Cheney Says He Might Testify in Leak Case

[Eugene]

Cheney Says He Might Testify in Leak Case

The Associated Press
Thursday, June 22, 2006; 7:57 PM

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday he might have to testify
in the CIA leak trial of his former chief of staff.

Cheney made the comment in a CNN interview, following last month's suggestion
by prosecutors that the vice president would be a logical witness in the case
of I. Lewis Libby, who is accused of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI.

Libby is "one of the finest men I've ever known," Cheney said, then declined
further comment. "I may be called as a witness."

Cheney's state of mind is directly relevant to whether Libby lied to FBI agents
and a federal grand jury about how Libby learned CIA officer Valerie Plame's
identity and what he later told reporters, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has
said in recently filed court papers.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/22/AR2006062201540.html

[babylonsister]

1. But...but...I though dimson said the case was closed?! nt

[librechik]

3. since he plans to pardon Libby the day after election day, it is for him

mission accomplished.

[Olney Blue]

6. Dimson was talking about Rove... Scooter's is in its last throes.

[babylonsister]

11. That's right; there is that nasty loose end called Libby. nt

[blm]

2. Which means he won't. The trial will be postponed till after the election,

and then Bush will pardon Libby. The Bushes will never allow themselves to be put under oath to testify EVER, and I am certain that Cheney feels the exact same way.

[librechik]

7. the trial is in January 07--as Cheney said, "hypothetically"

I think we all know what that means




mission accomplished

oh, and call him PRESIDENT Cheney.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. The DICK might look good in stripes too.

[superconnected]

5. I like when they turn on libby so libby can turn on them more.

How nice of cheney to offer to lie for the mock court anyway. At least scooter may have something interesting to say about the Bush Administration when all ties have been hacked off.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Big difference between

Cheney says he might testify in Leak Case.

and

Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday he might have to testify
in the CIA leak trial.

Criminy!

[Robbien]

9. Has a sittling VP ever testified in a criminal case before?

What would that say if Libby gets convicted and the VP of the US took the stand in his defense?

Corruption is becoming an acceptable course of business these days right on up to the WH. And no one even blinks.

[Faygo Kid]

10. I have an opinion about Cheney and leaks. Here it is.

[lumpy]

27. LOL. Haven't seen the little pisser in

quite awhile.Always makes me laugh.

[Strathos]

12. Well, he's had plenty of time to memorize the script

Might as well get his time in front of the camera.

[UTUSN]

13. Hubris.He believes he will be able to lie under oath & walk out Scot free

He's LIED even when he's shown a video tape of himself saying things he claims he never said.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. You hopeless reality-based twit!

The truth is whatever Cheney says it is, whenever he says it. If he said something different in the past, that was because the truth was different then. Why can't you morans get a simple concept like that?

[laylah]

14. Cheney Says He Might Testify in Leak Case

What an arrogant POS...evil, twisted, sick, fvck!

Jenn

[daleo]

16. Cheney will be there with his shotgun

And if any fancy law talking prosecutor gets cute Cheney will shoot him in the face, then demand an apology.

[Peace Patriot]

17. The conspiracy to out Plame and the entire WMD counter-proliferation

network that she headed (Brewster-Jennings) goes at least as high as Cheney, and probably laterally to Rumsfeld (and who knows what they kept Bush advised of?). I think I'm nosing out what "the deal" was that just got negotiated re a Rove indictment for perjury. (Fitzgerald has Rove on perjury, from what I can tell.) It may have to do with White House cooperation in general. Our justice system is shaky at best, and I can imagine a scenario with this junta, of their committing a blatant, serious crime, like this one, and they quite simply refuse to permit investigation, charges or court proceedings, or trump it all with pre-trial pardons. This is a regime in which the President has added his own codas to 750 laws passed by Congress, specifying which parts of the laws apply to him and his regime. And that's not the half of what they've done in terms of asserting extra-legal, unconstitutional power. Fitzgerald got special authority to investigate them, early on, because of the unusual nature of the crime--not just a felony, but an offense against the CIA's tradition of protecting its own, our agents in the field, and, arguably, a treasonous act. We don't know how much damage they caused to U.S. eyes and ears on WMDs around the world, but the potential was extensive, including the deaths of covert U.S. agents and contacts soon after the identities of Plame and Brewster-Jennings were outed in Robert Novak's column. George Tenet's parting shot as CIA Director (after the Bushites tried to blame bad Iraq intel on the CIA) was to file a complaint by the CIA with the Dept. of Justice, which led to the setting up of an independent prosecutor--Fitzgerald.

AG Ashcroft had to recuse himself from overseeing the case because of conflict of interest. Later, AG (and torture memo writer) Gonzales had to recuse himself because he obstructed justice in the case (gave the White House notice time to shred documents and concoct stories). If any organized crime gang had acted the way this regime has acted, in the initial crime(s) and in the lies and coverups, they would all long ago have been prosecuted. But Fitzgerald faced a situation of a blockade of coverups--Libby protecting Cheney (and probably Rumsfeld) and Rove protecting Bush. Fitz had to find a way to crack this open, and he may have found his opening early last month, in a final showdown with Rove, who wanted to be free to oversee the theft of the '06 Congressional elections (...ahem). Rove testified five times before the Grand Jury. Apparently (or at least it feels this way to me) Fitz was not satisfied with Rove's various lying statements (about his own behavior), and threatened him with indictment. Rove finally agreed to some sort of limited cooperation (testifying under oath at Libby's trial) and it looks like Cheney has now agreed to testify as well. Fitz may feel this is the only way to crack the conspiracy--to get them on the stand. Rove and Cheney may feel they can talk, and bully and bluster their way out of anything--and will likely have pre-signed pardons in their back pockets, with blanks in them to fill in the perjuries and obstructions they have yet to commit, or the main crime felony/treason. Fitz is a very good and very focused prosecutor. His stated goal is to find out WHY this grave national security crime was committed. There are still a whole lot of unknowns in this case, and great potential for interference. But my feeling about it is that Fitz is in a rather good position at the moment, as to his goal.

[KansDem]

29. Good post!

Very succinct summary of what is turning out to be one of the most complex, convoluted scandals in recent American history (at least for me, anyway). Thanks for keeping this in perspective for all of us following (or trying to follow) this case.

[IndianaGreen]

18. In open court, and under oath?

I don't think so! Cheney is not about to perjure himself in court, particularly under cross.

[Recursion]

19. Umm... yeah... because that oath to defend and support the Constitution...

...meant so much to him...

:sarcasm:

[54anickel]

20. Heh-heh, that so "pre 911" (the open court and under oath). 911 changed

EVERYTHING! Cheney made sure of it. Expanded Presidential Powers, pre-emptive war, can't endanger National Security, blah, blah blah.
You're right, it'll be a cold day in hell when Cheney takes the stand in open court and under oath.

[ninkasi]

21. IG, I've wondered about that

I can't believe that Cheney would NOT lie under oath, if it suits his purpose. Do you think that being under oath will matter to him? I'm serious about the answer, because I consider you to be one of the most knowledgeable members here. Somehow, it seems a given to me that he would lie if he thought he could get away with it.

[IndianaGreen]

23. I think that Cheney was probably thinking of being deposed on video

and no oath taken, as he and Bush have already been deposed by Fitzgerald.

I cannot conceive of Cheney taking the risk of being tripped under cross examination.

[Gman]

22. I doubt they'll swear him in as a witness

Just like testifying before Conress.

[BR_Parkway]

24. Constitutional Amendment that the Pres can't pardon Executive branch

people, that Congress must do that.

Keeps the balance of powers and would prevent the misuse that both Sr Bush and probably Jr will do in using it to cover their own asses.

Wonder if these folks could be charged in State courts for anything, at least they wouldn't be subject to a Presidential pardon

[johnaries]

25. Donning my tin-foil hat....

Fitz knows Cheney was behind it. He hopes that getting Cheney on the stand he can catch him lying under oath. He either did indict Rover or threatened him with an indictment and Rove cut a deal promising to deliver Cheney.

This is the only way recent events make any sense to me, including some of Fitz's recent actions that seem uncharacteristic. And in this scenario, everything makes perfect sense.

[WeRQ4U]

26. I couldn't think of a person easier to impeach.

He does nothing BUT lie.

[A Simple Game]

30. He does nothing BUT lie?

That's just not true.

He's also been known to shoot people too.

[WeRQ4U]

33. True.

I'm sure he fillets and eats babies too.

[ima_sinnic]

28. oh, gee--THERE'S a credible witness

NOT!!!

sheesh. whatever.

[orleans]

31. sounds like a presidential pardon is in order n/t

[WinkyDink]

32. "one of the finest men I've ever known,

especially when he was writing that bear scene. Har har har."

[nealmhughes]

34. Go ahead and pardon the Scootster now and get it over with.

I think Eliot Abrams has a job open with the State Dept.

[samsingh]

35. cheney should be in prison

gitmo or guantanomo

[Tiggeroshii]

36. I think Cheney might be toast.

Only time will tell.