So it seems pretty clear that Scooter is falling on the sword for someone higher up the food chain. The question is, how far up does it go?
Oct. 31 2005 — One of the reporters at the center of the investigation into the leak of the identity of an undercover CIA officer, says he first learned the agent’s name from President Bush’s top political advisor, Karl Rove.
Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper also said today in an interview with “Good Morning America,” that the vice president’s chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, confirmed to him that Ambassador Joseph Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, was a covert CIA operative.
Scooter’s problem is that the sword he’s currently falling on is the little one.
Fitzgerald is giving him a chance to tell the truth. He doesn’t want one word of what Libby’s said before, and he doesn’t want to talk about Plame leakers, either.
He’s got all those.
Fitzgerald wants to hear about intent. What were these various players thinking that led them to out Valerie. That led Scooter to obsess over Joe Wilson?
If Scooter doesn’t offer up a confession worthy of the Inquisition, Fitzgerald will charge him with Espionage and Outing an Undercover Agent. Those are big swords.
And then he’ll go after Rove and get his confession anyway.
Scooter has no room to move. To wiggle. To lie.
Fitzgerald won’t even give hime time to wait out the trial. Scooter either talks right quick here, or the charges get much more serious.