The American Spectator : Scooter Libby's Bigger Picture

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Scooter Libby's Bigger Picture

By Quin Hillyer on 11.19.10 @ 6:09AM

Wrongly convicted, wrongly portrayed.

The Washington Times yesterday published part one of my two-part column about issues raised by the Sean Penn movie Fair Game, about events surrounding the release of the name of CIA case officer Valerie Plame Wilson. This is part two of that column. In the Washington Times article, I noted that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted entirely on the basis of differing recollections, between Libby and the late TV journalist Tim Russert, about a particular conversation the two men had related to the Wilson case. Yet it turns out that even Russert was unsure, when first interviewed by the FBI, about the substance of that conversation.

The FBI report reads: "Mr. Russert acknowledged that he speaks to many people on a daily basis and it is difficult to remember some specific conversations, particularly one which occurred several months ago." That, of course, was the exact substance of Mr. Libby's defense.

Libby's lawyers had argued that he did not commit perjury because he testified as accurately as possible about a conversation that, months later, different people could legitimately remember differently. My column makes the case that Libby never should have been convicted. So did several other excellent pieces. Libby did not perjure himself or obstruct justice. Period. More on that in a few moments.

Now here's the rest of the story related to Fair Game. The movie, highly entertaining but far from the "truth," not only intimates that Libby effectively was behind the leak of Ms. Wilson's name -- which is demonstrably false -- but also portrays him as masterminding a devious, sinister manipulation of evidence concerning Iraq's pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to the movie, Libby went to the CIA and browbeat a top counter-proliferation agent to try to force a report that some now-famous aluminum tubes were meant for nuke use. The movie Libby also, at least by inference, is hip-deep in all affairs related to the controversial "16 words" in President George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union address to the effect that British intelligence had determined that Iraq had sought yellowcake uranium from Africa. Libby thus is made complicit, ultimately, for "lying" the United States into war.

Here's the truth: Nobody lied us into war. Ambassador Joe Wilson's own report had noted a 1999 "trade mission" by Iraq, to Niger, that likely was an attempt to secure yellowcake. British intelligence, independently of forged reports, had indeed concluded that Iraq actively sought yellowcake. And almost everybody involved honestly believed Iraq still had weapons of mass murder. Those believers included Valerie Plame Wilson herself.

On pages 95-98 of her memoirs (also called "Fair Game"), Ms. Wilson writes this:

The U.S. intelligence community was not the only actor that found Iraq's provocations alarming. The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (www.cns.miis.edu), a non-partisan, non-governmental research organization devoted to training the next generation of nonproliferation experts, was also concerned. Here's what some of their research revealed about the state of Iraq's WMD programs in 2001:

What followed was three full pages of details about what was thought to be known about Iraq's nuclear, biological, chemical, and ballistic missile capabilities. The first item under "Nuclear" was this: "With sufficient black-market uranium or plutonium, Iraq probably could fabricate a nuclear weapon." A few paragraphs after the three-page list, Ms. Wilson wrote: "Many of the CIA liaison partners around the world were picking up evidence that Iraq was seeking to procure items that could be used in their suspected WMD programs. It was a huge puzzle with only a few pieces that fit together correctly."

Here's what the official Robb-Silberman commission that later looked into the WMD question found out:

The intelligence community had learned a hard lesson after the 1991 Gulf War, which revealed that the intelligence community's pre-war assessments had underestimated Iraq's nuclear program and had failed to identify all its chemical weapons sites. Intelligence analysts [HILLYER NOTE: intelligence analysts, not political pressure from the V-P's office] were determined not to fall victim again to the same mistake…. Collectors and analysts too readily accepted any evidence that supported their theory that Iraq had stockpiles and was developing weapons programs…. For good reason, it was hard to conclude that Saddam Hussein had indeed abandoned his weapons programs.

In short, the simple fact is that Ambassador Wilson's fulminations about the "16 words" were almost irrelevant. So much evidence led so many intelligence analysts and agencies into believing that Iraq had WMD that the Bush statement about uranium was mere icing not on, but in the guise of, the yellowcake.

What for strange reasons has never received the attention necessary is that American forces did actually find WMD materials after toppling Saddam Hussein. As Deroy Murdock has noted in several columns, Iraq still possessed mustard and sarin nerve agent, low-enriched uranium, and live botulinum toxin. For what it's worth, Iraq also operated a terrorist training camp just south of Baghdad called Salman Pak, and it knowingly harbored some terrorists and provided material support to many others. It repeatedly violated United Nations sanctions and repeatedly fired on American planes enforcing the "no-fly zone." And it had a history of gassing its own people.

All of which makes all of Scooter Libby's deep concerns abut Iraq, and his actions and those of the whole Bush administration, not sinister or in any way dishonest but instead understandable and even wise efforts to protect Americans from deadly future attacks.

The real record similarly has been obscured, by the establishment media and especially by the movie Fair Game, about the leak of Ms. Wilson's name and Mr. Libby's role in events surrounding that leak. Here's what it boils down to: Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's case against Libby made no sense. None. Richard Armitage, not Libby, leaked Ms. Wilson's CIA affiliation. CIA spokesman Bill Harlow confirmed it, on the record -- hardly the actions of an agency that wanted to protect the identity of a covert operative. Robert Novak's column containing the name "Valerie Plame" began showing up in newsrooms on Friday, July 11, 2003. It was that same day that Libby spoke to Russert. It is entirely plausible that Russert did indeed mention the information to Libby after seeing or hearing about the Novak column on the wires.

What is clear is that prosecutor Fitzgerald's theory was that Libby invented and lied about the information coming from Russert in order to excuse subsequent mentions of Plame to the New York Times' Judith Miller and Time magazine's Matthew Cooper. But the judge and jury threw out the charges relating to Cooper and Miller: Libby was innocent on those counts. In that case, though, why would Libby have made up the bit about Russert, months later, if he had no reason to try to hide something else the jury concluded he didn't do?

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About the Author

Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (94) | Leave a comment

The Bishop| 11.19.10 @ 7:06AM

I won't see this movie, but it underscores one of the great misdeeds of the George W. Bush tenure in office. Not that any of these claptrap allegations had a basis for the subsequent trial. But it was a dereliction of justice that Bush did not give a full and free pardon to Libby (as well as the two border agents who were doing their job) before he left office. An horrific injustice was done to Mr. Libby and should have been cured, no matter the damaging press (like the Bush administration was getting good press anyway). It just makes one despise the inside-the-beltway culture even more. Thank God I'm in flyover country.

jose goldfinger| 11.19.10 @ 7:27AM

Amen but it really speaks more to the character of GW Bush than to a vague reference to "culture." He showed poor judgement in allowing Fitzpatrick to be appointed in the first place and cowardice in allowing him to run amok. Allowing Libby to be the fall guy to justify Fitzpatrick's power trip puts Bush in the Judas category. As for the border agents - it just doesn't get any worse than that. He didn't just allow an injustice, he arranged it, using his stooge, Johnny Sutton, and his corrupt judge. For what? To pacify his friends south of the border? These two incidents of profound stupidity and treachery tell us all we need to know about the character of Mr. Bush.

John Navratil| 11.19.10 @ 9:16AM

Scooter Libby didn't police the scene after the fact attempting to hide evidence.

Eric Cartkman| 11.19.10 @ 9:29AM

Well said, Bishop. The one thing I would like to see in the movie, though: how do you make a evil, dastardly, dangerous character with the nick name "Scooter"?

James Bond: Well, played, Dr. Evil. You falsified documents, pressured good people into lying so you could tortured and maim innocent civilians and your friends could get rich off of Iraq oil. You are truly evil, Dr. Evil.

Dr. Evil: Can you please call me "Scooter"? I mean, that is my name, ya know. I worked very hard to be this evil under the name "Scooter" and I would like the recognition, thank you.

Eric Cartman| 11.19.10 @ 9:41AM

Okay, who stuck the extra k in my name?

Alan Brooks| 11.19.10 @ 5:04PM

GW Bush is ungrateful to those who roll over in the clover for him.

Alan Brooks| 11.19.10 @ 5:29PM

... how do you spell ingratitude?:

with a DUBYA!

Tim*| 11.19.10 @ 6:15PM

"Mr. Bush commuted Mr. Libby's sentence in 2007, an action that kept him out of jail. But that doesn't expunge his conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice. As a felon, Mr. Libby is barred by law from voting or practicing law, his occupation for most of his working life. The half-measure reflected poorly on the President, whose commutation statement treated Mr. Libby at a chilly arm's length."

Some say Bush had a belly full of some segments of his White House operatives & said, " That's All ".

T H Huxley| 11.20.10 @ 1:31AM

Yeah. Maybe you're over analyzing it. Maybe Bush just knew Libby was guilty.

Alan Brooks| 11.20.10 @ 9:00PM

He was guilty so he rolled over for Cheney?

MikeD| 11.19.10 @ 7:24AM

Two quick observations. First, I rarely assume ANY truth in ANY work that comes from Hollywood, especially from that treasonous, lying, self righteous piece of sh*t Sean Penn. Mr. Penn should still be in jail for his traitorous acts before the Iraq War, but he committed his foul deeds during George Bush's "Wobbly" period, to term it as charitably as possibly. Which leads me to my second observation.

I worked my proverbial a$$ off to get "W" re-elected, contributing both effort and treasure to the effort. All of us who did so were rewarded by two years of complete cowardace on Bush's part. He committed an impardonable offense when he left Mr. Libby to twist in the wind while his own backbone rapidly turned yellow and then rotted away until there was nothing left. Combine his unconscionable actions about Mr. Libby with the way he abandoned our two Border Guards, it resulted in as shabby a legacy as any president ever has to bear...for the rest of his life. I will never trust anything he does, or says again. And I truly believed in the man. In parting, I tend to blame it on his mother who appeared to emasculate both her husband and son.

Ceemack| 11.19.10 @ 1:55PM

The two Border Patrol agents and their families ask the administration to NOT give them pardons, as a pardon makes an assumption of guilt. They wanted to appeal their cases through the legal systems and clear their names.

Alan Brooks| 11.19.10 @ 5:25PM

An entire flick concerning merely the Plame deal? geez, what a specialist Penn is.

His sequel is:
"Have Your Yellow Cake And Eat It Too"

Silver Streake| 11.21.10 @ 12:39PM

On its opening weekend, the movie grossed about $700,000 and to date has taken in less than 1.5 million. By contrast, "Jackass" took in $50 million on its opening weekend.

By any measure, $700 large is a bomb.

The movies should have switched titles because clearly, any movie titled Jackass would have to be about a leftist idiot like Sean Penn.

mark| 11.23.10 @ 9:43PM

A little known fact is that tons of enriched uranium were in fact moved out of Iraq a few years ago. Even the idiotic New York Times mentioned it; albeit with the notation that it was "in inventory when the UN inspectors went through Iraq" or such to that effect. One "enlightened" co-worker didn't want to believe the story, put out by the AP, concerning the movement of the stuff out of Iraq.
Bush brought us more beaurocracy; the TSA, Homeland Security, etc. However, it could have been worse. We could have been thoroughly GORED.

..even though Bush was also a big supporter of ethanol, the snake oil only politicians and farmers like. Yep. Codevilla is correct; there's only differences of degree between Bush and the rest of the "Ruling Class."

CharlieEcho| 11.19.10 @ 8:10AM

Those are two things I was disappointed in Bush about. Libby and the BP.

Louis Jenkins| 11.19.10 @ 8:28AM

S. Penn? I try my best not to watch anything that man has played in. His very presence alone is enough to make any movie a bust. The whole episode of Libby makes me sick, and I'm ashamed of what Bush did. Any yes, allowing the trial of the border guards to proceed all the way to convictions was a sham too.

1FreeMan| 11.19.10 @ 8:55AM

When I first saw the movie trailer in the theater I inexplicably shouted out "Bull- $h1t". People in the theater started laughing. Penn is not a man, just a little liberal punk has-been. This movie, a hatchet job, will not make him popular, reinvigorate his dead career or make him a martyr to the left. Plame was used but not by Bush. She offered her services just like a street-walker in heels. Nuff said.

Seek| 11.19.10 @ 12:47PM

Somehow Sean Penn's "dead" career has included two Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role: Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River" (2003) and Gus Van Sant's "Milk" (2008). How many Oscars have you taken home lately, Mr. Free Man?

I happened to have seen "Fair Game," not just the trailer. The film worked. And there is nothing in it that any honest libertarian could despise.

Penn, despite my differences with him, is a marvelously talented actor, certainly far more so than some hack pundit whose pinnacle rises no higher than a guest shot on "Red Eye."

Jack Bauer| 11.19.10 @ 1:43PM

"I happened to have seen "Fair Game," not just the trailer. The film worked. And there is nothing in it that any honest libertarian could despise."

Libertarians don't care that a movie ostensibly a "bio-pic" lies about the basis of the whole "case."?

I think you are confusing libertarians with liberals.

I bet you're really on of those libertine socialists with the weird idea they are "libertarian."

You do know that Fitzgerald represents the power of the state determined to crush an individual at all costs.

Seek| 11.19.10 @ 2:31PM

You bet wrong. I'm not a Fitzgerald fan either.

"Libertinism," by the way, is not socialism. It simply means affirming the right to live life on one's own terms so long as there is no demonstrable harm done to others. It's more about Mill than Marx. Socialists don't like free spirits any more than theocrats do.

Implication: Doug Liman had the right to make the movie his way -- which he did. Go make your own movie.

Cpm| 11.19.10 @ 5:09PM

Sean Penn's career is dead because nobody sees his movies. He is box office poison. Just because he is given awards in Hollywood's annual daisy-chain circle jerk doesn't mean anything. You could even make the case that Penn owes his Oscars to George W. Bush. Movie folk love nothing better than using awards to signal their opposition to Republican presidents.

Bob K.| 11.19.10 @ 8:30AM

We have to remember that GWB was likely the most intellectually lazy man who ever sat in the White House and if he had given this miscarriage of justice some rudimentary thought he would have pardoned him.

Cpm| 11.19.10 @ 5:39PM

"Intellectually lazy" is a democrat canard hung on every Republican president. Try harder.

Shamus| 11.19.10 @ 8:37AM

Obama is much more intellectually lazy than Bush.

He never even read the health care bill he signed.

Albert| 11.19.10 @ 11:06AM

I'm not sure I would describe Obama as "intellectually lazy" at all. One must HAVE intellect to be lazy with it. Obama is just plain stupid.

Ken (Old Texican)| 11.19.10 @ 8:47AM

OK Hate-Bush Trolls
Here is your opportunity to shine.

I will mention a couple of things. One, W was rather busy at the time.
Two, none of you know what W knew at the time.
Three, Dick Cheny has never uttered a public word about the conviction except sadness to my knowledge.
Four, I just have to know that W and Cheny discussed it and all the ramifications surrounding it.
Five, Scooter may have chosen to take the rap for his country.
Quin,
Thank you for the article.

Bob K.| 11.19.10 @ 9:20AM

I don't hate Bush. I like him. Who wouldn't? But he was lazy. And naturally nobody close to him will talk of the issues you raise. Although the fact that he was "rather busy at the time" is a rather thin excuse, if you will?

Neanderthal| 11.19.10 @ 10:37AM

I believe that W's book speaks to it. Cheney, when told there would be no pardon, said "I can't believe you'd leave a soldier on the battelfield".

