The Judy Saga: My First Impressions

by emptywheel

Undisclosed Location--I was right about the sporadic Internet access, here in Undisclosed Location. I can only get two bars if I hold the laptop on top of my knees, over my head. I either get to look at the computer, or get a signal. [I'll try to come back and put in links when I happen to get two bars.]

And one more creepy thing about Undisclosed Location. There are aspens everywhere here. It's stunningly beautiful, really. Far and away the best fall colors I've ever seen (and I used to live on the edge of the Berkshires). But every time I look at the aspens I see clusters. And all I can think about is these biological clones, connected at the roots, and realize that Scooter Libby was clarifying for the entire world that Judy was first and foremost a part of this clique and only afterwards a journalist, if you can call her that. And I can't say Judy did anything to correct the impression Libby had left.

My first impression, having read the NYT whitewash and the Judy fiction, is that 1) either Judy is lying when she says Fitzgerald has told her she's only a witness in this case, 2) Fitz just set her up, she's made a plea bargain and the "witness" comment is her cover, or 3) Fitz just handed her some more rope to hang herself in the press, which our "fucking right" "I got it all wrong" diva did precisely according to  script. Or maybe she was just parsing carefully. After all she says

Mr. Fitzgerald told the grand jury that I was testifying as a witness and not as a subject or target of his inquiry.

Which is not the same--at all--as saying she won't be called as a subject or tagert.

In short, I think her article only serves to prove as more implicated, more guilty. Judy comes off as so terribly complicit in this crime that I find it hard to believe Fitz has absolved her of her many crimes.

My Questions/Thoughts

Update: Forgot this one last night. Check out this line referring to Taubman's question whether any NYT writer was one of the 6 journalists who received a leak.

"The answer was generally no," Mr. Taubman said. Ms. Miller said the subject of Mr. Wilson and his wife had come up in casual conversation with government officials, Mr. Taubman said, but Ms. Miller said "she had not been at the receiving end of a concerted effort, a deliberate organized effort to put out information."

"Not been at the receiving end of a concerted effort, a deliberate organized effor to put out information." Where have we seen that line--almost precisely the same line--before? Novak's October 1 column. This line is the line the conspiracy decided to use as part of the cover-up. This means Judy Miller was not just part of the leak, but she was part of the cover-up. Granted, lying to Taubman isn't going to get her in the same trouble as lying to the FBI has likely gotten Novak. But I would bet someone made a call to Judy around the same time they made a call to Novak, to shop the same damn lie.

Next, look at the way Judy has referred to Plame. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm working from memory, with a very sketchy Internet connection), but when Fitz refers to Plame in Judy's subpoena, he just says Plame or any other name she might be referred by. But in Coopers, Fitz names some of the "I can't recall" names Judy and her "sources" use, particularly Victoria Wilson. This suggests Fitzgerald has evidence of someone already using the Victoria Wilson name (and didn't feel like he needed to spell out all the pseudonyms for Judy, but did for Cooper). Where did he get this information? Have WE ever seen the use of Victoria Wilson before?

Judy seems to confirm that Plame worked at WINPAC. Hmmm. Has anyone interviewed Fred Fleitz, Bolton's deputy. Because it seems increasingly likely he's the need-to-know guy who started this leak (then again, given the information Fitz seems to know, I wonder whether Fleitz hasn't spilled some beans).

Judy is lying through her teeth in her own account of her notes. Repeatedly, she describes sentences as something that Libby has informed her.

Mr. Libby said the vice president's office had indeed pressed the Pentagon and the State Department for more information about reports that Iraq had renewed efforts to buy uranium. And Mr. Cheney, he said, had asked about the potential ramifications of such a purchase. But he added that the C.I.A. "took it upon itself to try and figure out more" by sending a "clandestine guy" to Niger to investigate.

But it ought to be clear to anyone who has read the SSCI report that no one who had a clue would present this as the truth. Either Libby was lying to Judy (this, a source she calls a good faith source). Or he is not telling her what happened. But he is telling her what she should say about what happened. I mean, no review of the lead-up to war pretends the CIA sent Wilson on their own. This is a lie of the caliber of "they're in their last throes." Let's be honest. It is much more likely Judy was recording what Libby told her to say about Wilson than what Libby told her was the truth about Wilson. Which means the comment...

"No briefer came in and said, 'You got it wrong, Mr. President,' " he said, according to my notes.

...is pretty damn ominous. Is Libby deliberately denying Bush was briefed the intelligence was faulty? Sounds like the kind of thing Tenet could testify to.

And here's another question about that meeting. Were they alone? Or was it a little meeting of winger journalists. Is it possible that Novak and Cliff May were there too? Because it is possible this is where the "inside the beltway" crowd Gannon once referred to got the idea that Plame's identity was public.

