lily
02-07-2007, 11:07 PM
The prosecution rests. Bring on the defense. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17020411/)
Russert testifies in Libby perjury trial
Packed court hears NBC newsman deny identifying CIA agentÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*
Updated: 35 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - NBC newsman Tim Russert drew the biggest audience of
Washington's hottest new courtroom reality drama Wednesday when he took the
stand and testified against former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby.
The host of "Meet the Press" was to be the final government witness in a
trial that for three weeks has provided a rare glimpse into the Bush
administration and occasionally offered entertainment and gossip for news
and political junkies.
Speaking before a packed courtroom, Russert said he never discussed a CIA
operative during a July 2003 phone conversation with Libby. Libby has
testified that, at the end of the call, Russert brought up war critic Joseph
Wilson and mentioned that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.
"That would be impossible," Russert testified Wednesday about such an
exchange. "I didn't know who that person was until several days later."
(MSNBC.com is owned, in part, by NBC News.)
Unlike previous witnesses who discussed the tense atmosphere inside the West
Wing and revealed some of the administration's press strategies, Russert
offered few fireworks. But the discrepancy between his account and Libby's
is at the heart of the perjury and obstruction trial.
Libby is accused of lying to investigators about his conversations with
reporters regarding Wilson's wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame.
During Libby's 2004 grand jury testimony, he said Russert told him "all the
reporters know" that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. Libby now acknowledges
he had learned about Plame a month earlier from Cheney but says he had
forgotten about it and learned it again from Russert as if new.
Libby subsequently repeated the information about Plame to other
journalists, always with the caveat that he had heard it from reporters, he
has said. Prosecutors say Libby concocted the Russert conversation to shield
him from prosecution for revealing information from government sources.
Defense question's Russert's claim
Plame's identity was leaked shortly after her husband began accusing the
Bush administration of doctoring prewar intelligence on Iraq. The
controversy over the faulty intelligence was a major story in mid-2003.
Given that news climate, defense attorney Theodore Wells was skeptical about
Russert's account.
"You have the chief of staff of the vice president of the United States on
the telephone and you don't ask him one question about it?" Wells asked. He
followed up moments later with, "As a newsperson who's known for being
aggressive and going after the facts, you wouldn't have asked him about the
biggest stories in the world that week?"
"What happened is exactly what I told you," Russert replied.
Russert originally told the FBI that he couldn't rule out discussing Wilson
with Libby but had no recollection of it, according to an FBI report Wells
read in court. Russert said Wednesday he did not believe he said that.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has spent weeks making the case that
Libby was preoccupied with discrediting Wilson. Several former White House,
CIA and State Department officials testified that Libby discussed Plame with
them -- all before the Russert conversation.
Fitzgerald has said Russert would be his final witness. Prosecutors spent
the past few days playing audiotapes of Libby's grand jury testimony in
court. In the final hours of those tapes Wednesday, Libby described a tense
mood in the White House as the leak investigation began.
Though President Bush was publicly stating that nobody in the White House
was involved in the leak, Libby knew that he himself had spoken to several
reporters about Plame. He said he did not bring that up with Bush and was
uncertain whether he discussed it with Cheney.
Libby did remember one conversation with Cheney, however, in which the vice
president seemed surprised when told by his aide where Libby had learned
Plame's identity.
"From me?" Cheney asked, tilting his head, Libby recalled.
Libby said he had forgotten that Cheney was his original source until
finding his own handwritten notes on the conversation. The notes predated
the Russert phone call by more than a month.
Conversation concocted as a cover up?
Defense attorneys, working to reveal inconsistencies in government
witnesses, often show quotes, notes or other documents on a courtroom
big-screen television and ask witnesses to explain discrepancies. It’s a
technique Russert has made famous on “Meet the Press” and one he may find
himself facing Wednesday.
Though most jurors in the case said they were not regular “Meet the Press”
viewers and did not have an opinion of Russert, Fitzgerald is counting on
him to wrap up his case for the jury.
