Murray Waas cautions CIA leak case could fizzle out. It could go nowhere.

[Catherine Vincent]

Wilson Gets Ovation at Bloggers's Conference
BY JOSH GERSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
June 10, 2006

LAS VEGAS - The former ambassador at the center of the CIA leak investigation, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, got a hero's welcome here Friday as he addressed a conference of liberal bloggers.

The crowd of nearly a thousand online activists gave Mr. Wilson a raucous standing ovation before and after his talk to a panel discussion about the fallout from the disclosure in a newspaper column of the identity of his wife, Valerie Plame, an undercover employee of the CIA. A special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, is investigating the White House's role in the disclosure of her identity and has charged a former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, I. Lewis Libby, with perjury and seeking to obstruct the probe.

"I, for one, refuse to be intimidated," Mr. Wilson said, vowing to resist what he said is a White House campaign to obscure lies told during the run-up to the war in Iraq.

more....http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=34219

Mr. Waas struck one of the rare notes of caution during the discussion when he said any officials indicted in the probe are entitled to the presumption of innocence. The journalist also told the audience to brace for the possibility the inquiry could peter out. "It could fizzle out. It could go nowhere," he said.

:-(

[Cetacea]

1. I am trying to put a positive light on that statement

But the best I can come up with is that he was just being super cautious?

edit: On second thought, that has always been a possible outcome of this case, but it's too big to fizzle out. I think.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. We'll see what happens tomorrow

It's another big day in court for ol' Scooter and we may find out a little more about Cheney's status.

I think the problem for Waas and other good writers was that after the Leopold fiasco, all of their sources decided it wasn't a good idea to be a 'source' anymore.

[KoKo]

10. Yes...the panel came down hard on Leopold for jumping to conclusion

that Rove was indicted. I believe Waas's comment was taken out of context in that he was referring to the leaks from Bush lawyers. I'd like to see the transcript before I took this reporters comment that Waas said it could all "fizzle out." I watched the panel and had a different view of what Waas said...so that's why I'd like to see a transcript.

[Erika]

2. What will remain is how intelligence under W is so faulty

Especially when it came to truth vs. his faulty policies.

[bullimiami]

3. this is the result of criminals controlling the criminal justice system

more criminals, less justice.

[BlueIris]

4. Yeah, in Bush's best dream maybe.

Anything could still happen, this is true, but too much has come out already for this to be swept under anyone's rug. Anyone who believes otherwise should review the whoooole history of this nasty business, and really think about what we've seen so far. If you come to any conclusion other than "Bush is done," I weep for you and any children you may be raising at the moment.

[meisje]

5. The year without Fitzmas:(

[Toots]

7. I think Wilson has said after the investigation he will file a civil suit

So no matter what it is not over yet. They may try and keep the lid on things until after the November elections but before these crooks are out of office a trial will occur.

[H2O Man]

8. It's good to put

what was said in the proper context. Libby is already indicted; that part of the case is obviously not going to "fizzle out." It is possible, of course, that a jury will not convict Scooter. The defense will, if they go to trial, attempt to find one weak link that will result in a hung jury.

The on-going investigation could end up producing no more indictments. It's possible that Mr. Fitzgerald will conclude that, for example, there is not a strong enough case against Karl Rove to ask for an indictment. And it is possible that the grand jury would not return an indictment if asked.

Neither of these potential outcomes should be mistaken for a probable outcome.

Libby and any other official indicted in the scandal are entitled to a "presumption of innocence" within the context of the courtroom proceedings, but no where else. That is a legal term, which applies to the trial process. The judge hearing the case(s) is responsible for making sure the jury recognizes that the prosecutor is responsible for for proving the defendant's guilt. But the public has no "responsibility" to attempt to apply courtroom standards in forming an opinion on the guilty nature of the jackals in the OVP/WHIG in this case. Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, and Dick Cheney are guilty as hell. And so are a couple dozen other administration officials, and some non-elected jackals like Newt Gingrich.

[Me.]

14. Amen Brother!

*shadow government*

[KoKo]

9. I heard the interview with Waas and I think that comment was

taken out of context. I'd like to see a transcript before I believe what this reporter says.

[Catherine Vincent]

11. I didn't get a chance to watch the whole panel.

It could be out of context. Okay, I'll wait for the transcript.

[gkhouston]

15. watch the panel at CSPAN if you can.

I've seen the panel twice and this "report" of it contains a lot of spin. Waas wasn't "darkly" suggesting anything; he was pointing out a logicial legal possibility. Emptywheel didn't come off as an obsessed kook (quite the opposite, IMO) as suggested here. And they had to mention that one guy was wearing a "weird" T-shirt (oh, yeah, those bloggers are a bunch of lefty wackos.)

I notice that none of Christy Hardin Smith's remarks were reported and I thought she did a great job. But oops, she pointed out that prosecutors don't waste the time of grand juries and they don't leave defendants dangling -- so Fitzgerald had it in his mind to indict someone when he started up with this new grand jury and he hasn't let Rove off the hook yet. Doesn't sound like the inquiry's petering out.

[Jim Sagle]

12. That was strictly a cover-all-possibilities statement, not a prediction.

It was kind of a throwaway comment. It was not the main thrust of his remarks.

[Beetwasher]

13. The NY Sun?

:rofl: