How come the Press hasn't told me how much Fitzgerald's stupid investigation is costing? They always let me know how much Ken Starr's was costing on a minute by minute basis.

Winter Discontent

We wanted Karl Rove
so bad, it makes my balls hurt
Scooter ain't enough

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

This will be so sweet
Weasel must respect Bean-O
I can hardly wait

This is farcical.

There should NEVER be a 'special' prosecuter appointed in the future. They seem to feel the need to indict someone on some flimsy non-related issue. Every witness called should just plead a lousy memory to every thing that might be remotely considered problematic. Otherwise you stand the chance of indictment for a 'lousy memory' if all else fails.

NEVER.

And this was a NYT's article by the way. So the 'credibility' quotient must therefore be factored into the equation. On that basis maybe Libby will receive a special attaboy for co-operation beyond the call of duty.

Weasel:

I am not a man
To say "I told you so"
But, you know, I did

The 'Special Prosecutor' law lapsed already, didn't it? I thought there was already a discussion about how Fitz would be the last one following this set of rules.

No, the Independent Prosecutor law lapsed, which involves a non-executive branch prosecutor, selected by and answering to a panel of judges.

The Pres or AG can always appoint a special prosecutor. I'm not sure if any particular law is needed. In any event, that's not the law that lapsed.

The pres or AG could fire Fitzgerald, if they wanted, as Nixon attempted.

Folks who live in McLean have always maintained that the claims on Plame has been verifiably unmaned. It seriously bothered me that D.C. journos would pretend that a not -serious- about -security woman, who flew a desk at Langley for the past ten years (while going in through the 123 entrance in a bleeding GOLD JAGUAR) was an undercover operative. She might, might have been an undeclared op. She had already been PNG'd. CIA leaks were abundant in the past administration, and it would not be illogical to assume that some came from Plame. Certainly her husband had no qualms about leaking. The point that Mr. Fitz is missing is that anyone in a Georgetown bar knows at least seven "undercover" CIA agents,and (most likely) the wives, or husbands, as well. Truth be told, anyone...repeat Anyone connected to an embassy is tagged as a possible. This is why infiltration and exfiltration (hard guys) operatives do not maintain (or usually get paid for) jobs in the NoVa area. When Joe Wilson started saying Bad Things about Bush, he was hailed as a whistleblowing hero. When it became apparent that he was a liar and a knave, he became a victim. Why he has not been indicted for his leaks is a bit of a mystery to me. So to cap it:Joe is a ugly lying bastard (although I have no support for saying that his parents were unmarried, if he can lie about documents he never saw to the press, I can lie about his parentage), Valerie got picked for a plum position at CIA based on Joe(check the time-line)but was not a model employee. Joe gets wicked fired. Re-hired by his wife for a fact finding mission in which he drinks sweet tea. Returns to the States, delivers his prejorative repot, contradicts said repot in an anonymous fashion. Then-bring down the Government. Joe, as a friend, just go and die.

"Valerie got picked for a plum position at CIA based on Joe(check the time-line)but was not a model employee."

Care to expand on that, pinky? You sound like you have first hand knowledge.

Perhaps so, Michael. Perhaps so. But all we got at this moment is "likely to be..."

I would love to expand,hell, even expound on that. Can not. Probably should not have posted in the first place. Just so very angry that a little douche like Wilson can leak and lie, but if Scoot "mis-remembers" a conversation with a journo, who already knew Plame's status, is it grounds for a perjury charge? Sometimes I wish that we had an OSA, but mostly I am glad that we do not. I do have some Joes who say that Scooter is going to take one for the team, but this has been a remarkably silent prosecution. The charge I have yet to see is for Wilson himself. Get that little (self-professed) liar on the stand and see what comes out.

Fitzgerald should produce excrement or get offa the f'n porcelain god. His 1st order of business should have been to determine if the "Flame" revelation was a crime. Since it was not - as Plame was no longer covert under the statutory definition - he should have folded his tent and gone home sparing Judith Miller her confinement and saving scads of time and money. If Fitzgerald is exemplary of the best prosecutors, the ordinary ones must be putrid.

I can't wait to see the ticky-tack charges they got him on.

I'm betting that Fitzgerald goes for "wearing white shoes after Labor Day."

Everyone *knows* that's a crime.

NO! I WANTED A REAL PONY FOR FITZMAS, NOT A MY PRETTY PONY!

Totally agree: Karl Rove has been under the cloud for two years and TODAY he was either going to be let go or under indictment. MORE investigation? That's a load.

The federal judge should cut this off now. No extension.

I am getting tired of the media speculating and trying to double guess what Fitzgerald is going to do. Says more about their private wet-dreams that about the GJ is thinking. And yes, if a criime has been committed Fitz should know by now, if he hasn't uncovered one by now then the evidence is buried too deep for him to find.

MERRY FITZMAS, EVERYONE!

Hopefully Fitzie-Claus won't make us wait until after the markets close to announce the indictments (if any).

The federal judge should cut this off now. No extension.

Hasn't it already been extended once? Come ON, it's time to shut this down.

Pinky, enjoyed your screed.

Where was Plame PNG'd? When?

I thought Ames' internal damge assessment recalled her to the states in the mid-90's.

DC/Va culture story: In the early 90's, I flew into National for a job interview and told the cab driver to take me to such in such hotel in VA. After driving for a bit he turned to me and said something like, "is this your first interview with the CIA?". In fact it was my second.

OH, NO!!!

THEY GOT SCOOTER!!!

First Gannon, now Scooter. Can the conservative movement take more hits like this?

am I wrong for hoping this will, in fact, reopen the debate over the evidence for the war?

Scooter's defense may prove a venue to discredit Wilson and support the Niger evidence, no?

First Gannon, now Scooter! WHEN WILL THIS PERSECUTION END?!? Scooter was the best of us, a man of ideals and gentility! I have rent my shirt and anointed my head with ashes; this Fitzmas shall be spent weeping and wailing at the injustice done to the poor innocent Scoot-man. This is a dark Fitzmas indeed.

...or not. Maybe I'll just ignore this like I did the rest of this stupid fucking melodrama. Libby have been indicted, but that's a pretty far cry from being convicted of anything (and I'm betting he'll never stand in front of a judge at all). And if Libby is even indictable, what about Miller and Novak? How is he guilty of anything and not them?

This is totally fucked up. How can you commit a crime by talking about some other thing that was not a crime? Bah, and bah again.

But at least My Dread Lord Rove has remained untouched for now. And good thing, too: that bastard hasn't mailed my my Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Cabal payment for this month yet, and I've got expenses.

Ah, hell. Who are they kidding? Rove was never going to be indicted. All he had to do was wave his hand in front of Fitz's face and say "I'm not the administration official you're looking for."

FREE SCOOTER!

limit 2 per household

Slublog - so Rove is a VAMPIRE? That explains everything. And, definitely settles the question from the vampire thread as to whether they can be photographed.

The lack of an indictment against Rove is a mixed outcome for the administration. It keeps in place the president's top adviser, the architect of his political machine whose fingerprints can be found on virtually every policy that emerges from the White House.

fingerprints.....crime......get it? The MSM is crafty!

Scooter who?

MERRY FITZMAS, YOU OLD SAVINGS AND LOAN!

I lose. Scooter goes down.

Oh, right.

What I meant to say was, "OH MY GOD! THEY GOT SCOOTER! YOU BASTARDS!!"

Damn typos.

Indicted on 5 counts I hear

What exactly are the five counts? All I can find are general terms. Are any of the five anything to do with the original charge of outing Plame or disclosing classified info?

I grieve for you, Weasel: you will have to suck up to Bean-O now. And as much as I dislike that prick, you're really going to have to be sweet to him -- that'll be your take-home lesson for making rash wagers.

Master-All five counts are laid out in the idictment, which is now up at thesmokinggun.com

Lamest scandal EVER.

Too true, Monty. 'Tis my own petard you see me sadly hoist upon.

And yet, somehow, my Fitzmas disappointment is not great. Many who are the winners on this Fitzmas day may feel the loser more.

Now, where's tubino? I owe him a big, wet one

1. Obstruction of Justice
2. Making a False Statement
3. Making a False Statement
4. Purgery
5. Purgery

Nothing about outing Plame or disclosing secrets. It's all just about where Libby got the information about Plame working at CIA, and what he told reporters.

4. Purgery

5. Purgery

I didn't know you could get indicted for diarrhea. Poor guy.

Oh well, at least he beat a perjury rap.

4. Purgery

5. Purgery

I didn't know you could get indicted for diarrhea. Poor guy.

Here are the real charges to be leveled against Libby. Expect Drudge to pick them up any moment now.

1. Conspiracy to poop
2. Pooping without a permit
3. Pooping in a non-designated pooping area
4. Pooping in an inadequately ventilated space
5. Pooping without giving prior warning of poopage
6. Poop duration exceeded federally mandated standards
7. Conspiracy to hide poop
8. Willful denial of poop (post-poopage)

EXECUTE HIM!! This kind of lawlessness cannot be tolerated!