Attorney: Rove didn't circulate CIA operative's name

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/10/cia.leak.rove/

Attorney: Rove didn't circulate CIA operative's name
Key White House aide to testify before grand jury for fourth time

...

"Karl has truthfully told everyone who's asked him that he did not circulate Valerie Plame's name to punish her husband, Joe Wilson," Luskin said. Asked if that included President Bush, Luskin said, "Everyone is everyone."

...

Luskin projected confidence as his client -- the president's deputy chief of staff -- prepared for what is expected to be his final appearance before a federal grand jury investigating the CIA leak.

"He's told everyone who's asked him, including the federal prosecutor, that he's not part of any scheme," Luskin said.

...

Sources have said that after this appearance, it's expected prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will want "nothing further." Those same sources said they are "not at all surprised" by the wide range of legal options Fitzgerald is pursuing.

more from thinkprogress:

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/10/rove-attorney-lies/

Rove’s Attorney Lies About White House Briefings
CNN records the latest spin from Karl Rove’s attorney, Robert Luskin:


“He’s told everyone who’s asked him, including the federal prosecutor, that he’s not part of any scheme,” Luskin said.

He said that’s the allegation the president and White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan were commenting on when they received assurances from Rove that he did nothing wrong.


According to the transcripts, that’s not true. McClellan was not assured by Rove that he was “not part of any scheme.” McClellan was categorically assured by Rove that he wasn’t involved. Period. From the 9/29/03 briefing:

Q All right. Let me just follow up. You said this morning, “The President knows” that Karl Rove wasn’t involved. How does he know that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I’ve made it very clear that it was a ridiculous suggestion in the first place. I saw some comments this morning from the person who made that suggestion, backing away from that. And I said it is simply not true. So, I mean, it’s public knowledge. I’ve said that it’s not true. And I have spoken with Karl Rove –

[shoelace414]

1. hmm..

he did not circulate Valerie Plame's name to punish her husband, Joe Wilson,"

didn't say he didn't circulate her identity. didn't say if he did circulate her name for another reason.

[sabra]

9. ding ding - it's a parsing words extravaganza!!!

so we moved from not being involved at all, to not circulating to punish Joe Wilson...

[Supersedeas]

29. slimy scotty mcbutterpants will be tickled to learn this qualification

[Kber]

16. Yeah - and I didn't marry my husband for his money

Doesn't make me single does it?

Do they really expect this bullshit to fly with a jury? Maybe a jury composed exclusively of Fox news viewers.

[Cha]

61. Oh, that's a Good

analogy! The ******'* are so arrogantly Stupid..they probably think they're sittin' in the catbird seat..albeit, a little warm.

[NVMojo]

19. this is too funny!!!

[warrens]

36. It wasn't done to punish Wilson

Karl's a compassionate sort. He just wanted them to be able to spend more time together when she lost her job. A woman's place is in the home, after all, and she was hardly around to darn his socks and wait at the door with an ice cold cocktail when he got home after a long day of former-ambassadoring.

All you lieberals think Karl is evil, but look how thoughtful he can be!

[lyonn]

47. And besides that, Rove said she is "fair game"

Does that mean he can hit on her (improper advances?), a nice chicken or what?

[Beetwasher]

51. "My Reasons Are My Own!"

Exactly. Too bad for Rove, this is a shitty defense. It doesn't matter WHAT the reason is according to the Espionage Act and his non-disclosure agreement.

[Peace Patriot]

57. Right. That's what I think. What he said was technically true, that he

didn't circulate her name to punish Wilson. I think something more serious was at stake than Wilson's article. My guess: A plot to plant WMDs in Iraq, for Judith Miller to "find." Somebody foiled it. Maybe Plame/Brewster Jennings/CIA (network of covert WMD agents/contacts around the world). And I suspect that the Brits chief WMD expert, David Kelly, got killed because he found out about it, or had a hand in foiling it. He knew something more than what he was whistleblowing to the BBC about (the Brits "sexed up" Iraq WMD intel), that seems very likely. On July 7, 2003, Tony Blair was informed that Kelly "could say some uncomfortable things" (could say, not had said; he'd been whistleblowing since late May). Plame was outed a week later. Four days after that, Kelly was found dead in highly suspicious circumstances. And four days after that, on July 22, the CIA/Brewster Jennings entire 20 year WMD monitoring operation was outed and disabled (also by Novak). (In between, Kelly's office and computers had been searched.)

