Patrick Fitzgerald brings "the sixteen words" into court

[Missy Vixen]

Please point your browser to http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/01/23/libby-liveblog-fitzgeralds-opening-statement/#comments .

It's the opening statement to the Libby trial. It was go big or go home, and Patrick Fitzgerald is GOING BIG.

The sixteen words: “The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”

Sending all good thoughts to the tall man in the rumpled suit...

Julie
still president for life of the PFEB

p.s. I'd also like to add my thanks to Valerie Plame Wilson and Ambassador Wilson for speaking out. If not for their courage, we wouldn't be here today.

[Swamp Rat]

1. Geaux Fitzgerald!!!

:patriot:

[yellowdogmi]

27. Wayat Swampy!!!

Good to see you. Hope you are doing ok.

[Swamp Rat]

30. Way'at yellowdogmi!

:hi:

I'm pissed Bushler didn't even mention New Orleans, though I'm not surprised.

[JNelson6563]

2. Go Fitz, go!

Glad to see Fitz is still takin' it to 'em. :toast:

The Other Julie

[helderheid]

3. rec 4!

[ourbluenation]

4. and there's your 5th.

Go Paddy, GO!

[Missy Vixen]

5. Thanks, everyone

I just keep thinking that I hope he feels the strength of so many people who hoped for this day...

Julie

[myrna minx]

9. I think he knows...

even if he finds us a bit creepy. :evilgrin: :bounce:

[stellanoir]

6. "Scottie should have worn a helmet to work."

LOL

K & R'd

This is fascinatingly cool.

[Gregorian]

7. And thank you Firedoglake!

I can't get myself pried away from my computer! Help, I'm supposed to be a functioning human today.

Sorry world. You'll have to wait!

:)

[Missy Vixen]

8. Just a bit of the paraphrased transcript

from FDL, courtesy of emptywheel --

Julie

Describes Libby's interviews with the FBI. Explains Libby had a chance to tell the truth. He is repeatedly saying "the truth would be" and listing who he had a conversation with about Plame and Wilson up on the powerpoint.
The Truth Would Be

The Truth Would Be

The Truth Would Be

It's all up there on a blue screen (hey, Michigan Wolverine colors!! maize and blue!)

There are eleven "The Truth Would Be" bullets up there, listing Cheney, Grossman, Grenier, Schmall, Martin, Miller, Ari, Miller, Addington, Cooper, Miller.

Talks about WH telling everyone anyone would be involved would be fired.

The defendant lied. He made up a story. He told the story that he wasn't relying on any of the information he heard from government officials. He relied on information he got from reporters

VP notes–Libby knew that note was in his file. But he wiped it out.

His story was essentially this. Learned it from Russert. I don't know this. Passed it on to other reporters.

Russert will walk into this court room, swear to an oath, and testify. He will testify that he did not tell the defendant. He will tell you that he did not ask the defendant about Plame. Russert will tell you that he didn't tell Libby that all the reporters knew of Plame.

One journalist who on July 10 did not know Plame worked at the CIA–Tim Russert.

Defendant told Ari the same information he was taken aback to learn.

And even if it had happened, he couldn't be surprised.

January 2004, Federal GJ investigation began.

Talks about the GJ investigation.

Geez- I don't see Fitz (I've only now looked up for the first time!), he must be away from the lawyer's podium!

Fitz describing that LIbby had counsel, was advised of his rights, swore to tell the truth, and violated that oath repeatedly.

You will hear that testimony during this trial. That was both transcribed.

Play for you the charged statements. Tape recording!!!

Focus on this testimony.

The evidence will show that he never talked to Russert about Wilson's wife.

11:25

[MelissaB]

Thanks for this! I'm blocked from FDL at work.

:hi:

[peacetalksforall]

10. Admin and mods - would it be possible to have a

genl discussion sub-forum for the trials (both) and all accompanying news related to the trialsl? (Or what I call the Brewster-Jennings Takedown.)

[Mandate My Ass]

11. Go, Fitz!

He's smokin'.:wow:

[rpgamerd00d]

12. What are the 16 words?

Cant tell from the blog

[Mandate My Ass]

13. In 2003 SOTU

Bush said Saddam was trying to buy enriched uranium in Niger. That was a lie and Wilson reported it as such months before that speech. When Wilson wrote his op-ed to that effect, they tried to downplay the bald-faced lie by saying "it was only 16 words."

[rpgamerd00d]

14. Ahh, ok , got it. Thanks.

[Igel]

20. The 16 words.

"The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

People usually paraphrase the words as "Bush said Saddam tried to buy uranium from Niger."

The NYT even got the incorrect paraphrasing wrong, and ran a piece that could only impy they interpreted (or remembered) the words as meaning "Bush said Saddam actually bought yellowcake from Niger," saying that the amount * said was bought would take up a lot of railroad cars and couldn't be hidden, so *'s claim was ridiculous on its face. The article was amusing for its valiant struggle with a strawman.

[Tuesday_Morning]

15. great play by play

from Emptywheel.

[democrank]

16. Ah........the truth.

A T-Bomb, right in Cheney`s lap. Go, Fitz!

