The Rove Watch...

Per the NY Times:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 - Lawyers in the C.I.A. leak case said Thursday that they expected  I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, to be indicted  on Friday, charged with making false statements to the grand jury.

Karl Rove, President Bush's senior adviser and deputy chief of staff, will not be charged on Friday, but will remain under investigation, people briefed officially about the case said. As a result, they said, the special counsel in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, was likely to extend the term of the federal grand jury beyond its scheduled expiration on Friday.

Per the WSJ (free, via TalkLeft):

Libby Indictment Likely Over Leak;
Rove in Jeopardy

With Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald poised to bring charges today against at least one Bush administration official in the CIA-leak investigation, White House officials were told the probe may not be over.

Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political adviser and deputy White House chief of staff, was informed yesterday evening that he may not be charged today but remains in legal jeopardy, according to a person briefed on the matter. Mr. Fitzgerald, who meets with jurors this morning, has zeroed in on potential wrongdoing by I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, and is likely to charge Mr. Libby at least with making false statements. The testimony of reporters who have been witnesses in the case has contradicted Mr. Libby's public statements.

But the WaPo does not yet have a report on Rove's status, although they cite the NY Times report.

Jeralyn Merritt of TalkLeft has more on what might be happening with Rove, and speculates that Rove may have reached a secret deal with Fitzgerald.  Well, her guess is at least as good as mine.

And my guess is based on Giuliani, Wigton, and Tabor and "record time" from the old days of the Wall Street scandals. My gist - once a prosecutor sends a target letter, or announces that a person is under indictments (as in the old Giuliani case), they don't normally officially announce that they have ended the investigation.

So Rove will remain in limbo, whether there is an active investigation or not.

Fitzgerald's website is here; my predictions (Rove walks, Libby and others indicted) are here.

UPDATE 1:  Bob Woodward spoke on the CIA damage assessment of the Plame leak, which conclued little harm was done.  My thoughts.

UPDATE 2:  Russert speaks!  I heard something similar to what the Reddhedd saw, and it sounded as if Russert, on Imus this morning, went beyond the original, baffling NBC press release and gave a clear denial that he passed info about Wilson's wife to Libby.  He also mentioned a JUly 12 date, which is way past Libby's talks with Judy Miller.

Anyone with a transcript?

Firedoglake will be excellent all day a a site to track the Fitzgerald rumors and announcements.  Depending on the news, righties will especially enjoy watching "Fitzmas" turn into "Fizzlemas".  But polite comments only!  These are good people who have worked hard covering this, and just because they got a coloring book instead of a shiny new bicycle...

Comments

[windansea]

it appears that Libby did not know Valerie was covert

Corn and Joe outed her!!

Val can now sue them

[Dickens]

This seems to come down to a "he said, she said" between Libby, Cooper, Miller and Russert.

Good luck trying to prosecute this one!

[pollyusa]

On Plame's status, Page 3

"Joseph Wilson was married to Valerie Plame Wilson ("Valerie Wilson"). At all relevant times from January 1, 2002 through July 2003, Valerie Wilson was employed by the CIA, and her employment status was classified. Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson's affiliation
with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community."

[Geek, Esq.]

Dickens:

You need to do some math. This is a matter of "everyone else on the planet said" vs. Libby.

Quite simply, he's toast. The reporters contradicted his account. Folks inside the administration contradicted his account.

There are faxes, etc etc.

He'll plead.

[Geek, Esq.]

Classified vs. covert = Espionage Act vs IIPA.

[Appalled Moderate]

windansea:

the indictment is not a full report. I would not draw a conclusion that Libby did not know. As a matter of fact, one of the documents did refer toLibby requesting a memo that I think is the famous IDR. That supposedly identified Plame's status as being covert.

[Jeff]

Ok, the press release actually says that the grand jury's term expired, which is a fact regardless of what happens next; so I guess it doesn't rule out some kind of more active continuing investigation.

[windansea]

toLibby requesting a memo that I think is the famous IDR. That supposedly identified Plame's status as being covert.

Colin Powell very firmly said she wasn't in the memo.

[Geek, Esq.]

By the way, this is FAR from over:

Rove's lawyer said he was told by the prosecutor's office that investigators had "made no decision about whether or not to bring charges" and would continue their probe into Rove's conduct.

Fitzgerald's spokesman, Randall Samborn, said the investigation will continue but with a new grand jury. The term of the current grand jury cannot be extended beyond today.

So, the investigation continues. Only now Scooer has been separated from the rest of the WH. He has no friends. It's going to be "Scooter who?" He's royally screwed from a legal point of view.

The problems haven't gone away for the administration. Not even close.

[JayDee]

A little rich elitist left hung out to dry by all his buddies at the WH, facing twenty-thirty years in the slammer...seems like quite a useful tool in the ongoing investigation.

Was someone saying this was all a fizzle? Mmmmm, fizzle tastes goooooood.

This here soap opera is going to be still in full steam come election 2006, way it looks now.

[clarice]

As TM says, that is just a way of saying the GJ's don't issue "not guilty" statements.

Strata's right and so is Kincaide(http://realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-10_25_05_CKI.html), Libby is charged with lying about telling the press their reports(based on Wilson's fables) were wrong.

Pincus is still correcting his corrections of the Wilson fable published 2 1/2 years ago, Kristof still hasn't come clean.And virtually all of the rest of the journos keep acting as if the SSCI, Butler Report and Silberman/Robb reports didn't exist.

Too bad there is no way to sue them for lying.

[pollyusa]

Libby knew disclosing information about Plame was a problem. Page 6

13 "Shortly after publication of the article in The New Republic, Libby spoke by telephone with his then Principal Deputy and discussed the article. That official asked Libby whether information about Wilson's trip could be shared with the press to rebut the allegations that the Vice President had sent Wilson. Libby responded that there would be complications at the CIA in disclosing that information publicly, and that he could not discuss the matter on a non-secure telephone line."

[Geek, Esq.]

Uh, Clarice, if that's all there is to this, why is Fitzgerald convening another grand jury?

[clarice]

Maybe he got a report someone in the WH spit on the street or smoked in the building?

[pollyusa]

Geek

Must admit that I too am having a hard time stepping away from Tweety.

[Jeff]

It is indeed not reporters against Libby. It's them plus at least seven administration officials. What on earth can he have been thinking? Was he so loyal to Cheney that he simply hoped to -- and succeeded at -- defer(ring) attention being turned to Cheney's role, knowing that he would end up taking the bullet, presumably with the hopes of a pardon in 2009?

[clarice]

Or maybe it's about the second investigation the NYT just noticed--the FBI counter intel probe..you know about the forged docs and the leaks from the CIA..

[Jeff]

Rove's off the hook.

[clarice]

Yeah, sure, Jeff..Keep hope alive..And remember Libby will fight this tooth and nail and will depose the reporters and this will be a he said/she said--It'll be fun to read the deposition of Kristof about how he never corrected hie reporting to like you know take account of the SSCI, Butler and Silberman/Robb reports..LOL

[Appalled Moderate]

clarice:

Kristof has nothing to do about whether Libby lied or not.

[JayDee]

Clarice, are you really a lawyer? With clients? Why would Libby be allowed to admit evidence that wasn't material to the case? Kristof? SSCI? You're like a broken record of irrelevant information.

Listen to Fitzgerald if you want to hear what a lawyer sounds like. The outing of Valerie Plame broke the laws upon which our national security depends. Then the Chief of Staff of the Vice President of the United States further flauted those laws by impeding an investigation into the truth about a matter of national security. This is a nation of laws. You should at least show some respect for that.

Take off your tinfoil hat and pipe down already.

[Creepy Dude]

Rove is small potatoes now. The indictment lays a strong basis for conspiracy charges at the highest levels.

What Fitz just said is that there will be no more charges against Libby.