This may also by why Miller wanted to limit her testimony to the grand jury, to conversations with Libby--for this and other things she may know, or may have been part of, in her warmongering about Iraq.

It was to Judith Miller that Kelly wrote his last email, on the day he died, warning about the "many dark actors playing games." (He was otherwise forward-looking.) This email was released by his family, not by Miller. They were colleagues. They corresponded. She'd used him as a major quoted source in her book "Germs" (none of which she disclosed in the obit article she wrote about him for the NYT).

"Dark actors," indeed.

I think the story of Rovian revenge is false. And, if he is parsing his words very carefully here--as it appears--he may know the real reason for the Plame outing. He may not have been part of a scheme to punish Wilson. But he may well have been part of a scheme to punish, silence and disable Plame and her entire network. Or he may have just been a patsy of those who were. (Go get 'em, Karl! Heh-heh.)

In any case, given that Wilson was sent to Niger on a wild goose chase (Bushites knew the Niger docs were forged), that the Niger allegation got into Bush's SOTU speech despite all efforts to keep it out (as unfounded, even as "sexed up" intel), and that there is evidence (a Wilson interview) that Rice actually baited him to publish his article (so, they knew it was coming), I think we shouldn't take the apparent story--Rovian revenge, punishing dissent--at face value. I also think that the way the Bushites handled the outing was panicky, rushed, scattershot (contacting at least SIX reporters!), and highly risky, putting many top Bushites in danger of treason charges. Why would they risk the entire regime, just to punish Wilson for a dissenting article?

Since when have the Bushites ever been fussy about the truth, or cared much what the public thinks? 58% of the American people opposed the Iraq war BEFORE the invasion, and they did it anyway. They use lies, spin and impressions to create an illusion of consent. They are caught at it all the time--by honest people like Wilson, and by thinking citizens like you and me--and it never means anything; it doesn't change anything; they just spin some more. So, why would they go into a frenzy over this Wilson article--and do all they did, maybe even compromising Bush Jr. with the Plame memo on AF-1--when they could have just...shined it on, and our forgetful war profiteering corporate news monopolies would have made it disappear, or when they could have punished Wilson quietly in a number of secret dossier or black ops ways?

I don't mean to underestimate their obsession with silencing dissent, their brutal political tactics, or their draconian propaganda machine. I just think there is something more here, and I think a coverup of a planned deceitful use of WMDs is a pretty good guess.

[goforit]

66. I agree!...Lets look at Plames Company...

I believe that you're right that it has alot to do with
this company "of friends"
Could they by chance know all the arrangements that were
made for 911?
Could they possibly know who the real mastermind behind Osama's
cloak?
Could there be a real incestual relationship with the Saudi
family?
Could there be offspring from this cohesion?
May we intertwine Syble Edmonds? She delves in the powers based on the Drug Lords of the world. Could this also be the lifestyle
of the mastermind?
What is the MANTRA that lights their fire?

I agree there is Mount Everest behind this speck of dust
Fritz has found and he is getting closer. But will he
commit to true justice which can only be served with the relevation of.......truth,
our highest virtue.

[OR Ruminator]

72. Scary. Maybe true. Like LeCarre.

Wow. This is the stuff of LeCarre novels.

This makes too much sense.

I sound silly to say, but Watch Your Back.

I hope you're wrong, but fear you're right.

[hang a left]

76. Damn! I can't wait for a couple of years down the road when someone

writes the book.

[texpatriot2004]

2. What a frigging joke. Rove says he's innocent, Rove's attny says

he's innocent...well, I guess that clears it all up then eh.

It's not like Rove has a long history of being involved in "schemes."

[DemInDistress]

3. The Bush Crime Family also told America on 911

he didn't know who crashed those commercial jets into the World Trade center.What have we learned since that tragic day? I learned the crime
family had 52 warnings and the "infamous Aug 6 2001 PDB".Give me a
president who lies about "sexcapades" than a president who deliberately allowed/made happen the murder of 3,000 innocent people.

[savemefromdumbya]

43. there's a lot of unanswered questions about 9/11

I believe Mr Spitzer is looking into them?

[savemefromdumbya]

44. What about the classified document and Airforce One?

lots of them had access - if Bush says he knows that Rove wasn't the leaker - well he must cetainly know who did?

[July]

81. This is the part that frosts my ass.

Mr. Macho Leader could have sat down w/his top people, told them he wanted an answer, and forced that person to resign, all in the space of about 20 minutes.

If Bush is going to claim to represent honor and dignity in the White House, he should have acted like the tough in-charge guy he playacts at being.

