Billmon is not all that enthused about Fitzgerald’s reasons for not charging Libby with violating the Espionage Act:
Maybe Fitzgerald held back because he’s worried about being able to get an unauthorized disclosure conviction — although on the evidence presented in Scooter’s indictment, it’s hard to see why he should feel that way. The facts and circumstances don’t appear that much different from the Morison case, the Randal case or — for that matter — the AIPAC case. But in this case, the high and the mighty do appear to be getting a break.
I won’t go any further than that — I still believe Patrick Fitzgerald is on the straight and narrow, even if the emphasis is on the narrow. There may well be sound reasons behind his prosecutorial decisions. But those decisions could also have big consequences. While Rove and perhaps Hadley may be vulnerable to the same “surrogate” charges that tripped up Libby, even the limited evidence inside the “four corners” of Scooter’s indictment suggests others may not, despite their involvement in the leak itself.
This list could include Bob Novak’s mysterious second source; it might even include the Vice President of the United States. But unless they made the same bone-headed mistake as Libby, and lied about their role in the affair, Fitzgerald may be ready to let them walk — a prosecutorial discretion not shown to Larry Franklin, Samuel Morison or Jonathan Randal.
Or, maybe I’m just wrong to think that Fitzgerald’s investigation is in its final stages. Maybe he still has his poker face on, and is actually getting ready to jolt us with Phase II. Even if he is wrapping things up, there’s still the chance Rove and Hadley will have to do the metaphorical frog march before its over. Nailing the president’s deputy chief of staff, his national security advisor, and the veep’s chief of staff would be no mean achievement — even if the charges are the equivalent of Al Capone’s tax evasion bust.
But why settle for tax evasion when you have the goods to pin our modern-day political mob bosses for bootlegging — or worse?
Doesn’t anyone play chess?
This indictment, on solid gold charges only, is the opening move, not the end of the game.
Fitz is seeking to turn Libby, or the next one, or the next one, until he gets the whole White House Iraq Group.
Joseph Valachi style.
He wants the bigger conspiracy of lying us into war and then covering that up. He wants the crime family, not the soldiers.
Doesn’t anyone own pit bulls?
Those dogs don’t leap and slash and nip and tear — they just walk in and bite the spot they can get real solid, and then they chew their victims to death.
You ain’t seen Fitzmas yet.
Military Fatalities: By Time Period News
Period US UK Other* Total Avg Days
4 575 12 17 604 2.22 272
3 579 25 27 631 2.92 216
2 718 27 58 803 1.89 424
1 140 33 0 173 4.02 43
Total 2012 97 102 2211 2.32 955
It seems murder is the more appropriate charge to pursue.
Antifa, I hope you’re right.
If Fitz can pull that off, then he’s sure-fire presidential material, regardless of party.