Behind The Green Room Door

How does Tim Russert invite Byron York on his show and avoid a discussion of the Libby trial?  Easy - he surrounds himself with guests talking about Presidential politics.

When Tim starts appearing with children and puppies, we'll know he has run out of hostages.

Comments

[bad]

Tim Russert stinks.

[hit and run]

Hi bad!

Yeah, first time I watched MTP in probably 5 years, thinking there might be something to Byron being on there.

I feel stoopid for such naive expectations.

And used.

[clarice]

Picky, picky..Children and puppies aren't all bad.

[bad]

H&R You can still repect yourself in the morning.

Additionally, Russert has cooties.

[Deagle]

Worse... How does Bryan York go on the show and NOT discuss the Libby trial? I blame York!

[Other Tom]

It didn't surprise me one bit. It's Russert's show, and he gets to pick the topics.

[hit and run]

I did like the MoDo appearance via monitor.

Reinforces the impression of her being behind the TimesSelect wall.

Which comforts me to know end.

[hit and run]

*no end* eh, whatever. Like I've ever tried to represent that I no what I'm talking about.

[hit and run]

**know what I'm talking about.**

Cripes. Know way I'll get hung up about spelling/grammar.

[bad]

York is biding his time. He'll say what needs to be said when the time is right. His hair is sooooooooo awesome you just knooooow you can trust him. Unlike some peoplr who only think they have great hair. wink wink nudge nudge say no more, say no more!!!

[Deagle]

Other Tom,

Well, if Mr. York can't work the Libby trial into the conversation, I blame him. Is he a Newspaper reporter or not? The only reason left is that he is afraid that he will never get another appearance (oh lovely money and fame) which destroys any credibility he had anyway.

Either he says/prints what he believes or get the heck out of the business.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Keep the faith on the investigation into leaks to the MSM

[Ralph L.]

I read a story about MoDo's first television appearance on Nightline, where they changed topics without telling her, so she just sat there and looked stupid. Brit Hume had to cover for her, I guess because he's a gent.

[Deagle]

Sara,

Hope that article is true (becomes true)... Thanks,

[Ralph L.]

Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty in Sara's link.
I can't believe Hillary let a major member of the Starr team get confirmed by the Senate. Maybe she isn't mean, petty, and vindictive. Or was she out that day?

[Christopher Fotos]

Worse... How does Bryan York go on the show and NOT discuss the Libby trial?

Yeah, I was disappointed too. The show has turned into a rehab unit anyway, not only with Tim but Doris Kearns Goodwin.

I don't know what I would have done were I Byron (seems like a good guy, chatted him up briefly at NRO's 10-year anniversary party). I want National Review types to have access to those venues, and if you refuse to appear on it absent trashing the host on his own show, you may be spiting yourself and your cause. Still, it's hard not to regard it as cooperating in repairing Tim's reputation.

[Daniel]

One thing of interest in the Libby case is its strange parallel to the Dreyfus case that roiled France in the 1890s.
French military intelligence discovered a leak; a maid in the German Embassy working for France found a torn up document apparently supplied by a French officer, containing “military secrets.”
An investigation was immediately launched, and the investigators soon focused their attention on a young officer named Alfred Dreyfus. He was, objectively, not a very likely candidate for being a spy, but he was an Alsatian Jew and that apparently was enough to convince the investigators that he was their man.
Of course there was no evidence at all against him. He was happily married, not in debt, had no particular vices or bad habits and was boringly middle class. All the more reason to suspect him, for French intelligence.
Nevertheless, he was brought to trial. Evidence against him was supplied by (not particularly honest) handwriting experts who claimed he had written the document; the defense supplied as many experts who claimed he could not have done so.
The prosecutor realized that his case was weak, so he pulled a fast one, analogous to Fitzgerald’s rebuttal escapade. He sent a document to the jury, unbeknownst to the defense, which claimed there was convincing evidence against the defendant which could not be revealed because of the military secrets it contained.
So Dreyfus was convicted.
In consequence, he was drummed out of the army and confined to solitary confinement on ”Devil’s Island”, in the Caribbean.
His relatives constantly pushed for an investigation of what seemed to them an utterly unjustified and incomprehensible verdict.
Also, the investigators soon discovered that Dreyfus was not the leaker. A French ne’er do well Major, a roué and gambler, highly in debt, Major Eszterhazy, was discovered by them to have produced the original document..
But by this time, to admit this would, in the opinion of the French army, or at least of those involved, would have embarrassed the government and the army, and called into question the French justice system.
They decided to suppress this information, to preserve their honor.
Does this sound familiar? A leak. A an uninvolved defendant located. The leaker found and information about him suppressed? The case contaminated by improper last minute prosecution behavior?
And Dreyfus of course remained in solitary confinement on Devil’s Island.
But that was not the end of the story.
Eventually Major Eszterhazy’s guilt became known to the public, but the French military authorities apparently believed that the disgrace of admitting their error was unacceptable to them. There was a second trial which ended exactly as the first.
An honest member of the investigating group, realizing Dreyfus’s utter innocence, tried to get his superiors to release him. He, (Colonel Picquart) was, as result transferred to the infantry and sent to fight in North Africa with the hope that he would die there.
Still more eventually Zola became involved, the scandal ripped France apart, everyone involved was disgraced, though half of France disgraced itself by supporting them, one of the original investigators committed suicide, and France was made the laughing stock of Europe. Dreyfus was released and went back to the French army,