Instead, his response shows him to be (a) complicit; (b) incompetent; (c) a wimp; or (d) all of the above.

[loudsue]

54. I believe Mr Spitzer is looking into them?

I love Spitzer. And I know he'll find out the truth. And I know that when he does, the republican party, which runs the other branches of government, will NOT hold bush and cheney accountable.

Not Plamegate, not the Downing Street Memo, not the Abramhoff scandals, not Katrina, not 9/11, not Iraq, not stealing the elections...they're not going to let the real crooks that are running this country take full responsibility for what they have done.

But even though they'll keep tweeking the elections in 2006 and 2008 to keep the republicans from taking the fall, come 2008 the American people are going to absolutely HATE republicans.

When you have a government that hasn't been elected by the majority of its citizens in office, you have citizens that are very unhappy. Because the majority KNOWS when politicians are crooks. It just sometimes takes the rest of the people a while to figure it out. But with crooks, they'll always be found out.

:kick:

[savemefromdumbya]

64. yes Bush was not elected

imposed not elected. The house cards is falling for Bush. Once the long knives are drawn we will see some questions about 9/11

[KansDem]

80. The 800-pound gorilla...

When you have a government that hasn't been elected by the majority of its citizens in office, you have citizens that are very unhappy

This is something that cannot be discounted, no matter how hard the neo-Con GOP fascists or the Corporate Media try. The majority of the citizens did not vote for Bush. But, he and his junta governed as if they had a mandate, and the Corporate Media all too willingly ran interference for him. All this time, the fact that the majority of the citizens had not voted for them was never addressed by the media, never addressed by the Sunday-morning politicos, never addressed by the GOP, and never addressed by the Junta. But that fact was ignored for five years. BushCo simply does not have the support of the American people; they cannot ignore it any longer.

edited for spelling

[savemefromdumbya]

82. the Prez election should have been November 2005

wouldn't that have been great but in hindsight with all the Diebold machines no one else will probably be able to win....

[swag]

4. I've heard that one before.

"Joe Wilson's wife," of course, doesn't count as "her name."

[emulatorloo]

5. Luskin is parsing again --- didn't circulate VP name to punish her husband

Is this a replay of "didnt use her name" (as in "Joe Wilson's Wife")

or is this that the motive was something other than punishing Wilson?



<snip>

"Karl has truthfully told everyone who's asked him that he did not circulate Valerie Plame's name to punish her husband, Joe Wilson," Luskin said. Asked if that included President Bush, Luskin said, "Everyone is everyone."

<snip>

[DoYouEverWonder]

42. So he did it to expose a covert operation

that was getting too close to the truth about the Niger forgeries and the lack of WMD's in Iraq.

[emulatorloo]

55. that would be my guess too. . . .

Now what do we win?

[DoYouEverWonder]

56. I don't know

but whatever it I'll split it with you.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Sure. BTW, I just saw a pig fly by the window.

Looked a bit like Karl Rove, but better looking.

[Halliburton]

7. interesting how he changed his defense

before it was "Karl never knowingly outed Plame." Now it's "karl never circulated any information about Plame."

[Oreo]

8. Not her full name including middle initial?

This statement is BS. He could have circulated that "Wilson's wife" was CIA and still be guilty. The lawyer is trying to pin it down to him specifically saying "Valerie Plame"

[emulatorloo]

15. and the motive wasn't "punishing Wilson" - so Luskin, what was Karl's

real motive?

[IntravenousDemilo]

37. If it wasn't to punish Wilson, then he must've done it...

to deliberately undermine the credibility of the United States of America, or in order to endanger other CIA covert operatives who had been working alongside Ms Plame. Oh, golly, that sounds worse, doesn't it? Oh, well, them's yer choices.

[longship]

10. Blah, blah, blah.

We've heard this before. Rove didn't identify her by name....blah, blah... blah.

But he did say that he identified her as Wilson's wife. We've been all over this in the past. Old news. Old spin already unspun.

:boring:

[MADem]

23. And we all know Wilson has a haraam full of wives!

It could have been ANY ONE OF THEM!!!

It would be funny, if it weren't so serious. Talk about flopsweat desperation!

Even with the seriousness of it all, it IS rather funny to see the word twisting and parsing...

[longship]

25. ROFL... thanks for the chuckle.

nt

[MaineDem]

32. Actually he has had a few, I believe

But that's irrelevant.

The atty didn't say "Rove didn't leak the identity"; he said much more and that leaves the statement wide open.