Anthony| 11.19.10 @ 11:08AM

I have not read the book, but I will. However, if this is all Bush has to say on the Libby subject, he is woefully short on providing an adequate explaination to his base and the American people.
Even if, under some bizzare interpretaion of criminal intent on the part of Libby, Libby was "guilty" of some crime, the circumstances and absolute surreal nature of this "who said who to whom, and when", was so beyond the need of a criminal trial, Bush should have pardoned Libby with a big apology to boot, on national T.V.
Petronius has it right, and Bush should have told America this is how seamy Washington works, and I'm pardoning Libby with an apology. If Clinton could pardon Marc Rich and the Puerto Rican terrorists, Bush should have taken this as a great opportunity to show just how corrupt Washington is. Alas, an opportunity missed by a creature of Washington.
Once again, the "New Tone" failed America.

Petronius| 11.19.10 @ 9:15AM

Establishment Republicans will never learn. Anything done by anyone to oppose Liberals is viewed by them as a crime. Libby's conviction and sentence had nothing to do with lies and failure to keep his story straight. He is in chokie because of who he is and who he worked for. The DNC and the media wanted a scalp and the Bush administration handed them his. Richard Armitage will tell you.

Yosemeti Sam| 11.20.10 @ 1:10PM

Richard Armitage?

He who kept his mouth clamped per instructions while Fizzle Wizzle went about his dogged fishing expedition for spurious proof of blame in a lame political game?

He whose boss man was that SUPER RINO who endorsed his soul bro BHO?

THAT Richard Armitage?

Santayana| 11.19.10 @ 9:17AM

After seeing what Starr did to Clinton, why did Bush even think of appointing a special Prosecuter?

Dai Alanye| 11.19.10 @ 10:05AM

There are two significant differences between the Libby and Clinton special prosecutions: Libby was convicted despite his innocence, while Clinton got off despite being guilty as sin.

Havoc| 11.19.10 @ 10:03AM

Try as I might, I find it difficult to sympathize with anyone over age thirteen - calling himself, 'Scooter'.

Deborah D| 11.19.10 @ 10:18AM

Ridiculous statement. So, if he called himself I. or Lewis, you'd sympathize with him? What country are you from? Shows your shallowness.

Havoc| 11.19.10 @ 3:13PM

Well, ... you sound just like my wife. In all probability, Scooter is made of the same stuff as his boss. Tie their tales together, hang them over a clothesline ... and let them fight to the death.

WayneFarmer| 11.22.10 @ 12:30PM

It is spelled, "tails," not "tales" -- or do you mean "stories?"

Cpm| 11.19.10 @ 5:12PM

....or a president calling himself 'Jimmy'.

Anthony| 11.19.10 @ 10:10AM

One of the greatest travesties in American jurisprudence. While certainly not as horrible as the lynchings that took place in America decades ago, it is safe to say that Libby's trial was the political lynching of the century in America.
Many on the right thought Russert was the gold standard of American journalism, I was not one of those who worshipped at the alter of Russert. His testimony at the Libby trial was carefully crafted and deliberate in its intent, just as he was on FTN. He was out to get Libby and was successful.
Russert knew Richard Armitage was the culprit here, and so did Patrick Fitzgerald, a political hack of the first order.
There are so many villians in this filthy display of raw political power, it's hard to keep track.
We cannot forget how the great R general, Colin Powell, who voted for Obozo, kept his mouth shut while Libby twisted in the wind.The fact that jurors after the trial admitted they wanted Bush or Cheney, adds even more fuel to this farce.
If there is cosmic justice at the end of our lives, this one will be juicy to watch.
As for Penn, he is a mindless leftist who wishes to be another Michael Moore, sans the fat. His Orwellian movie should be a hoot of a laugher, but for the fact that the left's propaganda mill still manages to fool many of the trolls out there.
Finally, why Bush did not pardon Libby for this political lynching is one of the things I will never forgive Bush for. I think he owes his base an explaination, which apparently, his recent book does not do.
The Libby episode is one of the reasons why Washington needs to be put in its place by the people.

Deborah D| 11.19.10 @ 10:26AM

I couldn't have possibly said it better, Anthony. If Bush wants to know why his numbers were so low when he left office -- the Libby non-pardon and the way the border guards were treated would be high on the list of his low numbers. Add to that his push for "comprehensive immigration reform" -- and you have the trifecta. (Oh, and saving the private sector by destroying it -- or whatever it was he said as he left office.)

I loved W. I still love Cheney. I still don't know what to think about the way Libby was treated. Would W. have pardoned Rove if they had succeeded in "frog marching" him out of the White House? I don't know. To say I was disappointed in Bush is an understatement.

Colin Powell -- he has dropped off my radar completely. He went from greatly admired to greatly despised in my opinion. The Libby affair and his complicity in it is sickening. His continued blind following of Obama just shows how flawed his judgment is. Hateful, hateful man.

Anthony| 11.19.10 @ 10:44AM

Deb, You and other bloggers reminded me about the Border Guards. I'm sorry to have left them out, they too, are an American political travesty of the first order.
But Hey, Charlie Rangel got his wrist slapped by the most ethical congress ever, right, Nancy?Justice served.
Jeff is right, it's time that Rs play hardball and screw what the MSM and lefty opinion makers say. It is long past time to kick ass.

Purple Lips| 11.19.10 @ 10:27AM

Blago got the best of Fitzpatrick. Saw ol' Blago on TV selling Progressive Insurance or someting. Got to love it. I hope gets off scott-free, and Fitzpatrick ends up as some PD in Dogpatch Indiana.

Tim the Enchanter| 11.19.10 @ 10:58AM

Actually, my favorite "nowhere" place comes from the movie "Smokey and the Bandit": Swollen Groin, Texas.

Petronius| 11.19.10 @ 12:06PM

That goes good with my favorite real place name, Beaver Bottom, Kentucky

The Bishop| 11.20.10 @ 8:17AM

Let's not overlook a real community: Toad Suck, Arkansas.

Old Joe| 11.19.10 @ 10:22AM

Also we must not forget the part that the paragon of wisdom and virtue, Colin Powell played in this fiasco. He knew that Armitage was the leak and he did nothing about it. He may have been told by the prosecutor to keep his mouth shut but no man of honor would have let someone else take the fall for something his assistant did. Did Powell really think the prosecutor would have prosecuted him if he had gone public with the facts? Who in their right mind would attempt to prosecute a former 4 star general, former Chairman of the JCOS, and first black Secretary of State. This case has made it perfectly clear Powell may have been a military officer but he was never a gentleman

MikeD| 11.19.10 @ 1:00PM

Like "W", when it really counted, Colin Powell was found wanting. He was an opportunist who showed his true colors when it counted most. I don't think anybody will give a second thought to the complete destruction of the Democratic Party by Obama and his socialistic thugs, but Powell and Bush turned the whole concept of 'Honor' into the saddest joke of all. Neither brought honor to their office or themselves when it mattered. Both men were in the right place at the right time with an opportunity to do truly great things and failed spectactularly. Two more heroes land on the ash heap of history.

Jeff| 11.19.10 @ 10:22AM

The Libby conviction is a lesson for future conservatives in high office. NEVER COOPERATE. Take the fifth at all times and assume that: YES, THEY ARE OUT TO GET YOU. That is why these investigations take place. They are attempts to criminalize policy differences.

Purple Lips| 11.19.10 @ 10:25AM

Better yet, avoid high office and appointments altogether.

MikeD| 11.19.10 @ 7:41PM

It's not paranoia if they REALLY ARE out to get you. I'm still disappointed in "W", but the MSM deserved tar and feathers. Bush should have 'frog marched' the entire management of the New York Crimes out their front door when they published the financial model being used to track Al Quaeda. But, he choked...again. Like the Lib A$$holes would have EVER liked anything about him after the Republicans caught the Demoncraps trying to blatantly steal the 2000 presidential election and beat them at their own game. He should have also had Dan Blather arrested for slander and attempted fraud for his little games with creating evidence about Bush's National Guard service. Like any Demoncrap could defend Kerry, or Algore's military dis-service. They're both cowardly pieces of sh*t who deserve horsewhipping instead of public office.

MikeD| 11.19.10 @ 7:43PM

I realize that I'm terribly quiet and shy, but I wonder if any of you have noticed how I REALLY feel about Obama, Demoncraps, and Libtards?

NoNotAgain| 2.8.11 @ 1:54AM

Tell that to Rep Issa. LOL

chris haynes| 11.19.10 @ 11:50AM

Marc Rich

Libby is a confidant of gansters. He was Marc Rich's lawyer for the Clinton pardon scandal, and got paid millions for whatever forms he filled out.

It raises the questions: Why did Cheney want him around? Why did Bush allow him around?

Quin| 11.19.10 @ 12:24PM

Not true. Libby was one of the lawyers for Rich at an earlier level, rightly challenging an unwarranted expansion of federal prosecutorial power. But when Rich was convicted and became a fugitive abroad, Libby was NOT involved with the effort to secure him a pardon.

RJ| 11.19.10 @ 12:02PM

I never understood the Valery Plame investigation by Mr. Fitzgerald. I thought the agency stated that she wasn't covered by the statute, therefore there was no crime. If there was no crime, why was there an investigation? What am I missing? Can someone explain it to me? This whole episode never made any sense to me.

Anthony| 11.19.10 @ 2:14PM

You are correct. Plame was not a covert agent. She was a paper pusher at the CIA whose work identity at the CIA was well known. She was public way before this bs allegation.
This is also the same woman whose POS husband, Joe (Yellowcake) Wilson, made her a media star, not a bad gig for a "outed" CIA agent.
The Libby affair was pure Washington hate sport at its worse. The Washington leftist political class wanted blood, so they threw Libby into the arena for the sport of it.
At least the Romans gave the slaves swords to protect themselves against the lions. Not Scooter.

RJ| 11.19.10 @ 6:38PM

Thanks. As a citizen and as a lawyer, I am very disturbed that something like this can happen in the United States.

Margie| 11.19.10 @ 12:08PM

GW speaks about it here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022059-503544.html

Ken (Old Texican)| 11.19.10 @ 12:49PM

I got the following e-mail this morning from a real American.

Story by: Bruce Vincent

For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our former President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby , Montana who had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President.

He writes:
I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends.

Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby , Montana , I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot.

I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering, the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh, my God."

I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote.

I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment -- that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.'

Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a sta tement about the President, and Mrs.Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought te place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong & nbsp;one.

After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the President shook my hand I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family." He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you -- and God bless you and yours as well."

On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards."

I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, "Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you."

As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it." I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell , Montana , having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider ad ding her to his prayers that day. He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes.This explains it."

From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?" He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.

He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."

As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance -- standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.

He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking G od's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him and his.

As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day -- and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son, husband-to-husbad, Christian- to-Christian prayerful embrace. He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.
.......................
We will never know the whole story about Scooter.

Margie| 11.19.10 @ 1:44PM

Thanks for sharing that, Ken.
God bless GW, and God bless you.

Bruce Berger| 11.19.10 @ 2:59PM

I doubt that there has ever been a more decent man to serve as President of the US. In my judgment he was a mediocre President, but is a great human being. I never understood why the Left hated the man, instead of just hating his politics.

Margie| 11.19.10 @ 3:16PM

I know why. He's a Christian. The Left by definition are anti God. Except of course for the "God" that they create in their own image, along with the false gospel they create. Remember, there is no right from wrong and everything's got that "gray area."
So they look at Christians as a threat to their anything goes "morality" and fear it will be taken away from them by those of us who try living by the straight and narrow. Always screaming about "the loss of their freedoms", when conservatives take office.
It's all based on irrational fear, and it's why Liberalism is truly a mental disorder.

JmsA| 11.19.10 @ 6:43PM

The left hates him because he's not one of them and because he kept two abominations from attaining the presidency.

Wesley Mouch| 11.19.10 @ 11:00PM

I leave some silly comments here but this one has meaning & even though it is late I hope some of you read this.

I was a George W fan once. I even named the dog W. I met him over 10 years ago when OU beat Texas & we had a barbecue in Altus. He was governor of Texas. Keating was OK gov.

He told us we would have a humble foreign policy.

911 happened. He told us we would find the guys that did it & kill them. I was ready to join 'em.

He told us Al Quaida was behind it & that Iraq was the next mushroom cloud & was probably behind the whole lot. Yes, he did. He had Powell go & tell us how dangerous Iraq was. He had his guys tell how the war in Iraq would be a cake walk & pay for itself. Then we did it. We saw the statue get pulled down. We saw the mission accomplished banner. But we never found any weapons that were a threat to us. He made a joke about it at a press dinner. When asked what Saddam had to do with 911, he said "nothing". He cost us over 4000 GIs & a trillion bucks over nothing. I don't care who he worhips that is a serious foulup that no religion is gonna fix. This isn't a liberal or a consevative thing, this is a lying thing, & I will turn my back on W if I ever see him again.

Bruce Berger| 11.20.10 @ 7:55AM

Wesley,
So you are in the "Bush lied, people died" camp. The facts show that the national security establishment was convinced that Saddam had WMD.

So when they elect Presidents based on their Monday morning quarterbacking, I will nominate you, because you seem to be pretty good at it.

Wesley Mouch| 11.20.10 @ 3:01PM

The joking about it is what sealed the deal for me. The Downing street memos were an kick in the gonads. Believe what you want, but the facts are squarely against Bush.

carol| 11.19.10 @ 2:05PM

although this is off subject, with GW in the news this past week about his book I realized I had forgotten what an American President who loves this copuntry sounds like. Listening to BO for two years has been an indoctrination to anti American rhetoric. God help us

Thom| 11.19.10 @ 4:22PM

We live in a Nation where the Justice System has become the primary threat to Justice being served. I see little difference between Fitzgerald and the POS that persecuted the kids at Duke knowing his case didn’t have a shred of proof to stand on. As much as Fitzgerald’s latest scumbag of interest from the town Al Capone built probably deseres far worse than he is going to get, people like Fitzgerald aren’t interested in Justice. They are Rogues among Rogues that protect them.

Among the many problems our Justice system has today, not the least of which is that it isn’t about a search for the truth any longer, we have reintroduced Star Chamber proceedings run by unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats. The entire Criminal Justice system is just one giant highly complex, convoluted and overly technical series of bureaucratic hurdles to overcome that has not a touch of humanity left in it. It is not a stretch to point out that the Justice system is of a system of Lawyers, for Lawyers and by Lawyers. A continuously flowing stream of high dollar Defendants are necessary to keep the Lawyer class well fed. Like what most large government bureaucracies become, the Justice system is just as incompetent as the Post Office and a whole lot more expensive to the taxpayers and citizens in general.

Since I don’t have a clue why Bush only went half way with Libby’s pardon I won’t speculate more on that but it is clear from the evidence that this entire affair was just an unbounded political witch hunt and all Fitzgerald was interested in was a scalp on this lodge pole when this was all said and done. His statement to the effect that Plame was “covert” is easily proven false. That makes Fitzgerald a liar which using his own standard would put him in jail. Contrary to popular folk lore where you work is not a “state secret” and cannot be made one in a free society. If you work for the CIA whether you are covert or not is completely moot to another intelligence service. A CIA employee is a CIA employee in all things practical regarding the mission of the CIA. Did Plame ever visit the CIA headquarters via her private vehicle and/or not completely disguised? If so she no longer had “covert” value in any practical sense. Again, Fitzgerald lied about Plame and the cesspool from which juries are picked today in Washington, DC can’t rise to the level of Fitzgerald’s incompetence. His unwillingness to prosecute the actual “leaker” underscores this travesty y of justice. He had no case against anyone and went out of his way at taxpayer expense to invent one that would play well with a Washington DC Jury pool. His methods would make the Inquisition methods look amateurish on some levels.

Fitzgerald is the poster child for what is wrong with Federal police powers. He would be a perfect replacement for the head of the TSA today. He is a perfect Bureaucrat in all that stands for. Those who revel in seeing Libby go down for what is purely political blood sport had better think very long and hard about what they would do if the shoe is on the other foot and the Fitzgerald’s of the world come gunning your way. How good is your memory compared to what several other people might say you said to them the last week?

