Chicago Fitzgerald Indictment Data
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
September 30, 2005 -- The Bush spinmeisters' Kabuki dance with
Patrick
Fitzgerald. There is an interesting stylized dance taking place
between
the White House and Patrick Fitzgerald, the Special Prosecutor in the
CIA leak case.
For weeks, there have been rumors inside the Beltway that something
big
would be announced about the case during the last weeks of September.
The silence and lack of substantial leaks were indications that a
major
turn of events would soon occur. Yesterday afternoon, the White House
quickly swore in John G. Roberts as Chief Justice, just hours after
his
Senate confirmation. Rather than wait for the next morning and thus
get
two days of puff ball coverage by the media, the White House wanted
to
clear the calendar on Friday for a possible announcement by
Fitzgerald.
The White House, unsure of what might be coming from the prosecutor,
floated the story that Bush would "definitely" name a replacement for
Sandra Day O'Connor on Friday.
The White House Kabuki dance with Patrick Fitzgerald
But then New York Times reporter Judith Miller was quickly released
from
prison in Alexandria Thursday night. No one expected it. In fact, the
cable news channels were forced to show over three month-old file
footage of Miller entering the US Courthouse in DC because they were
also caught unprepared by the surprise announcement and lacked lead
time
to get reporters to the US Courthouse in Alexandria where Miller had
been held for 85 days.
It was then announced that Miller had decided to cooperate with
Fitzgerald and testify today before the Grand Jury in Washington, DC.
Not surprisingly, the White House spin Kabuki dancers, fully
expecting a
Friday announcement from Fitzgerald, altered course and announced
that
Bush would not name a replacement for O'Connor until some time next
week. The White House, unsure of when Fitzgerald might announce
indictments, wants to keep the Supreme Court announcement ace up its
sleeve in order to compete for news coverage when Fitzgerald makes
his
announcement.
It is clear that Miller was the missing link in Fitzgerald's criminal
probe of the leak that a number of CIA insiders have told this editor
was "devastating" to the agency. Miller's attorney claimed that Vice
President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a
target of the leak probe, had released her from a confidentiality
pledge. But that agreement had already been reported months ago.
Something has changed. A former Justice Department prosecutor told
this
editor that Fitzgerald is the type of prosecutor who starts low in
the
food chain and works his way up to nab the big fish. Fitzgerald is
said
to have, very early on in the case, "flipped" John Hannah, Libby's
deputy.
One possible explanation for the sudden turn of events regarding
Miller
and Libby is that Fitzgerald may have also "flipped" Libby as a
witness.
A promise of limited immunity to Libby would have cleared the way for
testimony from Miller on what she discussed with Cheney's chief of
staff. That means the ultimate target of Fitzgerald could be Cheney.
There's an interesting footnote to the Cheney family's recent
activities. Lynne Cheney was recently spotted at a Washington, DC
Pottery Barn buying items for the Cheney's new $2.7 million house in
St.
Michael's on the eastern shore of Maryland. The Cheneys will be close
neighbors of the Rumsfelds.
Dick Cheney recently had surgery on two aneurysms behind his knees,
thus
taking him out of the public spotlight more than is the usual case.
The
Soviet leadership, which the Bush administration has striven so much
to
emulate, used to exile their sacked leaders to dachas in the
countryside. Might the same thing be in store for a Vice President
named
as an unindicted co-conspirator in the CIA leak case? A quick
resignation prior to the 2006 elections and replacement by a Rudy
Giuliani or George Pataki, or [shudders] Jeb Bush? And, of course, in
traditional GOP fashion, a presidential pardon of unindicted
co-conspirator Cheney (a la Gerald Ford and unindicted Watergate
co-conspirator Richard Nixon).
Meanwhile, GOP congressmen are beginning to abandon former House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay. They are undoubtedly aware of the
connections
of DeLay to mobster money funneled by indicted GOP lobbyist Jack
Abramoff. Even a puff piece by reporter Mark Leibovich on DeLay in
yesterday's Washington Post's Style section did little to stop the
continual shark bites on DeLay from his GOP colleagues. Of course,
DeLay's troubles come at the same time that one of his major
supporters,
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Israeli
government, face an aggressive espionage probe by U.S. Attorney for
Eastern Virginia Paul McNulty -- indicted Defense Intelligence Agency
official Larry Franklin has agreed to a plea bargain in return for
his
cooperation as a prosecution witness.
After almost five years of incessant outrages by the Bush regime, I
have
never been more optimistic that the tide may be beginning to turn.
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/