[Charlie (Colorado)]

is he a Newspaper reporter or not?

Is National Review a newspaper?

[Deagle]

Christopher,

Yes, I was very disappointed also. I keep thinking that reporters would not only tell the truth, but push their agenda (against the host if required), regardless of the outcome. I know, a bit naive...but I always have hope.

One of these days...

[Deagle]

Charlie,

Yes, in the sense that all Newspapers will become both ink and other media. It does not really matter the media (ink or digital). I consider newspapers and bloggers media in the general sense... So, yes, York was derelict in his duty...

[clarice]

The actor, Richard Dreyfus, is one of Alfred Dreyfus'relatives.

[Christopher Fotos]

The actor, Richard Dreyfus, is one of Alfred Dreyfus'relatives.

Wow. What a world.

[SunnyDay]

Kirsten Powers and Michelle Malkin are doing a show about bloggers right now.

[Carol Herman]

So, TUBBY's jumped the shark, huh?

I guess we'll see if NBC has Invisible Hand "powers." Or not. Since Byron York is fwee to write about his "up close and personal" time on TV.

And, maybe, like a soldier in Iraq, York give an arm and a leg for world peace, huh?

Do people turn in Meet The Depressed to see if it's collapsing slowly? Or it get hits with a bang, and is a road accident?

The Oscar's also appear dullsville, per Drudge.

[Neo]

A Nonpartisan Reputation at Stake: For Prosecutor, Libby Verdict May Mean Vindication or Political Taint

[Other Tom]

I think the hosts and the guests on all of those shows observe certain professional courtesies. Anyone of any political stripe who breaches them stops showing up.

[Deagle]

CH,

Yep, drudgeville sounds about right... Darn, Meet the Press would seem lively about now...even without the York miseries.

[Neo]

Leak Trial Reveals Flaws in Note-Taking

I wonder if these guys read their own stuff ?

[Deagle]

Oh boy... Clint Eastwood in on... Shall we calibrate or moan...?

[Neo]

And just for Tim ..

Shield repealed: When everybody buys ink by the barrel, who's entitled to press privilege?

[Deagle]

Oooh!... That article tickles my imaginary ink stained fingers! Thanks, even if I'm not Tom...

[Deagle]

Whoops...Sorry TIM...

[bad]

I find it hard to believe that a woman who had been out on maternity leave and then suffered PPD so severely she joined a therapy support group would be welcomed back to a highly sensitive job at CIA.

Do we know for a fact that Val had post partum? Joining a therapy group could just be cover for taking a year off. After all, being covert in the past means she was used to playing a part that had no basis in reality. Before someone gets nutsy about "insensitivity" etc., think about it. Maybe the CIA needed some separation and a reason to begin the transition to State. Or maybe Val needed some time to deal with the transition to family.

[Ralph L.]

"...guests on all of those shows observe certain professional courtesies" which reminds me, in more ways than one, about the lawyer not eaten by sharks due to professional courtesy.

[Tom Maguire]

I want National Review types to have access to those venues, and if you refuse to appear on it absent trashing the host on his own show, you may be spiting yourself and your cause. Still, it's hard not to regard it as cooperating in repairing Tim's reputation.

TO BE FAIR: Gregory and Russert have made it clear (on Imus) that they are gagged until the trial is over.

At which point, Gregory can decide which prosecution witness he wants to trash.

I'm really liking my "Hopped up on Sudafed and Ambien, can't remember a thing" explanation.

[JM Hanes]

Neo:

Aside from the usual background errors, that WaPo article is about as close to straightforward as Carol Leonnig has ever gotten -- although her regular readers will be surprised to discover that there's actually been a "debate over whether Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald should have brought the case in the first place."

[clarice]

WHen the duct tape is off and he talks, let's run his explanation side by side w/ his hectoring McClellan about Rove and Libby when he knew all about it from Fleischer..or Fleischer and Harlow (depending on what version of the story he tells--Dickerson's or Fleischer's).

[Deagle]

Well, lets see, Post Partum depression. I believe that is more a state of denial than anything else..(for the most part)..,ie, scared to have to take care of somebody else except themselves (or don't want to).

It's getting so that today, all you have to do is conjure up a description of something that requires medical treatment and you can skate. I'm sorry, but the whole excuse of Post Partum is just a crock as far as I'm concerned. It boils down to selfishness.

Yes, I can understand the symptoms, but they are the result of upbringing...ie., I before all others...

[Dave in W-S]

Does the new tack by Leonnig and the WaPo indicate an attempt to get ahead of an acquittal story? Or just a case of nerves?

[PuzzledLurker]

I've come over here because I've heard of the good Libby analysis by TM. But I'm a bit surprised at some of the comments:

"Normally, the left would be up in arms against this kind of thing. Except in both cases, the only people targeted so far are Jews neocons.... You would think Jeralyn, for one, would be fair enough to see the danger in this kind of thing; the negative implications. But even she 'wants to get Cheney.'" Alcibiades | February 24, 2007 at 08:54 PM

Is Fitzpatrick a Jew hater? Does Alcibiades think Cheney is a Jew?

"Is being pregnant with twins and on maternity leave an official CIA cover? Is a year off for psyche problems due to post partum depression an official CIA cover?" Sara (Squiggler) | February 24, 2007 at 09:40 PM

It strikes me as a tad mean-spirited to discuss such private matters. "The wife" did not bring charges against Libby, and dishing the dirt on her doesn't help him.

Is this generally the tone around here, or are people just getting a bit cranky waiting for the verdict?

[bad]

"The wife" did not bring charges against Libby, and dishing the dirt on her doesn't help him.

You are absolutely right! Her totally classy move was to file a civil suit.

[Another Bob]

PuzzledLurker | February 25, 2007 at 08:29 PM

I suspect there is a touch of crankiness about.

But you should remember that "the wife" was a knowing participant in these events, not an innocent bystander.

[Rick Ballard]

bad,

Boondoggle first, then watching hubby lie like a Persian rug after signing on with the Kerry campaign, then giggling through Corn's fairy tale being bought by a mindlessly slavering MSM, then the totally classless Vanity Fair cover, then...

I'm tired somebody else can fill in blanks.

Puzzled Lurker,

There is a definite POV in comments that Tom is cautious about in his posts. He has provided excellent analysis all along and if your interest lies solely in his analysis then there is a plethora of posts with which to occupy yourself.

[Foo Bar]

WHen the duct tape is off and he talks, let's run his explanation side by side w/ his hectoring McClellan about Rove and Libby when he knew all about it from Fleischer..or Fleischer and Harlow (depending on what version of the story he tells--Dickerson's or Fleischer's).

How does what Fleischer told Gregory have any bearing on the fact that either what Rove told McClellan or what McClellan said he had been told by Rove was false? McClellan said Libby and Rove had assured him they were not involved in this. This was indisputably false in the case of Rove. Rove was Novak's confirming source.

[UncleCharlie]

Very true. Valerie Plame brought a civil case, and she therefore is fair game for our discussing any dirt we can about her. I bet her mother wears army boots! She didn't just suffer from depression, but she has big ears and an ugly nose, and did you ever see her boney knees?

And Daniel (7:01pm) is right on! Fitzgerald will be revealed as an anti-semite, and the United States will become the laughing stock of the world for as everyone eventually realizes that Bush and Cheney were right about all the claims they made before the war.

[Other Tom]

I note with pleasure (from the picture on Drudge) that Mr. Algore has logged some serious knife-and-fork overtime of late.

Hate to disappoint our guest who dropped in for the serious commentary. With the court in recess, there's been a general kicking back around here over the weekend. Hey, we owe it to ourselves!

[clarice]

Just another example of the press knowing more about Plame than anyone in the WH did and pretending they didn't..Ditto w/ knowing who leaked and acting as though they didn't.
If Fleischer told Gregory that Plame worked in the CIA and sent Wilson, why didn't Gregiry ask about Fleischer or tell what he knew and how instead of playing get Rove and Libby?

[windansea]

Foo Bar

somebody told me you were a troll

I said I've heard that too

I'm not confirming it mind you, just that I've heard it

[Other Tom]

"Rove was Novak's confirming source." Reasonable minds can differ. If I were Rove, I would not have understood myself to be a confirming source, and I would not consider that I had been "involved in this."

He took a call, as opposed to making one, and he was relatively non-commital, even if you accept Novak's version.

[MayBee]

Foo Bar-
even if they aren't directly related, don't you think it's kind of funny if Gregory got a leak and then went on to harangue McClellan about the leaks. It seems that Gregory was basically saying, there was pool! Right there in River City!