[mopinko]

17. what SWEET timing

the lies being challenged in court just in time for another pack of lies. i can hardly stand to watch * for 2 minutes, but i am determined to sit through tonight. i want to see him sweat. and i want to hear webb. he better bring some steam to it.

[Tin Man]

18. WOW - fantastic live blog presentation of Fitz's opening statements. K&R

...massive props to Firedoglake!!!

[leveymg]

19. Look at the lead-up to the leak to Judy and Rove. Cheney started the ball rolling.

I think that tells us everything we need to know. This was Cheney's operation, from start to finish. Cheney is the #1 prosecution target. Possible surprise in who was also in attendance at morning intel briefing, referenced below.

Multiple conversations where he (Libby) learned of Wilson and Plame's ID.

Back to powerpoint calendar. Describing the leadup to Pincus' article.

Cheney told Libby that Plame worked at CIA and against the spread of nuclear weapons.

Introduces Grossman. Says Grossman will be first witness. Describes him as number 3.

Describes Grossman wondering about the trip, how 'come I don't know about this trip?

Admits that Grossman knew Wilson, that they had worked together

Bob Grenier called by defendant. Defendant trying to get answers to he could respond to press inquiry about trip. Why had he been sent? Could the CIA make a statement to the press that it wasn't just the VP that this ambassador got sent. Mr. Grenier did not get sent fast enough. Grenier got pulled out of a meeting to repsond to Libby's questions!

Libby learned about Wilson's wife from a woman named Cathie Martin. Date of conversation unclear. This likely occurred around the same time. Cathie Martin went straight to the VP and defendant together and told them that she had learned about Plame working at CIA.

You will learn about another conversation.

You will learn about morning intelligence briefing. Craig Schmall assigned as briefer in June 2003. Defendant discussed with Mr. Schmal, described Joe and Valerie by name.

He had learned from high level government people that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA.

He discussed it with someone outside the government: Judy. Met with defendant in his office. Defendant talking about controversy. Defendant discussed with reporter Miller his view of Joseph Wilson. He made it very clear that he never wanted to see his name in the newspaper. It wouldn't be attributed to OVP. It would be attributed to a Senior Administration Official. 10:55

[Igel]

21. It's not 'going big'.

It's where he has to start if he's going to pursue his obvious strategy.

He can't just say that Libby heard Plame's identity and role and is now claiming he forgot it. That's too plausible if that's all there is. I've found milk in the cupboard with the cups and saucers and dry cereal in the fridge; I obviously placed the stuff in the wrong place, I was the only one around and the milk was still cold--but didn't remember doing it. My mind was simply on other things at the time, and the milk and cereal weren't important.

Fitzgerald has to show that Libby heard the information. That's necessary, but hardly sufficient. He has to show that the news was so important that there's no way Libby could possibly have forgotten it; if he was that forgetful, his ability to do his job is called into question. Note that while this is necessary, it's the jury that will decide if it's sufficient.

So the reason the information was important can't be left out--it was part of a political dogfight waged in the press, to undercut Wilson and make him look at the very least partisan and biased, and at the worse so biased as to be fraudulent. By itself, having the WH wage such a campaign seems malicious. But Fitzgerald has to assume that this aspect would be undercut by Libby's defense team so quickly that it would leave the jury wondering why Fitzgerald didn't present the info, and what else he's leaving out. So Fitzgerald has to show what prompted the WH response against Wilson: Wilson's op-ed was a political response to the SOTU, in particular *'s claim about what the British government was said to have reported in fall '02 about Saddam's trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Remember, it ain't a fact until it's admitted as evidence.

Fitzgerald didn't go big; he went "necessary", and is trying to go "sufficient". That's his job.

[DemReadingDU]

22. watch this MSNBC video

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16770023


lots of damning evidence about Cheney


Prosecutor: Cheney deeply involved in CIA leak
Jan. 23: Prosecutors revealed that Vice President Cheney was much more deeply involved in the leak of CIA agent Valerie Wilson's identity than previously known. Hardball's David Shuster reports.
video is 5 minutes

[DemReadingDU]

24. There is a 2nd video

at the same MSNBC link with Jonathan Alter reporting

[me b zola]

23. oh boy, I feel a show down coming, ala 'A Few Good Men'

Fitz as Tom Cruise's good-guy charactor seeking the truth & justice. Cheney as Jack Nickelson's arrogant charactor hiding the truth.

Can you imagine how Cheney will respond to the truth being told about him? I'm betting that his arrogance & sneers will not warm the jury. :)

[The Count]

25. Right on SOTU day? Can this be more poetic? better than Christmas!

[lovuian]

26. I'm glad he is bringing up the Iraq War WMD LIE

its crucial to the case

[meuniermr]

28. I think they tried to hide it under the SOTU..

But it will go on a screen crawl on TV, popping up and hitting them in the face like Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake.

[LibertyorDeath]

29. Fitzgerald's friends say he is more tenacious than a bulldog

I think that's an understatement.

Go Patrick....

[cynatnite]

31. Read that he put those words in his powerpoint presentation...

I would have loved to have seen that in a court of law. :evilgrin: