CNN Breaking: Ex-Cheney aide pleads not guilty

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/03/leak.probe/index.html

Ex-Cheney aide pleads not guilty
Libby charged with five counts in CIA leak probe

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's former top adviser made his first court appearance Thursday, pleading not guilty to felony charges of lying to investigators and a grand jury in the probe into a leak of a CIA agent's name.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby appeared before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton.

Libby, 55, faces one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements. ( Watch the first steps in the legal showdown -- 1:31)

Libby resigned as Cheney's chief of staff and national security adviser Friday, the day a federal grand jury handed up an indictment against him after an investigation into who told reporters the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame, the wife of a former diplomat who had criticized the Bush administration.

Libby has not spoken publicly since his indictment, but he released a statement denying the charges and saying he was confident he would be "completely and totally exonerated."

edit: additional details added.

[NYCGirl]

1. Cool! This means there'll be a trial. Can't wait. NT

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. Don't hold your breath

I'll bet you a buck this will never go to trial.

[NYCGirl]

14. I hope you're wrong here, OLL. I hope that bunch in the WH is so blind

arrogant that they think they can get away with anything.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. Do you know how many bucks

I'd gladly send you if I were wrong?

Lots and lots. I'd LOVE to be wrong about this, but the prospect of a Presidential pardon is looming over this whole matter, and if Fuckface invokes it, as his old man did on Christmas Eve, 1992, regarding Cap Weinberger and his Iran-Contra thugs, Fitzgerald's investigation is halted.

I really, really hope I'm wrong.

But I ain't optimistic, not with these bastards.

[hang a left]

21. But really,

We don't know anything.

We don't know anything.

We don't know anything.

Right??!!??

[cassiepriam]

18. Sure thing no trial. The bet should be on how Scoot pulls it off.

How about this: Libby drags pre trial crap out as long as possible, challenges everything like Delay. Day before trial date Libby cops a plea. Bush then pardons him before he does any jail time. Boatloads of $$ deposited in Libby's bank account. He is set for life. Everyone is happy. Public could care less about any of it.

[lebkuchen]

22. Bush pardons at a 35% approval rating would be the catalyst for

impeachment, of the GOP at election time.

Bush's pardoning of Libby, whose case nearly every American can easily comprehend, to Libby's disfavor, would inspire the dredging up of famous quotes of Watergate-past, like the one by Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, who said, after being fired by Robert Bork, "Whether ours shall be a government of laws and not of men is now for Congress and ultimately the American people."

The GOP will not survive a pardon, especially during a time of never-ending war. There will be public outrage.

Bush is only just now coming face to face with protests wherever he goes. There will be no more shielding him from that.

[cassiepriam]

24. Libby will drag it out for a year or so? Bush will have nothing to lose.

Ratings in the basement anyway. He will never be impeached with a repug congress. He is going to retire to a life of luxury and could care less what people think of him. He will make sure all the crooks are pardoned and paid off before he leaves. Not because he cares about them but because he is buying their silence. I am not even sure if Bush cares about the repug party. He could care less if he hurts their election chances. He is mean and vindictive that way.

[lebkuchen]

30. There is public outrage now.

It will crescendo with each passing soldier's death, each op-ed piece begging the public's forgiveness, each blatant lie unveiled since Fitzgerald's damning press conference, right up to the election. Gas prices, FEMA's continued proven incompetence, and of course, Wilson's editorials, will add to the din.

Bush is close to the last nail in the coffin of his administration.

[cassiepriam]

32. I hope to God you are right. I take no delight in business as usual

with the crooks in the WH. Just why in the H*LL did it take the public so long to wake up? But that is another email.

[lebkuchen]

36. The media had the people hynotized. Now the media in a corner, like Bush.

After refusing to do any investigative reporting on the need for war since they were too busy lobbying for Bush's tax cuts, the six major news conglomerates are now forced to turn state's evidence against guys like Libby in order to save their own sorry behinds.

How is it that Libby could call up media personalities like Russert to complain about networks' rare negative publicity of the war, with Russert dutifully reacting by bumping Libby's concern up to the boss, meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Americans protest across the country, call the networks, e-mail them, sign petitions, and get no where with the media in airing the public alternative to problem solving--no war?

[cliss]

28. You're right. The dynamics have changed,

and I believe the Bush White House is just coming to grips with that. The Carte Blanche is gone. The bulldozing of Congress is over. Bush finds himself at a Cul-De-Sac every day now.

I personally believe that the failure in Iraq is driving this investigation. If everything was going beautifully over there, this would not be happening. People would be feeling great about all the progress, the spigot is turned up full blast.

But it's not. It's become a sinkhole, sucking everything in it.

