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11/16/2005: Woodward Crawls Out of the PlameGate Woodwork...
From the Washington Post we learn this:"...In a more than two-hour deposition, [Bob] Woodward told Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald that the official casually told him in mid-June 2003 that Plame worked as a CIA analyst on weapons of mass destruction, and that he did not believe the information to be classified or sensitive, according to a statement Woodward released yesterday...
Citing a confidentiality agreement in which the source freed Woodward to testify but would not allow him to discuss their conversations publicly, Woodward and Post editors refused to disclose the official's name or provide crucial details about the testimony. Woodward did not share the information with Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. until last month, and the only Post reporter [Walter Pincus] whom Woodward said he remembers telling in the summer of 2003 does not recall the conversation taking place."
While there are several *tantalizing tid-bits* in this latest revelation from Woodward, as the WaPo notes, it doesn't really change the Scooter Libby indictment with charges of lying under oath and obstruction of justice (howevermuch Scooter's lawyer, Mr. Jeffress, wants to spin this new factoid and present legal P.R. puffery on behalf of his client.)
There also seems to be some WaPo supposition that "this changes everything" IF Woodward was the first journalist to learn this information about Valerie Plame from an official government source.
In actuality, this still changes Nothing as to my previously discussed possibilities chain of leaks and the resultant harm flowing via the Novak article.
It may add more potential players to the overal leaking-pool of "Senior Government Officials" and increase the option for more indictments, but it hardly makes it any less likely Scooter is LYING and Obstructing Justice as alleged by Fitzgerald.
So, Keep gather the facts Fitz, and Protect your case from the MSM, The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones (among others) seeking to undermine your ability to ferret out the entire sordid world of these bottom-feeders threatening our National Security with their despicable actions and heinous politically-driven motives.
Karen on 11.16.05 @ 04:55 AM CST
