At Libby Trial, Power Players Face Uncomfortable Spotlight

[Bukowski Fan]

At Libby Trial, Power Players Face Uncomfortable Spotlight

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 15, 2007; Page A01


When Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff goes on trial Tuesday on charges of lying about the disclosure of a CIA officer's identity, members of Washington's government and media elite will be answering some embarrassing questions as well.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's case will put on display the secret strategizing of an administration that cherry-picked information to justify war in Iraq and reporters who traded freely in gossip and protected their own interests as they worked on one of the big Washington stories of 2003.

The estimated six-week trial will pit current and former Bush administration officials against one another and, if Cheney is called as expected, will mark the first time that a sitting vice president has testified in a criminal case. It also will force the media into painful territory, with as many as 10 journalists called to testify for or against an official who was, for some of them, a confidential source.

Besides Cheney, the trial is likely to feature government and media luminaries including NBC's Tim Russert, former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, columnist Robert D. Novak and Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward.


Scooter Libby Trial Begins

Should be interesting to see how this goes down.

[WiseButAngrySara]

1. Very Interesting. Let the Trial Begin! ....n/t

[gratuitous]

2. Can't wait for the inevitable clashes

Criminal trials are a poor place to begin airing differences, and I have no doubt that a lot of the prospective witnesses are going to take a good, hard look at their behavior over the last five years or so, and face the decision of whether they want to stand by their choices or sell out their dearest and bestest friends in the government and/or the media.

And the question hanging over the first couple of witnesses' heads will be, "If I keep silent, and play along with the charade, how do I know that someone who testifies later will play along? What if they sell me down the river? After all, as important as I think I am, I was just a little fish in this whole thing. Why should I leave myself open to a future prosecution?"

[Bukowski Fan]

6. The Prisoner's Dilemma

And who honestly thinks that this group of shadeballs wouldn't sell out their own mother to avoid jail time?

[wordpix]

3. I can't wait for these fucks to point fingers at each other as they try to save their owns skins

Either that or they perjure themselves or plead the Fifth or put their feet in their respective mouths.

Either way, this trial will no doubt add more fuel to the impeachment firestorm that's building.
:popcorn:

[janx]

8. The trial might be the kick-off,

if you'll pardon the sports metaphor. ;-)

[applegrove]

4. Hopefully the whole story will become clearer.

[monmouth]

5. I smell a lot of perjury coming up. Cheney fears nothing....

[janx]

7. Absolutely!

He'll say anything. His arrogance will assure another trial.

[janx]

9. Are we going to hear anything (except speculation)

as this trial goes on, or will it be airtight? Lawyers have been forbidden to leak by the judge--a good thing because Libby's lawyers are notorious leakers--but I wonder what we'll be able to find out.

[David Zephyr]

10. Here comes the judge!

"Presiding U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton and lawyers for both sides will begin selecting 12 jurors along with alternates Tuesday. It is not expected to be an easy task, given the heavy publicity and the involvement of two institutions -- the government and the news media -- low in the public's esteem. Preparing for strong feelings from some D.C. residents, Walton has assembled 100 prospective jurors and has a pool of 100 more standing by."