Who can tell me what Libby meant by the following?

[clydefrand]

This is taken from Judith Miller's article in NYT. Why would Libby put such a confusing statement in a letter unless it is code for something that only she and he are supposed to know?

Who are the clusters? Badass repukes? Their roots connect? This entire congomeration of thugs remind me of a not-so-neat spider web, but maybe to Libby, they are like the roots of clusters of aspens all interwined??





Mr. Fitzgerald also focused on the letter's closing lines. "Out West, where you vacation, the aspens will already be turning," Mr. Libby wrote. "They turn in clusters, because their roots connect them."

How did I interpret that? Mr. Fitzgerald asked.

In answer, I told the grand jury about my last encounter with Mr. Libby. It came in August 2003, shortly after I attended a conference on national security issues held in Aspen, Colo. After the conference, I traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyo. At a rodeo one afternoon, a man in jeans, a cowboy hat and sunglasses approached me. He asked me how the Aspen conference had gone. I had no idea who he was.

"Judy," he said. "It's Scooter Libby."