Blind--Yes- Justice--No
The farce known as "Plamegate" finally ground to a halt this morning with the conviction of I. Lewis Libby on 4 of 5 counts of obstruction, perjury, and lying. Just one problem: there's no definitive proof that Libby conducted any such actions.
The entire case hinged on two men remembering different versions of the same conversation-specifically, a conversation between Libby and Matthew Cooper of Time which took place in July 2003.This is what the trial had been distilled to: two men's memories of a nearly 3-year old conversation with no physical evidence of any sort, and 5 felony counts hanging over the proceedings. Thin stuff for such high stakes.
Underscoring the confusion and ambiguity surrounding the case were the responses of the jurors. As recently as yesterday, the jurors admitted confusion on the most basic issues, such as the definition of "reasonable doubt." This morning, prior to the verdict, the jury asked for the judge to explain what two of the felony counts meant.
However, it gets worse. The murkiness of the proceedings belies the relatively straightforward nature of their underlying intent: to weaken President Bush politically by illegitimating not merely the Iraq war itself, but the motives behind it.
What had begun as a leftist witch-hunt to punish the "leakers" within the Bush administration who "outed" Valerie Plame took an abrupt twist just a few months ago once it became known that the original source for Novak's column had not been Rove or Fleischer, but rather Richard Armitage. Armitage, a Powell ally rather than a Bush confidante, was not the target the President's war critics were aiming at. And make no mistake; the trial's aims were undoubtedly political. It was through the maneuverings of Senator Chuck Schumer that the prosecution was handed over to Patrick Fitzgerald in the first place.
Fitzgerald's intent was unmistakable to any who heard his closing statement today: Iraq, Bush, and Cheney were center stage, for that has been the prosecutor's focus from the beginning. His purpose was not to uphold the law, but to conduct a politically-motivated vendetta.
The story isn't over for Libby, of course; he can still appeal his case, and in all likelihood, will do so. More serious than the question of Libby's fate, however, is the mindset inside the Beltway that deems it more important to play pin-the-scandal-on-the-staffer rather than tackle the serious problems posed by an unraveling Iraq. This trial is a mark of shame for our political class: faced with grave issues at home and abroad, our leaders punted in favor of placing bets on a grudge match.
Shame on them.
Related Tags: bush, trial, leak, novak, libby, plamegate, fitzgerald
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