A working Justice system is necessary for a civilized society to function. We have a blood sport system masquerading as one. It’s all about power and money. Ask yourself, who got richly rewarded from this affair and then tell me again what the crime was that Fitzgerald was investigating? Clinton on the other hand lied in public and under oath. He committed perjury under oath to protect himself and there is undisputed physical evidence and testimony to back this up. He got away with a crime that will send anyone else to jail. Libby was convicted of not telling the truth about a crime that didn’t happen and he had nothing to gain from. Fitzgerald had nothing to support his case except a Democrat jury out for any Republican’s blood.

Clinton is wealthy beyond compare because Democrats love their criminals when they get away with it. The Chicago scumbag will be equally loved when he walks away from Fitzgerald’s latest case of incompetence and scalp hunting. What does Libby have? He’s broke. What lesson did Libby learn about our Justice system’s blindness to political influence?

This is all a game, a dangerous game that ultimately plays no favorites whereas real justice is concerned and will consume this Nation if left on the track it is on. Libby certainly isn’t the first and won’t be the last victim of this bottomless abyss but anyone that has actually looked at the physical evidence presented and charges brought would have to be fearful of an out of control Rogue like Fitzgerald with the unlimited resources of the Federal government behind him. Everyone lost a little here but I suspect there are still many that can’t grasp that still.

CalMark| 11.19.10 @ 5:02PM

Libby's conviction for a non-crime, and non-pardon was a grievous miscarriage of justice. Sanctimonious, self-righteous George W. Bush is to blame.

Bush was boundlessly kind to no-doubt-about-it guilty-of-crimes political enemies, criminally harsh to friends and allies in trumped-up Democrat propaganda accusations.

OK, Bush-huggers, explain why Bush turned his back on Libby but was so charitable to Democrat traitor Sandy Berger, who stole and (so he says) destroyed Top Secret documents. As I recall, Bush was kinda busy at that time, too.

Berger's penalties were far, far less than Libby's, Yet it was all kept very, very quiet and low-key by the Dem-hugging "W."

Bush should have given Libby a preemptive pardon, sparing him the hell of a criminal trial and the cost of a defense. And Fitzgerald behaved unethically and criminally; Bush should have gone after Fitzgerald's law license and had him indicted on charges of conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction of justice.

This affair is only one of the many, many ways Bush damaged his country, pulverized his Party, and undermined the conservative movement. Go home to Houston, "W.," and be quiet.

Cpm| 11.19.10 @ 5:34PM

Only the priciples know what actually went on, and apparently Cheney is cool with it now, so that's good enough for me.

CalMark| 11.19.10 @ 5:37PM

Oh, so you're OK with injustice provided the "insiders" are cool with it. I guess the facts don't matter, huh?

Real moral fortitude on display here!

Cpm | 11.19.10 @ 7:45PM

We don't know all the facts, as I said in my post. Too bad the Constitution doesn't give you the power to pardon. Sorry the world doesn't conform to your sense of moral outrage. I refuse to lose any sleep over it. Nickname your ulcer "Scooter".

Quin| 11.19.10 @ 10:57PM

Cheney is not "cool with it." He is still angry about it, but he just decided in the end to let the disagreement ride and not ruin his entire relationship with Bush. But he REALLY was angry. He said Libby was absolutely an "innocent" man in all this.

Havoc| 11.19.10 @ 5:43PM

Everytime I see President Bush's face, I am reminded of how much I hate him - for all the reasons you cited. Probably, there are additional reasons that we will recall later ... he turns my stomach.

Cpm| 11.20.10 @ 1:49AM

Hate? If seeing Bush is all it takes for you to get your hate on you must be apoplectic 24/7/365. That's a very low threshold. No wonder you have such a delicate tummy. Seek counseling.

Thom| 11.19.10 @ 5:50PM

To the extent I really don’t want to second guess “W” on this half-arsed pardon/commuted sentence thing, it is consistent with his character to want to view any criticism or attack on his policies or him personally as something beneath him and demeaning to the Office of the Presidency to respond to. Basically he is secure in who he is and lets this stuff roll off his back but the downside to this approach is to essentially let your enemies define you and throw your supporters who invested in you to get you where you are under the “bus”. As good natured and well meaning as all this leads to for person to person relationships it will not work for a leadership position. The “Big Lie” technique works and it seems neither he nor Rove grasp that you can’t let your enemy erode your support by picking off your supporters with continuous lies and distortions that aren’t responded to. His response to the assaults on him and his policies was equivalent to responding to a gang of thugs surrounding your home with torches by putting on a fireproof suit and ignoring them. Might work out for you ok but what about your house and all that is invested in that? With leadership goes a responsibility to defend the ground your supporters bought. That’s my chief problem with “W” style of leadership. He internalized the scorn he received on a daily basis as something he had to overcome personally rather than as a Leader of a “movement” reflecting the standards he had staked out. I know he hates the concept of a “movement” person but that goes with the gig of being the Leader of the United States. You stand for something or nothing. Standing for decency is not leadership. When “W” abandoned even the glimmer of fighting back for what people believed in that supported him, those that got him to where he was abandoned him. This Libby affair and this half arsed pardon thing just compounds that in my mind. Either Libby is guilty of some crime or he is not. There is no half way guilt but this half-arsed pardon leaves nothing but doubts that do not serve my sense of justice.

