A Pattern I Noticed This Past Week & Posted About:

[Dinger]

I noticed that we were hearing lass and less about rOVER & more about Libby. It started on Monday or Tuesday. I posted that I noticed this, but I forget whqat the responses were. Why was this? Did "they" know already what the news was going to be? Did rOVER's lawyer talk to Fitz before Friday? Just tossing this out there . . . .

[Spazito]

1. I also find the sequence of action Thursday/Friday morning to

be interesting. Late Thursday, Fitzgerald meets with Rove's attorneys, they give him something they believe will make Fitzgerald hold off on any indictment/s re Rove, at least for the moment, and then you have reports of Fitzgerald being seen around the office of bush's PERSONAL lawyer early Friday morning.

Now, if there was an administration legal question, Fitzgerald would be talking to the White House counsel NOT bush's PERSONAL lawyer.

One could speculate that whatever was handed to Fitzgerald by Rove's lawyer late Thursday caused the visit to bush's PERSONAL lawyer early Friday.

[EuroObserver]

2. I'm still waiting to see a second source

(reliable) on Fitzie's supposed visit to Shrub's personal lawyer.

I haven't seen it yet. Maybe I missed it. If this is confirmed, please post here.

[Spazito]

6. Here is the link to Newsweek

"In any case, Fitzgerald made another visit early Friday morning—shortly before the grand jury voted to indict Dick Cheney's top aide, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby—to the office of James Sharp, President George W. Bush's own lawyer in the case..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9865842/site/newsweek

NYT

"Mr. Fitzgerald was spotted Friday morning outside the office of James Sharp, Mr. Bush's personal lawyer."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/29/politics/29leak.html?adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1130698856-FsPXFm6vyb/j8boKYN/Jig

Edited to add the Newsweek link instead of the DU thread about it.

[EuroObserver]

9. Hmmm. Ok, these media seem to be convinced:

(but don't refer to sources).

Newsweek appears to have more:

Newsweek: "In any case, Fitzgerald made another visit early Friday morning—shortly before the grand jury voted to indict Dick Cheney's top aide, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby—to the office of James Sharp, President George W. Bush's own lawyer in the case, to tell him the president's closest aide would not be charged."

NYT: "Mr. Fitzgerald was spotted Friday morning outside the office of James Sharp, Mr. Bush's personal lawyer."

[Spazito]

11. With regard to Newsweek

Seeing as bush's lawyer and Fitzgerald, through his spokesman, are on record as not speaking about this, there is no way Newsweek can know what was discussed between them. The point about 'the president's closest aide would not be charge' is ludicrous. The lawyer Fitzgerald is reported to have visited Friday morning was bush's PERSONAL lawyer not White House counsel. If the issue to be discussed related to Rove, it would be Rove's lawyer that would have received any decision regarding Rove, NOT bush's PERSONAL lawyer.

[FreedomAngel82]

5. I think so too

I wonder what he talked about with Bush's lawyer.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Nothing sinister. Statements by lawyers etc. that foreshadowed events.

[jayctravis]

4. Libby is much less known...

So it's natural that he gets more air time.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Don't you think it is because Rove was dealing with Fitzgerald - there

seemed to ba a time out while some negotiating was going on. Perhaps, it was too tricky to leak anything.

My understanding is that we're not done with Rove.

The law regarding leaking CIA identity is also tricky.

And who understands the leak?

Is it illegal when:

. when a high level govt administrator tells a lower level govt administrator who is not cleared for classified material?

. when a CIA employee tells anyone?

. when a govt employee tells a non-govt employee?

. when anyone tells the press?

. when anyone tells the press and it is printed?

It is very muddy.

Anyway, don't you think winds shifted in the past week as a result of Rove dealing so Rove leaks stopped while the the admission that Libby was in trouble came through the grapevine?

[Dinger]

8. More Questions About The Timing:

Why would rOVER deal this late, and not earlier? Maybe he did (deal earlier), but not to this degree. Did Fitz somehow make rOVER think he was relatively safe, but then scare rOVER this late in the "game"? Why would he do that?

[peacetalksforall]

10. One of the key and easiest tactics in Rove's arsenal is "lying and

stalling denials" and "riding out the storm". When it got to the point where a decision was made, it sounds like they made one that requires a lot of back and forth negotiations. They must be using a room full of lawyers and politicos to analyze the risks and contingencies of every little part of their negotiation. Even though I believe he reports to Cheney and only 'manages' Bush (in spite of the Rove-Bush history), they have way too many people and legacies to protect with Rove 'talking or pleaing'. The Rove lawyers are probably figuring out what they can get away with. Perhaps some of what they are doing is dependent on the aftermath of the Libby indictment and the success they have with their lying talking points.