I want Rove to suffer for this. I really really do.

[MADem]

41. But they are EXes, and I bet none of them live in Texas!!

I think she is number three, which is about par for the course for DC (Newt, Ted Olsen, et. al.!).

[CTyankee]

60. Al Franken said today it took 4 seconds

on Google to get "Joe Wilson's wife" to "Valerie Plame."

'Nuff said.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. It depends on what the definition of "is" is. nt

[sabra]

13. you read my mind :-)

[phiddle]

12. Piss, meet wind

[stepnw1f]

14. Telling the Public Shit Again Repug?

You people are shallow as all hell. I can't wait for you to get indicted, Rove, you traitor.

[texpatriot2004]

17. Lying GOP criminals splitting hairs with words again...it's in their

"culture of corruption."

[Jim Sagle]

18. He didn't CIRCULATE it, he SPEWED it. So that makes him innocent!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[H2O Man]

20. "Wilson's wife is fair game."

That's the first sentence in Wilson's book; he's quoting what Chris Matthews told him Rove had said to him, moments earlier, in a phone call.

[mmonk]

35. Exactly

"Wilson's wife":rofl:

[pinto]

21. A particularly legal response isn't it? "did not circulate", "not part of

any scheme", etc. Sounds like a conspiracy defense to my untrained ears.

[mmonk]

22. Did not circulate name

:rofl:

[Zodiak]

24. It is good to know...

that a cadre of reporters are following arround Rove's attorney to get his juicy little sound bytes into every newspaper in the country as fast as they can.

Dutiful and loyal lapdogs.

I am tired of quotes from Rove's friggin' lawyer....he is a lawyer...his job is to defend this man. Why would anyone think this was a credible source? Why would anyone care?

The complicity of this media seems to know no bounds. And no, I'm not just complaining about this one article...there a a bunch of articles that quote some right-winger's lawyer like he has an unbiased source.

Delay's lawyer gets face time, Frist's lawyer, Bush lawyer is gonna be on the Supreme Court, and Rove's lawyer is spouting off at the mouth, as well. I realize that justice is the voice of the opposition, but justice is getting precious little coverage in favor of criminals' lawyers these days.

[mmonk]

27. He's a saint I tell ya

:rofl:

[lancdem]

26. Luskin is just practicing some defenses he'll employ

when Turb Blossom is indicted.

[sabra]

28. added some analysis from thinkprogress...

[ananda]

Isn't prevarication..

.. one of the eight or nine deadly sins?

So, Rove didn't "circulate" the name ... he just told it to one or two special people.

Big deal. It's still a crime.

Sue

[daleo]

30. Funny that they use the word "circulate"

That seems like it must be the key to this hair splitting defense. I wonder what a lawyer makes of it.

[MasonJar]

31. I keep thinking that this was a double entendre to protect Cheney

It seems that the WMD investigation overseas was getting close to him. Remember the French were investigating his involvement in some scheme. Maybe the Cheney-lovers were actually trying to out Plame so her group would lose its cover.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

33. "circulate"? WTF. Why not "didn't tell a single soul"?

[alcibiades_mystery]

34. Translation: Rove knows he's caught outright on revealing the name

Now he's retreated to a new position:

1) He didn't "circulate" the name - which I suppose means he didn't (or can't be tied to) give the name to more than one person. Rove assumes he's in the red for Cooper, but can fall back on the notion that this wasn't "proactive."

2) Not involved in any scheme - Another word for scheme is, of course, conspiracy. Rove's gonna try to fight the violation of the Espionage Act, but he's running like hell from a conspiracy charge. Which of course means that Rove, Libby, and others (Cheney, Card, etc.) were in fact involved in a conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act.

To paraphrase the Grateful Dead, Rove's been singing "Desperation, move me brightly..."

[Beetwasher]

53. "Desperation, move me brightly..."

LOL! :thumbsup:

You get the Kupie (sp) doll for the Dead reference.

[kestrel91316]

69. That would be "kewpie" .........compliments of the spelling monitor, lol

[rodeodance]

38. "circulate"~~~~leak.

[DearAbby]

40. It doesn't matter Rovie leaking the name of a NOC Agent to even

one person is against the law.... Treason.

[Fire Walk With Me]

39. By "truthfully" do they mean The Truth, or the truth ala Rove?

[savemefromdumbya]

45. Circulate - that's a curious term?

the classified document on Airforce One - lots of them had access - if Bush says he knows that Rove wasn't the leaker - well he must cetainly know who did?

