John Dean predicted, much to my dismay, that no one would be indicted. However, this week
he has done a 180.
In his introduction he asserts that:
Having read the indictment against Libby, I am inclined to believe more will be issued. In fact, I will be stunned if no one else is indicted...the person who should be tossing and turning at night...is the Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney
There's more...
Lets pretend that the odds are in his favor since his last prediction turned out to be incorrect.
One thing reporters have been very surprised by is the length and complexity of this indictment. It is called a "speaking indictment" and reads more like a spy novel than a legal document.
As Dean explains
Typically, federal criminal indictments are absolutely bare bones. Just enough to inform a defendant of the charges against him.
Both the United States Attorney's Manual and the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution allow an indictment to be short and sweet.
I personally find this interesting considering how "by the book" Fitzgerald appears. Because he is proceeding with an amazing amount of caution, this elaborate indictment serves an important purpose. Dean concludes by explaining first that:
Fitzgerald has clearly thrown a stacked indictment at Libby, laying it on him as heavy as the law and propriety permits. He has taken one continuous false statement, out of several hours of interrogation, and made it into a five-count indictment. It appears he is trying to flip Libby - that is, to get him to testify against Cheney -- and not without good reason. Cheney is the big fish in this case.
Unfortunatly, Dean does not believe Libby will ever flip on Chenney and goes on to elaborate on Libby's legal strategy.
It has been reported that Libby's attorney tried to work out a plea deal. But Fitzgerald insisted on jail time, so Libby refused to make a deal. It appears that only Libby, in addition to Cheney, knows what Cheney knew, and when he knew, and why he knew, and what he did with his knowledge.
Will Libby flip? Unlikely. Neither Cheney nor Libby (I believe) will be so foolish as to crack a deal. And Libby probably (and no doubt correctly) assumes that Cheney - a former boss with whom he has a close relationship -- will (at the right time and place) help Libby out, either with a pardon or financially, if necessary. Libby's goal, meanwhile, will be to stall going to trial as long as possible, so as not to hurt Republicans' showing in the 2006 elections.
The question now is will Libby's strategy be successful. Will he break under the pressure from his family? Although all these guys claim to be loyal to a fault, deep down they are all selfish bastards and will save their skin before they save each other or their precious Republican Party.