Fat Fizzle and Sex (w/ poll)

This week, the jury in the Scooter Libby trial will receive their instructions and deliberate. Unfortunately, for those of us who have followed this case closely, the Libby trial has been an anti-climax. No Fitzmas or St. Fitz's day. All we are left with is Fat Fizzle.

Far from being substantially revealing on the intelligience used for the war and the scurrilous defense of said lies, the trial (for me) has fallen flat. This is not to say that Libby should not have been charged. Indeed, he should have. But there is so much more that is being left unsaid.

First, of course, is the sinking feeling that this is it: there is no sealed indictment and Rove and Cheney will slip free without ever having to swear under oath. Fitzgerald, who has been criticized for overreaching by the Right, has danced a magnificent tightrope: he brought an indictment on the narrowest of offenses and yet somehow protected the WH flank vis a vis Rove. One wonders, if only Libby  had told the truth or had better legal advice (e.g., going back to the GJ a la Rove), whether anything would have come out publicly from Fitzgerald's investigation. The only reason we know who Official A is is that it served the purpose of Bush and Cheney to out Armitage (a Powell man).

Secondly, the MSM has been been very quiet in reporting the implications of the Libby trial, perhaps because of their own culpability and the exposure of the sloppiness of the journalistic ethics of the Washington media corps are. Background, deep background, not for attribution and a whole hosts of "confidential" agreements are used and misused as well as misunderstood by various experienced journalists. Particularly reprehensible was Russert's policy that any conversation he had with government officials was confidential. Additionally, for all the lauding of Judith Miller and her 85 day jail stay, we learn that she knew that she had a free waiver from Libby. These people are not so much defending the First Amendment as they are defending their livelihood. Personally, until journalism can come up with some standard code for granting confidential communication, I am against a shield law.

Third is what I think is the most undercovered aspect of the Plame leak: sex. No one, not Richard Armitage, Dick Cheney, or Scooter Libby, who had access to Plame's CIA employment ever thought she was a NOC. It was assumed that she was "just an analyst" or "a glorified secretary". It was bad enough that none of these men took that bracketed S as seriously as it was meant to be. They just assumed that because Plame was a female, she could not have been of substantive value to the CIA or the country.

•  I don't believe that Fitzgerald is finished with

  this matter.  There is only so much one can have on their plate.  Once the trial is over things may just heat again.  I'm an optimist! I refuse to believe that the Libby trial is the end of his investigation.........

  by mistletoe on Sun Feb 18, 2007 at 06:39:02 PM PDT

•  tips? n/t

  by never forget 2000 on Sun Feb 18, 2007 at 06:40:37 PM PDT

•  Oh, you mean

  gender. I think they all knew damn well Valerie Plame was a NOC, although they may well have assumed her gender would make it easier to lie about her.

  by blueteam on Sun Feb 18, 2007 at 06:49:52 PM PDT

  •  Interesting take

    See I never though of that. They are a miserable bunch of mysogynists, including Victoria Toesucking

    by never forget 2000 on Sun Feb 18, 2007 at 08:17:14 PM PDT