Reply #23: That's not the case, though. Miller was the first in June 2003. It's in

[Garbo 2004]

the indictment.

Libby's conversation with Russert was in July. You're buying Libby's lie that he talked to Russert about Wilson (and that's how he learned of Plame's identity). When clearly he already knew and was talking about it to Miller before his July conversation with Russert when he complained about Tweety.

I'm thinking maybe in Fall 2003 when Libby had to find a source, thinking the investigation would be buried in Ashcroft's DOJ and no journos would ever be forced to testify, he simply went to his phone log and picked a DC insider media person he did talk to in the relevant time frame (July) who might plausibly have the info. Thinking it would never come to the test and disclosure. Not just his conversation with Russert, but his weeks earlier conversation with Judy Miller. By the time Fitz came on the scene, Libby was married to the main points of his story and couldn't easily retract them. The "I forgot" defense didn't work.

Remember, it wasn't just Russert's statements to Fitz passed on to the grand jury that sunk Libby, it was also Miller's.