Did We Learn Anything In The Libby Trial?

After all the sound and fury I am stumped by this CNN poll result:

29.  Do you think Dick Cheney was part of a cover-up to try to prevent the special prosecutor from getting to the truth about who leaked CIA agent Valerie Plame's name to the news media, or was not part of any cover-up?

Figures for March 2007 / (Nov 2005)

Yes, part of cover-up  52%   (52%) 
No, was not               29%   (27%)
No opinion                 20%   (21%)

So from the period following Libby's indictment to the present, public opinion about Cheney's involvement, as measured by these polls, has not budged.

MORE: Or should Team JOM claim credit for the 2% surge in the "Cheney not involved" sentiment?!?  We are far too humble to do so.

UNRELENTING:  Cheney will survive.

Comments

[GnuCarSmell]

When the question is based on a false premise, a false conclusion is likely.

[maryrose]

Cheney and Rove and Libby are innocent of all possible charges. Now someone needs to tell Fitz before he ruins the life of another person like Conrad Black in Chicago whose trial begins Wednesday.

[Ralph L.]

This is a poll of the 3% of adults who actually know who Cheney and Plame are?

[Libby's a Liar]

The same poll shows 69% of Americans oppose a Libby pardon, while a whopping 18% support a Libby pardon.

These 18% make up the base of this site.

Meanwhile the "librul" Andrea Mitchell once again spins for the Administration by falsely claiming on Hardball that most people support the pardon.

[Ralph L.]

Libby's, that her guilty conscience talking.

[PaulV]

Mitchell has inside information that Libby told truth about Russert

[GnuCarSmell]

If the question had been "Do you think the prosecutor failed to indict the State Department 'leaker', Richard Armitage, in order to protect the Bush administration?" you'd get similar results.

First determine the result, then phrase the poll question accordingly. Push-polls are a CNN specialty.

[Spartacvs]

Time to move on folks, Libby was just the aperitif. Now Congress gets down to some serious oversight.

[TexasToast]

BTW Tom

When are you going to start each post with a picture or a photo? Keep up with the Jones' and all that.

[Tom Maguire]

When are you going to start each post with a picture or a photo?

Folks here can read.

[Topsecretk9]

--The same poll shows 69% of Americans oppose a Libby pardon, while a whopping 18% support a Libby pardon.--

Well, he's got the jury's vote on pardon too, so I guess it's a wash.

[TexasToast]

Touche'

One for the home team! :)

[Sara (The Squiggler)]

Now Congress gets down to some serious oversight.

The blind leading the blind.

[Ralph L.]

The pot poking the kettle.

[Ralph L.]

Where's the late-night crew? Don't let me kill three threads in one day.

[Neo]

And some people wonder why so many believe Saddam was involved in 9/11.

There was one piece of paper with a handwritten note on it .. the only evidence that Cheney was involved in any way with refuting Joe Wilson and we have a plot that continues today.

Too bad they didn't also poll to see how many people believe FDR sat on evidence that the Janpanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor in order to get the US into WWII.

Three myths .. all nonsense.

[Neo]

Forgot Lee Harvey Oswald and where are Jimmy Hoffa and Judge Crater ?

[Bill in AZ]

Fitz has an interesting theory on law enforcement, and has been working on proving and refining his theory. Like Communism, it sorta works on paper if you ignore a few simple things. His theory is to prosecute victims (such as Libby, Cowles). The idea is to get victims off the street and in jail where they belong. When crime victims are all jailed, criminals will naturally turn to honest work.

[Spartacvs]

There was one piece of paper with a handwritten note on it

Unfortunately discovered in the VP's office and in the VP's handwriting.

Ye God's, what kind of a place are you running here Maguire?

[Other Tom]

Shows you what rapt attention those CNN viewers were paying to the trial.

I don't think the pardon of Marc Rich had the support of 5% of the people. Doesn't matter: The power to pardon is absolute, and cannot be challenged. Judith Miller has already done 85 days more time than Scooter will.

And congress can oversee all it wants to oversee: oversight has been going on for two centuries now, and it never changes anything the president wants to do. The surge in Iraq will proceed apace; Mr. Bush will be commander-in-chief until January 20, 2009. An enlightened panel of the DC Circuit, all appointed by Republican presidents, has just held that the 2nd amendment guarantees a personal right to bear arms. John Paul Stevens is in his dotage, and Rudy has promised us strict-construction originalists. Oversee that.

[Other Tom]

"...discovered in the VP's office and in the VP's handwriting."

Seems to mean a lot to you. Meant nothing to Fitz. Santa has gone back to the North Pole; Fitzmas is over. Twenty-two imminent indictments turned into one. Rove, Cheney go on happily about their work, while steam comes out of the ears of the moonbats.

[perc]

It's incredible to me that there are jurors who voted to convict yet now wish for a pardon. If it had been just an ordinary person on trial instead of a White House staffer, does that mean that they would have actually paid attention to the evidence (or lack thereof) and taken responsibility for their verdict?

