John Dean: Waiting For The Valerie Plame Wilson Grand Jury

[shockingelk]

Waiting For The Valerie Plame Wilson Grand Jury: The Big Question Is Whether Dick Cheney Was a Target
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20051021.html

While I may be letting the air out of some rising balloons, I think Fitzgerald's silence has fed speculation that postulates indictments way beyond the realistic potentials.

The really big fish in this case is the Vice President. And I have little doubt, based on my knowledge of the case, and of the way Cheney typically operates, that a case could be made against him.

... it may make a difference that Fitzgerald and Cheney are both Republicans, whereas, of course, Starr and Clinton were politically opposed. As a rule, prosecutors do not bite the hand of the party that feeds them.

... It is difficult to envision Patrick Fitzgerald prosecuting anyone, particularly Vice President Dick Cheney, who believed they were acting for reasons of national security ... In short, I cannot imagine any of them being indicted, unless they were acting for reasons other than national security. Because national security is such a gray area of the law, come next week, I can see this entire investigation coming to a remarkable anti-climax, as Fitzgerald closes down his Washington Office and returns to Chicago.

In short, I think the frenzy is about to end -- and it will not go any further. Unless, of course, these folks were foolish enough to give false statements, perjure themselves or suborn perjury, or commit obstruction of justice. If they were so stupid, Patrick Fitzgerald must stay and clean house.

[aquart]

1. Dean Downer.

[IndianaGreen]

9. Yep, a real downer

I can see this entire investigation coming to a remarkable anti-climax, as Fitzgerald closes down his Washington Office and returns to Chicago.

Why put Miller in jail if Cheney is not a target?

[Joyce]

2. Clever conclusion --

"in short, I think the frenzy is about to end -- and it will not go any further. Unless, of course, these folks were foolish enough to give false statements, perjure themselves or suborn perjury, or commit obstruction of justice. If they were so stupid, Patrick Fitzgerald must stay and clean house." John Dean (former White House Counsel in Nixon Administration)

Of course they gave false statements, perjured themselves, suborned perjury, and committed obstruction of justice. Good going, John Dean!:applause: :patriot: :kick: :loveya:

[Boo Boo]

3. I wonder if it has occurred to Dean that, even if Fitz doesn't want to

"bite the hand," he may have no problem with reaming the Neocons. And didn't we hear that Cheney was negotiating? So if Fitz leaves Boosh alone, and lets Dirty Dick resign, then I'm not sure very many Republican elites would feel like they got bit all that hard---if they felt that way at all. Rather, I think a lot of Republicans would be downright happy to see the Neocon conspiracy go down at this point, and happy also to see Dicky take the blame rather than Bush. Daddy Bush would be literally dancing a jig.

Dick and his Cabal are not in good standing with very many people at this point.

[HereSince1628]

4. I've been expecting Dean's essay and I'm disappointed

He clearly didn't have much insight to add. The review of who is reporting the story seems to simply be filler to bring the article to its proper measure of column inches.

[DemsUnited]

5. Have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Dean, here.

He's absolutely right about the central issue -- national security -- but he took his thesis in the wrong direction.

The problem isn't that the White House was overaggressive in selling a war because they felt the war was critical to national security. The problem is that, when it was becaming painfully clear that the war was sold based on faulty (and perhaps fabricated) reasoning, the White House began a coordinated campaign to discredit Joe Wilson, a vocal and credible critic.

As a result, the White House itself severely damaged National Security by outing CIA agent Valerie Plame and consequently exposing a critical, top secret intelligence gathering asset: the cover firm Brewster Jennings.

Brewster Jennings operated in the Middle East and Russia, gathering WMD intelligence as well as monitoring loose nukes, an essential mission. It probably took many, many years, a ton of money, and a lot of dedicated people to build the company up.

Now, an entire intelligence network is useless. Any operative who used B-J as a cover, or had any type of public contact with the company, is at risk of exposure. Any foreign national who did "business" with B-J will be scrutinized by their own government and suspected of passing information to the CIA. And a window into an important area of national security is completely closed.

I believe that Brewster Jennings is the real reason the CIA went screaming to the Justice Department, the reason Ashcroft recused himself and the reason a real prosecutor was called in to investigate.

I also believe that much of the focus has being deliberately shifted on the Valerie Plame angle because to shine a light on Brewster Jennings would cause even more damage than has already been done.

And I don't care if the White House intended to expose Ms. Plame and/or Brewster Jennings or not. It happened as a result of their actions and, as holders of security clearances, they damn well should have known better.

[Liberal_Andy]

6. Well said, Dems!

I say make 'em pay.

[bunny planet]

7. perhaps Mr. Dean is not taking into account the 8 redacted pages that

contained information so serious that Judge Tatel ordered Judy Miller to testify or serve time in prison. Seems like a very timid article although the ending line is cagey.

[Catrina]

8. Yes, I think the judge said the crime was 'of such magnitude'

that he had to forego his normal reluctance to jail a journalist for protecting a source. That seems to mean that he saw something that told him she was not protecting a source, but rather a criminal. Which means that Fitzgerald had already gathered enough evidence to show that there was criminal activity involved.

And Mr. Dean is wrong about Patrick Fitzgerald being a Republican. I'm surprised he would be that sloppy. Fitzgerald is neither a Repub or a Dem. He first registered as an Independent, but when he found out that 'Independent' was a party, he withdrew that registration. He is apolitical and always has been. So the idea that he would care about the Party biting him, has no basis at all.

I also don't think Fitzgerald would hold back an indictment that he believed was for a just reason because of politics. He doesn't seem to be that kind of man.