C Bowen| 11.19.10 @ 7:51PM

Libby wrote vile pornographic books prior to coming to the White House. Why "conservatives" defend him is a study of our times....

Todd S| 11.20.10 @ 7:03AM

Interesting claim you make, seems like I would have heard that before with all the long knives that were out for Libby but who am I to doubt the veracity of an Internet poster. What you fail to understand is that it is not about the person, it is about the principle that protect individuals from having their lives destroyed by perverting the law for political ends. The Democrats and Fitzgerald were allowed to get away with it due to Bush's acquiences and will no doubt try something insidious like this to try to destroy the new Republican president and his administration. The ends always justify the means with the leftists and they don't lose any sleep over the destruction of the rule of law and rights of the individula against the state to get what they want, that being power.

C Bowen| 11.20.10 @ 7:12AM

Look up The Apprentice, by Scooter Libby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_(Libby_novel)

Quality guy, really.

Indeed, he is just a distraction for all involved. Nobody wants to talk about who actually forged the Nigerian Yellowcake documents, and they did a good job distracting with the Plame sideshow.

Todd S| 11.20.10 @ 5:24PM

It is an huge overstatement to say he wrote "pornographic novels" and you know it. No one is reading that book to get off.

C Bowen| 11.20.10 @ 6:23PM

OK Todd S,

Is someone who writes a book where an animal rapes a young girl possibly a conservative?

As you don't seem to be too familiar with these folks, have you seen Dick Cheney's wife's book "Sisters"?

Nite| 11.19.10 @ 10:45PM

Valarie Plame was outed years before this so called incident. A double agent released names to the Soviets who killed a bunch of them. Plame could NO longer work undercover. She went openly in and out of the the CIA on a daily basis. This a hoot and a holler from the idiot left. John Kerry did release the name of a true undercover spy on national TV. The CIA kept trying to get him to quit, but he wouldn't. Nothing ever happened to Kerry. Guess that spy could no longer work in that capacity and it may have put his life in danger.

ThePaganTemple| 11.20.10 @ 8:19AM

Patrick Fitzgerald is nothing more than an attack dog out for a bone. I'll be very surprised if he isn't appointed to some post after the Blagojevich fiasco is over and done with.

As for this movie, the best clue you have that its not worth a rat's ass is the fact that it wasn't released until after the election.

TURK| 11.20.10 @ 1:59PM

Back on the S Penn thing. To understand the little piece of leftist excrement, look to the allegiances of his father at the same time the marxist's were the ones wanting to nuke us.

ironhorzmn| 11.20.10 @ 2:07PM

Hundreds of tons of enriched uranium WERE found in Iraq. I know because I was in a Navy security unit placed on standby in the Mediterranean as it was flown out of the Middle East.

This isn't 'Jane Bond' were talking about. There is serious question whether Plame was ever a 'covert agent'.

Yes, she served abroad but as a known CIA staffer. The point is that even if the Bush Administration ever 'outed' anyone there would be no violation of the statute which requires that the person must have been in a 'covert' status within the last several years.

Daniel Sherwin| 11.20.10 @ 8:37PM

Dont ever forget the american press against GW

We are ripping GW but those times were different.........Not that GW gets a pass but the Hatetred was palpalble.........JChrist remember Reanoldus Magnus......Bush went to India and Bari fucked up after the fact......Bush did alot better than you guys give him credit for.....Let it go and judge Bari......

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 11.21.10 @ 11:44AM

Loyalty is many things but it is never spelled Bush.

David| 11.21.10 @ 3:15PM

That entire matter was the biggest legal joke of a prosecution that I can remember. From Plame being referred to as a covert agent, to Armitage being the actual person who named her (which Fitzgerald knew before going after Libby), to the all out obvious attempt to hang something on the most honorable Dick Cheney, to ALL of the witnesses different recollections of times, events, exact words spoken when and where, etc., it was a joke. It was an abuse of prosecutorial discretion as bad as that creep from Carolina who kept pushing the Duke rape case after it was obvious that there no was no wrongdoing whatsoever.

Larry| 11.21.10 @ 8:36PM

And what Quin has said about Cheney not being "cool" with Libby's conviction has been confirmed by Bush's own memoirs, which reference a furious Cheney confronting Bush over why he did not give Libby a full pardon. The whole affair was handled badly by Bush; Libby should never have been indicted much less convicted, but it shows the dangers of the independent prosecutor system and how the media can ruin anyone in this age of instant analysis and judgment.

led display| 11.23.10 @ 9:38PM

learn!!!

hookah| 12.16.10 @ 9:31PM

Let us learn to understand life

NoNotAgain| 2.8.11 @ 1:49AM

Face it the American Intelligence Community got duped. The lie is worst by covering it up with another lie. Scooter should have went to jail, but instead his buddy Jr pardoned him, WHO DOES THAT?

NoNotAgain| 2.8.11 @ 1:52AM

If President Obama did half the things that Jr did you would cry impeach!! But Bush Sr & Jr both come from a family of Nazi-sympathizers yet you call Pres Obama a communist. Bush Jr should be in jail but instead gets 100mill in 100 days of leaving office Why? Allowing his buddies, like his Father, to bankrupt this Country. S & L and now Wall Street what on earth will the next Bush do. What is left? LOL