[Spazito]

46. Wow, talk about dancing on the legal head of a pin!

"Karl has truthfully told everyone who's asked him that he did not circulate Valerie Plame's name to punish her husband, Joe Wilson,"

To take it apart:

Did not CIRCULATE: means he did talk about Valerie Plame, he just didn't CIRCULATE her name.

(not) to punish her husband, Joe Wilson: talked about Valerie Plame for an entirely different reason.

"He's told everyone who's asked him, including the federal prosecutor, that he's not part of any scheme,"

LOL at this one, typical response which means squat in reality.

[snippy]

50. The "scheme" is no doubt a reference to what Judge Tatel called

"the plot against Wilson" in his opinion in the Cooper/Miller case. Judge Tatel's reference to "the plot against Wilson" followed the several pages of redacted material containing Tatel's discussion of Fitzgerald's evidence and arguments which were filed under seal. Rove's lawyer is trying to claim that Rove was not a part of "the plot." Or as Fitzgerald probably calls it "the conspiracy."

[Spazito]

62. Yes, the serious tone that was imparted by the judge regarding

his reasons Miller would have to testify certainly reaffirmed the importance of Fitzgerald's case. His reference to the plot against Wilson says a lot.

[dmr]

48. Ah, the Republican 'Semantics Game'! n/t

[EuroObserver]

49. It all depends...

on what the meaning of 'is' is. heh heh.

"Karl has truthfully told everyone who's asked him that he did not circulate Valerie Plame's name to punish her husband, Joe Wilson," Luskin said.

or whatever, in this case, the motivation may have been (like, to punish Valerie and/or warn off others investigating WMD-related lies?).

See eg: http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2005_10_02_firedoglake_archive.html#112882480896016534

but also eg: http://www.declarepeace.org.uk/captain/murder_inc/site/kellyspooked.html

[Beetwasher]

52. But He DID Circulate Her Name! Otherwise, They'd Deny He Did EVEN THAT!!!!

Wow! They are in a lot of trouble if this is their defense. Circulating her name for ANY reason is a crime according to the Espionoage Act and it's also a violation of his non-disclosure agreement. Add obstruction, perjury etc. and Fitz has a lot to choose from to indict the piece of garbage.

[Carolab]

58. Parse this.

"Karl has truthfully told everyone who's asked him that he did not circulate Valerie Plame's name to punish her husband, Joe Wilson," Luskin said.


Meaning, I guess, that he circulated her name for OTHER reasons.

[cantstandbush]

59. "Didn't 'circulate'" But did he "reveal?"

Or did he design the scheme to circulate?

[YDogg]

63. Everyone else: Rove Lies.

x(

[drm604]

65. Who ever said that it was done to punish Wilson?

It was done to discredit Wilson, not to punish him. They're setting up a straw man and then denying it (one of their favorite tactics).

Actually, there were probably two reasons for it - to discredit Wilson and to expose Brewster Jennings (a CIA front company) thus crippling a CIA WMD program lest it contradict the administration's claims.

[lovuian]

67. Liar Liar Pants on fire!!! This proves Rove is delusional

and is going for the Insanity plea!!!

[lonestarnot]

68. Rove you're a lying scumbag along with your attny and McClellan!

[SoCalDem]

70. key word.. "circulate"

and these are the people who gave Clinton so much grief about parsing words:grr:

[fearnobush]

71. Theory - Is newly discovered Rove email really a scam for Rove's defense?

Why would KKKarl's lawyer release the news of a newly found email just days ago to the press?
Why would KKKarl's lawyer press Fitz for a 4th Grand Jury testimony?
And now, why does Luskin, Rove's lawyer emphatically proclaim KKKarl's innocence in not being part of any scheme?

Sounds like the resources of the US GOVT are cranking out last minute, bogus emails to save KKKarl.

Thoughts?

[Charles19]

73. Rove didn't do it to punish Plame he did it because Bush told him to (n/t)

[6th Borough]

74. Anyone here know what Everyone's last name is?

:eyes:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

75. Oh, very cute.

Trying to parse that gave me a fucking headache. What a shithead.

[CGrantt57]

77. Hmmm....

"I did not give information to that woman..."

Now, doesn't THAT have a familiar ring to it?

Split that hair, Karl.

Yeah, that'll help.

:nopity:

[spinbaby]

78. So when does marshmallow man appear in front of the GJ?

I'd really like to see indictments before the weekend.

[spanone]

79. Don't matter what his attorney says.....yuk yuk yuk.

You are going down KKKarl.