Remember INDICTMENTS are just the beginning

[ewagner]

Indictments mean that individuals are CHARGED with a crime.

There will be trials to follow unless deals are cut with the prosecutors.

This will drag out for a couple of years, ....at least.

Between the time of the INDICTMENTS and the time of the TRIALS, expect:

So much spin that your head will fall off

Full-all-out attacks on Fitzgerald

Blame shifted to the CIA, Joe Wilson, Those EVIL Democrats, and of course, an oldie but goodie...The Liberal Media Establishment trying to bring down the great Republican/Conservative President.

We're in for a long ride here folks....our Democratic leadership has probably been right in remaining silent so far but they had better get ready for the flat-out warfare that will take place AFTER the indictments come out....and they'd better not let us down this time.

[stop the bleeding]

1. Agreed.

:spank:

[Bethany Rockafella]

2. Bring it on!

[AX10]

3. Agreed 100%

:kick:

[Changenow]

4. There might not be indictments

we've had our hopes up like this before. I'm starting to think it's not going to happen.

[kster]

8. I think its going to happen but

this time it will happen on FITZ'S TERMS!

[Marnieworld]

11. It will happen

No whitewash takes 22 months. Several judges put Judy Miller in jail based on secret compelling evidence Fitzgerald provided them. Evidence of a serious crime. If Fitz didn't have the goods and intended to use them this would have been wrapped up long ago.

Have faith.

[caledesi]

13. Agree. nt

[motocicleta]

5. This whole thing smacks of an incredible beatdown for Bushco

So how will this play out? If lots of indictments are coming out, I think we will have a reasonable shot at getting control of Congress next year, but I really don't know what I'm talking about. Any political scientists out there willing to handicap the actual result of this administration taking an even bigger beating than it has taken in the last few months?

I know if we could somehow get Congress back, we could impeach the chimp, but how likely will political gains actually come from the indictments?

I'm just drooling right now ... I think the country needs this in the worst possible way, and all other concerns are just on the side for the moment. We have to deal with these criminals before we can accomplish anything else substantive. But do I want it so badly my reason is clouded?

[caledesi]

14. Shot at Congress? You bet and if this thing exposes the lies to

go to war, we will not see another Republican presidency in my lifetime. (course, I am 50 something).

[Pithy Cherub]

6. If said *fighting* Dems don't make this a centerpiece

in 2006...:nuke: (Of course, a few are hamstrung on the Iraq War - they better figure out quick what to do. Admit! Apologize! Atone!

Oh this is really going to be good especially from those who voted against the Iraq Occupation & War!

[napi21]

7. That's part of the reason this investigation is taking so long.

Fitz knows what comes after agressive fighters are indicted! He's dealing with the most powerful group of people in the World, and he knows they will use every thing available to get out of a mess, and of course against HIM too.

I hope the rumors about one or more insiders flipping is true! It always makes thing a whole lot easier to prove!!!

[Tom Joad]

9. Bush Boy will have a hard time insulting Fitz

As just days ago he said nice things about him.
Nothing will spin away several aides resigning in disgrace.

[JDPriestly]

10. They will all plead to prevent the story from getting big coverage.

Then Bush will pardon them. That is what they did in the Iran/Contra scandal. That prevents anyone from getting to the bottom of the story. It may already be too late.

Hannah received the classified information and spread it to others in the administration. We do not know whether he told them it was classified. It is possible, I do not know, that the prosecutor will have to prove that those who received the information from Hannah and disseminated it further had at least a clue that the information was classified. I don't know how hard that will be to prove. It depends on what Hannah told the people he shared the information with. It also depends on whether "knowing" is really an element of the charge and how it is defined by law in the context of the charge. If the prosecutor does not release a report or indict a number of people, we will need a Congressional investigation that can subpoena unwilling witnesses to get to the bottom of this.

The problem is that the news media in many parts of the country are ignoring this story. The LA Times reports it in its back pages. Even my friends who are Democratic activists don't know much about this story. The Bush regime is rotten to the core, and no one knows it. The Bush protection racket is working fabulously as usual.

[never cry wolf]

12. On the other hand

Once indictments are handed down and the chickenhawks are looking at real time in jail, more will flip. The trials themselves will bring even more evidence of crimes yet undiscovered. More and more tentacles will be revealed, more dots connected. This will get tied in with the Franklin case, ties with Abramhoff and dare I say possibly even LIHOP/MIHOP....

Anyway, that is my hope. I have no doubt they will try what you suggest but I think that the majority of repukes will try to save their own skin and ditch them asap. Mid-terms are upcoming and calls from the Dems for independent congressional investigations into the various sins will no longer be able to be ignored because the public will be at the gates with pitchforks and torches. Even freeps and fundys don't like being lied to. I think the repuke party will be in a salvage mode, trying to save what they can and the more ambitious ones will see this as an opportunity to fill the void.