If the jurors are hoping for a pardon, it is to ease their own consciences.

[Other Tom]

Testimonials from lawyers in the CIA's Office of the General Counsel, as quoted in "America's Greatest Places to Work With a Law Degree":

"There are many, many misconceptions people have about working for the CIA. Actually, people are surprised when they hear that the CIA has a General Counsel's Office at all! . . . Another misconception is that the CIA is extraordinarily conservative. That's totally not the case. I'd say that most people here would consider themselves very liberal. . .

"Another big misconception has to do with who gets into the CIA. There's a totally wrong-headed picture in people's minds that if you've ever smoked a joint, you can't get into the CIA. That's not true. Maybe you'd say, 'Oh, when I was a freshman in college, I'd light up a doobie, I drank a lot, but when I got to law school, I grew up, and I don't do that anymore.' That's not going to remove you from consideration. . . . There are a lot of people who self-select out, thinking that because of some old, casual drug use they won't get in. That's a shame."

I'm not making this up. [Link]

[TexasToast]

An enlightened panel of the DC Circuit, all appointed by Republican presidents, has just held that the 2nd amendment guarantees a personal right to bear arms.

Pining for the day, OtherT? Can you hear those four horseman coming? Sutherland!, McReynolds!, Van Devanter!, Butler!

Of our current SC, only Bryer and Ginzburg were appointed by democtatic presidents. Rudy, appoint pro-lifers? Take another shot.

I hate to tell you this, but our children don't share your hopes. The court, like King Canute, can't hold back he tide.

[topsecretk9]

--I hate to tell you this, but our children don't share your hopes.--

Don't speak for other people and particularly children.

[arcanorum]

"Of our current SC, only Bryer and Ginzburg were appointed by democtatic presidents. "

"During the interview Crawford commented on the appearance of Justice Ginsburg during Wednesday’s oral argument in the case of Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation. Greenburg stated that “all the reporters who covered the oral argument were just struck by the appearance of Justice Ginsburg….it took her a good 15-20 seconds to leave the courtroom, very unusual. Justice Souter kind of stood behind her and helped her out of the courtroom.”

Greenburg emphasized that she is not speculating that Ginsburg’s health is in decline, but remarked, “everyone kind of stopped and said, wow, maybe President Bush could get another one.”"

[arcanorum]

"our children don't share your hopes."

dreamers, not doers.

the man who is not a liberal at 20 has no heart;
the man who is not a conservative at 40 has no brain.

"Citizens age 65 and older had the highest registration rate (79 percent) while those age 18 to 24 had the lowest (58 percent). The youngest group also had the lowest voting rate (47 percent), while those age 45 and older had the highest turnout (about 70 percent). "

[Daddy]

My humble prognostication (which was worth exactly what you paid for it) was that in the back of the Juror's minds they had the expedient assumption that Bush was going to pardon Libby regardless, so there was little downside in erring towards giving Fitz the benefit of the doubt, as that way, having slammed the Administration, they'd be able to hold their heads high 'mongst their fellow Starbuckers in D.C. If they are recommending a Pardon, I think it's at least partly a handwashing or conscience-salving exercise, with the added benefit of continuing to let the MSM paint Bush to an uneducated public as protecting a crony. As for Andrea Mitchell, I think she can wash her hands (or do Hardball) for a million years, even with Russert and Gregory helping with the scrubbing, but until she fesses up, she's gonna' have about as little success getting that damned spot out as Lady MacBeth.

[Jane]

Good morning folks. For some reason it is still dark here.

[BumperStickerist]

Dick Cheney Karaoke:

Tune: "I will Survive" Gloria Gaynor
---------------------------

First I was annoyed
my patience, it was tried

Kept thinking that the CIA
was on our side

But I spent so many nights
learning how Saddam did wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on

but then Langley
sent Joe Wilson
who later wrote a story that was pure fiction

I wondered "how the hell could he
have written all those dirty lies?"
I asked my staff to check it out
and they did - so why oh why?

Did Scotter lie, when he said 'no'?
The Dems think that that he did
because I told him so.

Well, I hate to bust their balls
but Fitz investigated me
And as it turns out,
no indictment
no Fitzmas

Oh no, not I
I will survive

as long as I know how to growl
I know I'll make them howl

I've got two more years as Veep
I've got powers vast and deep

and I'll survive
I will survive

-----------------------------------

[Pofarmer]

There was one piece of paper with a handwritten note on it

Unfortunately discovered in the VP's office and in the VP's handwriting.

Which was such powerful evidence of, well, er, something or other, that absolutely zero charges were brought based on it.

It's sole use was to create the illusion of some grand conspiracy when used to help illuminate Libby's "state of mind". Yep, from a document he never saw till he testified before the GJ.

[ed]

Hmmmm.