That's what's driving the investigation.

[lebkuchen]

34. Bush has been painted into a corner for some time now.

With each passing day he has fewer and fewer options as the "mea culpa" media ink closes in around him. Tapes won't matter, as they did in Watergate. Bush's presidency is finished now, and his buddies will take their nicknames and head to prison.

(Do you think Libby wishes he had a better nickname now that he's in the limelight every day? I means, geez, SCOOTER?)

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. What a shock!

I thought for sure he'd plead guilty, tear off all his clothes, demand to be beaten like an old drum, and then be marched off to prison.

Well, who didn't?

[sabra]

5. LOL - I like your version better.

[legin]

8. Me too

Another prediction i got wrong (not a very rare event to put it mildly).

Although this is so far.

[Botany]

3. Drip drip drip

This just the opening shot ....

Fitz, "Lie to me and I will get you 30 years."

When Libby, Libby, Libby, is in the Jail, jail, jail,
he will ask the judge for bail, bail bail.

[napi21]

6. Did you also hear that Libby's new atty's must get security clearance

before the discovery information can be turned over to them by the prosecutor? Clearance usually takes about 5 weeks!

[RedOnce]

31. Maybe he will argue Executive Privilege - National Security

I had to (or was ordered to) lie for the good of the country.

[Dhalgren]

7. Oh man, Scooter has got to know that the Bush Mob won't let

him live to stand trial. This will guarantee that Bush Mob crimes and corruption will be front page all the way up to the '06 elections. No way the Mob let's this happen. I hope Scooter has lots and lots of "protection"...

[OldLeftieLawyer]

9. Two words to keep in mind:

Presidential pardon.

[Brooklyn Michael]

12. ...and when '08 rolls around...

"Presidential pardon" = "Democratic President"

[OldLeftieLawyer]

16. I would hope so

That might even turn out to be a fair trade, don't you think?

I wonder .................

[Brentos]

19. "Presidential pardon" = "Democratic President"

But, wouldn't the pardon come after the election and before the new president takes office?

[Brooklyn Michael]

23. That would depend....

It would depend on how long the trial plays out - If it's completed BEFORE '08 and Scooter gets sentenced and actually goes to jail, it won't matter if Bush pardons him before or after the election, or even at all. The damage is done and we have a Dem president.

If it drags on too long and Scooter doesn't get sentenced until right around the election, Bush might wait until after the election to pardon him...but that assumes A) Bush is smart, B) Rove is still around to be smart for him, or C) it even makes a difference, as by that time, a Libby conviction is oh-so-much better than a Libby indictment.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

27. A pardon can come anytime

Don't forget - Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, who was an unindicted co-conspirator. He was never even indicted.

Pardon power, except for matters of impeachment, obviously, is absolute.

[wrathofkahn]

25. Three other words

"Pre-trial motion."

OK, it's really two words with a hyphen, but nonteheless, I look for this to generate never-before-seen mountains of paperwork to gum up the works. Libby is an attorney, and he's hired a large team of attorneys. They can keep this pot simmering for a long, long time. Witnesses, depositions, motions, more motions, even more motions, continuances...this could drag on seemingly forever.


I say don't look for any fast action in this one.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

26. Naw

You're right. Waiving his right to a speedy trial is nothing but a formality. It means nothing, and this one isn't even going to go to discovery, that's my theory, because Fuckface is going to invoke "national security."

Watch.

[wrathofkahn]

29. Maybe

I was thinking more along the lines of keep it on the "back burner" for three years. In 1100 days, his value is used up, and no one in the administration will care if he spends the rest of his days rotting in a federal pen, because he won't matter any more after the election. Then, no one has to take the political hit of issuing a controversial pardon, and the whole thing sails under the radar of the election.


Bear ye in mind, I'm not saying that's necessarily what's going to happen; I just think that's the current plan.

[Liberal Dose]

10. In order to have the opportunity to cop a plea, one must first plead "not

guilty." Not that I have ever personally had this experience, but I know people who have. Or I read a lot. Pick whichever one you like best. :D

[savemefromdumbya]

11. wonder when the Rove indictment is coming?

[tridim]

13. Someone needs to put Libby on "suicide" watch

The last thing BushCo wants is their fall-guy on trial.

[savemefromdumbya]

17. There will be more

Libby is just the start - there will be people 'suiciding' all over the place soon

[wtmusic]

20. I love the sidebar to the story

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It's Scootermania!!! :silly:

[Maeve]

33. Well, it kinda proves one point about this misAdministration

For sale to the highest bidder....

[uppityperson]

35. very good, thank you

LibbyLodging? Oh dear. :rofl: