Libby taking the fall for Big Time?
(With a little Andrea Mitchell video thrown in)
The new WaPo article shows that there will be no wiggling out of this indictment for Scooter when his trial begins. You can count on a trial unless a jail cell becomes too big a cross to carry for him and he flips on his "ex-hip-mate," Dr. Evil. The White House tried to spin the leak of Valerie's name in the direction of reporters from the beginning, but unfortunately for Libby, Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, and Catherine Martin, a Cheney press aide, puts the noose squarely around his neck. It doesn't help Scooter's case that the FBI has the White House phone and visitor logs, which clearly documented the administration's contacts with reporters. (Monk's always incredible graphics)
I've been talking to Jane a lot about Andrea Mitchell's role in all of this and I think that Andrea was playing along with the administration early on before she got frightened off by the grand jury investigation. Her remarks are muddled at best and I really doubt she knew anything about Joseph Wilson's wife prior to Novak's column.
Here's Andrea Mitchell on Imus explaining her early statement about Valerie Plame.
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She stumbles for a while until Don helps clarify her own remarks. Just One Minute has a transcript of Mitchell's comments although he is trying to make the case that reporters did know of Valerie's identity. I think it's more the case of reporters carrying much needed water for the White House.
