make any difference... :shrug:

I guess it is nuts to try to reconcile Repug thinking...

[jobycom]

40. He did vote to convict on obstruction, just not on perjury.

To be fair, when I'm not in full political mode, I think of him as a decent fellow, though I disagreed with him on most (if not all) issues. But he did vote to remove Clinton on obstruction charges, and Libby is charged with obstruction. It's a fair observation.

Of course, he didn't "vote to impeach," technically, because the House votes to impeach, the Senate votes to convict or clear on impeachment.

[Turbineguy]

7. "...unelected, unaccountable people..."

Nice choice of words there, Bub.

Patrick Fitzgerald is accountable, he gets held accountable by a Jury.

[rocktivity]

8. If he lied to a grand jury, HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!

He's not being charged with leaking anything, but for lying about what he knew! And if Plame is not covered under that act, there never would have BEEN an investigation. Thompson is defending Libby against something he was never charged with.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Kagemusha]

17. Like I keep telling people, the underlying charge is obstruction of justice

Now if Libby obstructed justice over an insufficiently compelling reason, too bad for him. He's just a moron then.

[blogslut]

9. Poor old Fred

Still trying to pay penance for asking that one question so many years ago:

"Mr. Butterfield, were you aware of the existence of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?"

Nevar Forget, Freddy.

[Richard Steele]

10. Can RWers defend ANY of their opinions without LYING?

"Thompson claims that it was clear Valerie Plame,
the CIA operative whose identity was leaked, was not
covered under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act...

The CIA says different, Fred, and you KNOW it.
And this trial isn't about that, it's about Libby's PERJURY, and you know it.

So STFU already.

[EndElectoral]

11. I never understood a NYC DA with a Southern dialect.

[Clark2008]

19. Why not.

Louise Slaughter, congresswoman from New York, was born in Kentucky and she has a Southern accent.

http://www.louise.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=84

[Blackhatjack]

12. Remember? "It was not the sex, It was the Lying....." and he agreed with that right?

Sheesh the lengths these people go to in order to justify letting Libby walk.

Can you say hypocrite?

[Jacobin]

24. but but but, that's DIFFERENT

he he he had consensual sex with a woman

[Clark2008]

27. No - he didn't.

He voted against the perjury charge.

[Catherine Vincent]

13. Hahaha! What a funny man.

Not! :eyes:

[Venus Dog]

15. What a shameless piece of trash he is

as well as a bad actor. Why is he defending the Scoot? Something smells rotten here....as usual :puke:

[liberalhistorian]

18. What's that YOUR party always complains

about, Freddy, actors commenting on politics and policy? Funny, they haven't yet told you to STFU already, that nobody gives a shit what you think about politics/policy matters, that you should just shut up and sing/act/whatever. Or is that just for liberal entertainers/celebrities? And not for the likes of St. Ronny, Arnie, Charlie Heston, Ron Silver, and yourself?

Well, if they won't, then I will; how about 100 nice, hot, steaming cups of STFU!!!!!

[asjr]

21. AH! Dear old Fred--just

isn't receiving enough attention lately. Law and Order needs another district attorney. He can't act his way out of a paper bag.

[longship]

22. "There was no indication that a laaw had been violated."

Dear Sen. Thompson:

Don't you mean, "other than the lying under oath and the obstruction of justice?"

The last time I heard both were serious crimes.

Thanks for your attention.

Best wishes,
Longship

[spanone]

31. Lying is part of the republican plan. Congress, the people, it doesn't matter.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

23. Thompson is a horse's ass.

Lousy actor, lousy Senator, typical ignorant Republic shill.

[jobycom]

25. He sang a different tune during the Clinton impeachment proceedings

which, you may recall, were about lying about sex, not lying about treason. Clinton was charged with obstruction of justice and lying under oath--in essence the same charges against Libby. Clinton was impeached for perjury before the grand jury for saying he did not commit perjury in the Paula Jones trial, and yet he wasn't charged with perjury in the Paula Jones trial--thus proving his statements before the grand jury true. Libby's crimes were worse, his lies more certain, and the crime about which he lied much, much more heinous. Thompson should have the decency to be ashamed of himself. Even sticking up for a friend should have its limits.

http://www.australianpolitics.com/usa/clinton/trial/statements/thompson.shtml

"At a time when all of our institutions are under assault, when the Presidency has been diminished and the Congress is viewed with scepticism, our Judiciary and our court system have remarkably maintained the public's confidence. Now the President's actions are known to every school child in America. And in the midst of these partisan battles, many people still think this matter is just `lying about sex.' But little by little, there will be a growing appreciation that it is about much more than that. And in years to come, in every court house in every town in America, juries, judges, and litigants will have the President's actions as a bench mark against which to measure any attempted subversion of the judicial process. The notion that anyone, no matter how powerless, can get equal justice will be seen by some as a farce. And our rule of law--the principle that many other countries still dream about--the principle that sets us apart, will have been severely damaged. If this does not constitute damage to our government and our society, I cannot imagine what does. And for that he should be convicted."

[Clark2008]

28. He still voted not-guilty on the perjury charge, though.

[jobycom]

34. True, but he still stated they could be punishable in court.

"In my opinion, these statements, while wrong and perhaps indictable after the President leaves office, do not justify removal of the President from office."

He argued that one of the four points in the indictment was invalid, and that the other three did not rise to the level of an impeachable offense. And he voted to convict on obstruction.

[Clark2008]

37. He just said that because he was from Tennessee.

He found some wiggle room. He knew it was bad law, but he didn't want the mouth-breathers after him at home, either.

He actually told me that (off the record, of course).

[jobycom]

39. That makes sense.

The phrasing was non-commital. If I weren't trying to make political hay, I would have taken that as posturing at first read.

So you know him, apparently, and seem to have some respect for him (And are brave enough to stick up for him on a board where he is clearly not popular. Thumbs up for that.). What do you think of his opinion of Libby? Is he basing it on friendship, or is he legite? For that matter, if you can answer it, I'm curious what he thought on Clinton. Did he believe the obstruction charges merited removal, or was that more politics? I've always felt the obstruction charge was the most serious and the most proven one against Clinton, though I don't believe it fit the "high crimes and misdeameanors" definition.

The historian in me is curious, if you can answer. :)

[Missy Vixen]

29. "unelected and unaccountable"?

Hey, Fred Thompson, are you aware of the confirmation process for a US Attorney? Also, Mr. Thompson, are you aware of exactly HOW AND WHY Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed to his position in the first place?

Libby must be getting handed his ass in the courtroom if this is all they can come up with.

I might also add, especially for Mr. Thompson's benefit: The last time we all looked, perjury and obstruction of justice were still illegal in the United States. Your buddy broke the law, and now he's going to pay.

Julie

[Chovexani]

30. Heh

There's a reason we call him Senator Cracker on the Television Without Pity boards.

Psst, Fred, the Law & Order set isn't actually a real courtroom.

[devilgrrl]

33. What NYC resident would elect a southerner DA???? Even on a TV show.

Cry us a river Fred.

[Nikki Stone1]

35. Thompson is such a bad actor. L&O went down hill after they hired him

Sad.

[AX10]

41. STFU!