So even though he won’t be in charge, when he takes the stand, Russert will
still be the star of the show.
Russert testifies in Libby perjury trial
Packed court hears NBC newsman deny identifying CIA agentÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*
Updated: 35 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - NBC newsman Tim Russert drew the biggest audience of
Washington's hottest new courtroom reality drama Wednesday when he took the
stand and testified against former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby.
The host of "Meet the Press" was to be the final government witness in a
trial that for three weeks has provided a rare glimpse into the Bush
administration and occasionally offered entertainment and gossip for news
and political junkies.
Speaking before a packed courtroom, Russert said he never discussed a CIA
operative during a July 2003 phone conversation with Libby. Libby has
testified that, at the end of the call, Russert brought up war critic Joseph
Wilson and mentioned that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.
"That would be impossible," Russert testified Wednesday about such an
exchange. "I didn't know who that person was until several days later."
(MSNBC.com is owned, in part, by NBC News.)
Unlike previous witnesses who discussed the tense atmosphere inside the West
Wing and revealed some of the administration's press strategies, Russert
offered few fireworks. But the discrepancy between his account and Libby's
is at the heart of the perjury and obstruction trial.
Libby is accused of lying to investigators about his conversations with
reporters regarding Wilson's wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame.
During Libby's 2004 grand jury testimony, he said Russert told him "all the
reporters know" that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. Libby now acknowledges
he had learned about Plame a month earlier from Cheney but says he had
forgotten about it and learned it again from Russert as if new.
Libby subsequently repeated the information about Plame to other
journalists, always with the caveat that he had heard it from reporters, he
has said. Prosecutors say Libby concocted the Russert conversation to shield
him from prosecution for revealing information from government sources.
Defense question's Russert's claim
Plame's identity was leaked shortly after her husband began accusing the
Bush administration of doctoring prewar intelligence on Iraq. The
controversy over the faulty intelligence was a major story in mid-2003.
Given that news climate, defense attorney Theodore Wells was skeptical about
Russert's account.
"You have the chief of staff of the vice president of the United States on
the telephone and you don't ask him one question about it?" Wells asked. He
followed up moments later with, "As a newsperson who's known for being
aggressive and going after the facts, you wouldn't have asked him about the
biggest stories in the world that week?"
"What happened is exactly what I told you," Russert replied.
Russert originally told the FBI that he couldn't rule out discussing Wilson
with Libby but had no recollection of it, according to an FBI report Wells
read in court. Russert said Wednesday he did not believe he said that.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has spent weeks making the case that
Libby was preoccupied with discrediting Wilson. Several former White House,
CIA and State Department officials testified that Libby discussed Plame with
them -- all before the Russert conversation.
Fitzgerald has said Russert would be his final witness. Prosecutors spent
the past few days playing audiotapes of Libby's grand jury testimony in
court. In the final hours of those tapes Wednesday, Libby described a tense
mood in the White House as the leak investigation began.
Though President Bush was publicly stating that nobody in the White House
was involved in the leak, Libby knew that he himself had spoken to several
reporters about Plame. He said he did not bring that up with Bush and was
uncertain whether he discussed it with Cheney.
Libby did remember one conversation with Cheney, however, in which the vice
president seemed surprised when told by his aide where Libby had learned
Plame's identity.
"From me?" Cheney asked, tilting his head, Libby recalled.
Libby said he had forgotten that Cheney was his original source until
finding his own handwritten notes on the conversation. The notes predated
the Russert phone call by more than a month.
Conversation concocted as a cover up?
Defense attorneys, working to reveal inconsistencies in government
witnesses, often show quotes, notes or other documents on a courtroom
big-screen television and ask witnesses to explain discrepancies. It’s a
technique Russert has made famous on “Meet the Press” and one he may find
himself facing Wednesday.
Though most jurors in the case said they were not regular “Meet the Press”
viewers and did not have an opinion of Russert, Fitzgerald is counting on
him to wrap up his case for the jury.
So even though he won’t be in charge, when he takes the stand, Russert will
still be the star of the show.