1. I learned to get an immunity deal before testifying before a GJ.

2. I learned to respond to any and all questions with the "I cannot remember the details accurately and anything I say is merely a guess."

[djl130]

"The same poll shows 69% of Americans oppose a Libby pardon, while a whopping 18% support a Libby pardon.

These 18% make up the base of this site."

If you are part of the 69%- an obvious majority, why do you feel compelled to post here at all? A puny 18% could hardly effect your progressive world view and its ultimate accomplishments. Surely this paltry 18% doesn't worry you in any way? How could it?

Just asking.

[ErnestAbe]

Has Gov. Richardson appointed a Democratic replacement for Sen. Dominici yet?

I say it happens by the June 1st. Any other bets on timing?

It certainly will be rid Lieberman from the Democratic caucus, and send him off to the Republican party where he belongs.

[Nick Kasoff - The Thug Report]

Blogs full of photos are for teenie boppers, not the geniuses of JOM. Stay the course, Tom.

Ed, you're right: The smartest legal advice for anyone in Washington, no matter how innocent or well-meaning, is to answer every question with "I don't remember." Anything more, you're cutting your own throat.

[PMII]

Almost all polls are useless due to parts of them being biased.............

Still would like to see a petition online to send to the President for pardon

[emam]

CNN polling, surely you jest, Snicker Snort Snort.

Now as you know - polls use methodology so it’s important to find out just who did they ask. CNN doesn’t tell us - because it’s incredibly slanted - you guessed it - to the left. Here is the quote from the front page of the report.

“Interviews with 1,027 adult Americans, including 401 registered voters who describe themselves as Republicans Independents who lean Republican, conducted by telephone Opinion Research Corporation on March 9-11, 2007. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points and for results based half-samples is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.”

First, polling on the weekend always means a left slanted poll (Republicans are never home on the weekends as they know how to enjoy life). So 1027 - 401 (supposed Republicans) leaves a split between 626 Democrats, middle of the road independents and undecided.

Not hard to see how they got 69%.

And they call themselves “The Most Trusted Name in News”.

Yeah, bogus news.

via macmind

[Sue]

Now Congress gets down to some serious oversight.

You really believe that, don't you?

[SunnyDay]

Bunperstickerist, that is funny!!

[PeterUK]

"Now Congress gets down to some serious oversight."

To fools like Spartacus "oversight" is a euphemism for "revenge".Oversight will be for political reasons,simply to destroy the power of the elected administration.The country will become ungovernable,foreign policy impossible.
Shame about America,it had such promise.

[Other Tom]

How many children do you have, TToast? And if they all vote for Hillary, ya think that'll swing the election?

I'm not looking for Rudy to appoint any pro-lifers; I couldn't care less if he does. Even if Roe were overturned, most states would preserve abortion rights. (But it would be nice to have the issue decided by those who are actually supposed to decide it.) All that matters to me is that no Democrat gets to appoint anyone to the federal bench at any level.

As for Justice Ginsberg, I'm quite sure that I recall her being diagnosed with colon cancer perhaps five years ago or so. I have heard nothing of any decline in her health since then, and don't know whether her recent appearance of illness is in any way related to that. I would pray for her full reovery, although it is too late for poor Stevens, who as everyone knows is brain-dead.

[azaghal]

I hope I don't sound naive, but I learned some things about the MSM and especially Tim Russert from this story.

[Pofarmer]

2. I learned to respond to any and all questions with the "I cannot remember the details accurately and anything I say is merely a guess."

Uhhmmm.

You might rethink that one.

That's basically what Scooter told Eckenrode in the first FBI interveiw, probably the 2nd too.

[bio mom]

Except for the far left, the country wants to see legislation worked on and their causes discussed and dealt with. All this other junk just infuriates most voters who will get so sick of it that their opinion of Congress will sink even lower. I predict that no one associated with Washington will win the presidency in 08.

[Neo]

This 52% will be at risk when Schumer and Waxman make thme look sympathic

[Other Tom]

"The court, like King Canute, can't hold back he [sic] tide."

Maybe not the tide, but the D.C. Circuit just did a pretty good job holding back that unconstitutional gun law.

[Pofarmer]

It certainly will be rid Lieberman from the Democratic caucus, and send him off to the Republican party where he belongs.

Lieberman might fit in with the RINO's. He's definately no conservative. He lines up almost perfectly with the Dims on everything but the GWOT, and for that they toss him overboard. Who's the goose steppers again?

[azaghal]

story = trial

maybe i was thinking "sage"

[Pofarmer]

I predict that no one associated with Washington will win the presidency in 08.

Thompson might have been out of Washington long enough for the stink to wear off. The whole place needs fumigated though.

[Pofarmer]

Except for the far left, the country wants to see legislation worked on and their causes discussed and dealt with.

Personally? The last thing I want is legislation worked on. Too many laws, too much govt. If they wanna work on legislation, they can start by seeing how much of it they can get rid of. Layers and layers and layers of crap.