[pollyusa]

to Libby requesting a memo that I think is the famous IDR. That supposedly identified Plame's status as being covert.
Appalled Moderate

You are right that they are probably refering to the INR memo, but the only characterization of Plame's status regarding that memo is that the paragragh that contains the reference is marked secret.

Colin Powell very firmly said she wasn't in the memo.
windansea

Powell is not to my knowledge publicly on the record saying anything about this matter. Sources have said that;

Plame -- who is referred to by her married name, Valerie Wilson, in the memo

[jukeboxgrad]

It's a pretty strong sign of how low Bush has fallen that a headline Rove Not Indicted (Yet) is treated by the right as a reason to pop champagne corks.

Lesley: "the reasons Fitzgerald won't let loose of Rove."

I think Fitz has lots of new information. The pressure and drama this week (very skillfully managed by Fitz) have encouraged certain birds to sing. That's why Fitz just told us he's not ready to go home yet.

TM: "Wilson's wife was involved in sending him"

Yes. As Wilson said, she conveyed a message to him. I think you're making a lot of assumptions from "involved."

"That sort of undercuts Old Joe."

Not.

[jukeboxgrad]

Wind: "it appears that Libby did not know Valerie was covert"

No. It appears that Fitz realized he could easily nail Libby these other ways. Fitz made it pretty clear he just wants to nail bad guys, and it doesn't matter much what nail is used, as long as it sticks. Makes sense to me.

In other words, what Fitz did or did not announce is far from proof that "Libby did not know Valerie was covert."

"Colin Powell very firmly said she wasn't in the memo."

Wrong. He only said the name "Plame" wasn't in the memo. Important difference.

And this is consistent with what was reported here: "The memorandum was written for Marc Grossman, then the under secretary of state for political affairs, and it referred explicitly to Valerie Wilson as Mr. Wilson's wife, according to a government official who reread the document on Friday."

[arrowhead]

Jukebox:
"It's a pretty strong sign of how low Bush has fallen that a headline Rove Not Indicted (Yet) is treated by the right as a reason to pop champagne corks."

Rove was their target - specifically designated by Joey Wilson. They LOST - Big Time. Add to that the pitiful indictment by the effervescent Fitzgerald and Wilson shrivels up like the Wicked Witch of the East, "I'm melting, I'm melting. Oh, what a world, what a world."

Oh, btw, Bush was never low and certainly hasn't fallen except in the wishful thinking of the MSM and their lefty pollsters. Now, stand out of the way, because in the immortal words of the Great Ronald Reagan, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

[jukeboxgrad]

Jim: "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Indeed. Fitz is just getting started. I invite you to familiarize yourself with the way he took down Gov. Ryan of Illinois. On the road to nailing Ryan (which took years), there were 59 other convictions.

As far as your assumption that Rove is off the hook, I guess you haven't seen this: "Rove remains a focus of the CIA leak probe. He has told friends it is possible he still will be indicted for providing false statements to the grand jury. 'Everyone thinks it is over for Karl and they are wrong,' a source close to Rove said. The strategist's legal and political advisers 'by no means think the part of the investigation concerning Karl is closed.' Cooper's attorney, Dick Sauber, said Fitzgerald certainly meant it when he told Luskin last week that Rove remains in legal jeopardy and under investigation" (link).

"lefty pollsters"

I guess to you the WSJ is a "lefty" rag, since they're reporting a "lefty" poll which says "66% of U.S. adults now say President Bush is doing a "poor" or "only fair" job of handling Iraq, while 32% say he is doing an "excellent" or "pretty good" job."

[bl]

NOW MORE THAN EVER, we need Rove Watch.
BE ALERT. The architect is now the beacon for the November stategy of the base, the evangelical white right. His every utterance should be decoded. Study his pasty face and listen thru the quiet tone of the words. Way more sway then Limbaugh or any 3 others put tegether.

your faithful Rovean reporter.. bl

[sophy]

We all love game, if you want to play it, please cheap penya and join us.

[Atlantica online Gold]

When you have Atlantica online Gold, you can get more!