I'm presuming that Doug Jehls' weird July article was an un-edited response to having a story revealing the Plame leakers spiked. I've focused on his accusations against NYT management. But the main point of his article was to speculate or telegraph about Pincus' source. This is the third source, I'm fairly confident. That means that Jehl, Johnston, and (probably) Stevenson know the third source. Guys, I appreciate your efforts. And I appreciate your desire to avoid subpoenas. But I'm sure Fitz can use all the sources he can get to nail this third source. Or at least make it public!

And while we're at it, Judy admits she was writing on a team (if she doesn't admit the disciplinary side of it).

Now I was assigned to a team of reporters at The Times examining why no such weapons had been found.

But the NYT doesn't admit this. Why? Afraid to admit that Judy had "had her wings clipped"? Afraid to admit that they had already recognized she was a problem, but had only found a half-solution to the problem?

Fitz made an unaccompanied trip to visit Judge Hogan the other day, perhaps to extend his grand jury. When would we find out if he had tried to do so and if he had been successful? Would he need to tell the possible witnesses subjects and targets in the case that they needed to keep worrying? Because I think it's possible that Judy is playing for time, trying to make it through the next

I plan to write an article about the Enron management style of the NYT (if the Cougar-fired Internet connection holds out). I have to say I disagree with Rosen--there is plenty of evidence NYT management willfully rolled over well before the First Amendment ever became an issue. But that's whenever I can next get an Internet connection.

Comments

[John Forde]

EW,

We've missed you. Are you at the St Regis - Aspen?

[Mimikatz]

I had a somewhat similar reaction to the paragraph where Judy describes Libby's remarks at the meeting. Libby sounding surprised there were no WMD? Where was he when the war propaganda was being discussed?

And Cheney's attempts to make sure no one thought he had anything to do with Wilson going to Niger. But Judy quotes Libby as saying that the report on Wilson's trip was in "the bowels of the agency", the same phrase Condi used. (I am at a better location than you, but not at home computer and cannot check the phrasing just now.) Funny that phrase should have been in her notes.

There is focus now on who the "third source" was. Check firedoglake. Card and Fleischer have been proposed.

Fitz seems to have known a whole lot more than Libby or Judy understood when they went in to testify. Probably Rove too.

[John Palcewski]

I'm new to the blogosphere (always have been a slow learner), and I have to tell you--whoever you are--I am delighted I've found you, and the others. Fascinating, isn't it?, to compare your insights to the rather lifeless and sterile crap that comes in the "mainstream" media. For God's sake, keep up the good work! P.S. I fucking LOVE your style!!!!

[Ardant]

Since "criminalization of politics" is already MSM, what are odds that treason and illegal propangandized war will make it to talking point status?

[praktike]

In the future, please plan your vacations around the release of critical new information in the Plame case, for our benefit.

Thanks.

[travelite]

just a "heads up"....you seem to always be on the leading edge. very good work! fyi, below. just doing my part to keep you there.

From Kevin Drum's website....

bcc447fce2, wrote;

"This is what I've been thinking for some time now. In addition to Fleitz knowing that Valerie Plame was married to Joe Wilson through his work in WINPAC, I think the NSA intercepts that Bolton requested (and that the White House wouldn't turn over to the Senate during his confirmation hearings), had the information on Plame and her NOC status. I recall reading on Steve Clemons' The Washington Note that one of his sources said that some of the information that was flagged by Bolton (and probably reviewed with Fleitz) in the NSA intercepts were the names of US corporations doing business in the Middle East.

I think that Brewster-Jennings and Plame were in the intercepts. This information was of use to WHIG and the overall Administration efforts to blunt investigation of Niger uraniam claims. If true, that means Bolton and Fleitz knew she was CIA, and that she was NOC CIA. They are the original leakers. They leaked to select WHIG members (Libby, Rove, Ari) AND leaked it to Novak and Miller. Miller and Novak then tried to confirm the leak with the very same select WHIG members (and perhaps each other). Libby, Rove, and Ari then passed the info to 6 more reporters.

By that time, Libby, Rove, and Ari could say they "heard it from a reporter" and didn't violate any laws regarding national security. That defense was all they thought they needed. They never expected a thorough investigation would be carried out into their crimes--not surprising with their arrogance and firm grip on political power, public relations and the media, and the treasury. The fact that Ashcroft didn't leave on the best of terms with Bush/Cheney/Libby/Rove and Ashcroft is starting to make a lot more sense to me know.

Judy Miller's access to Bolton has been proven. If Cheney or Rummy gave her special clearance for classified material to churn the propoganda out consistently in the NYTimes as she stunningly revealed in her obscure mea culpa yesterday, this would make the Bolton-to-Miller leak even more likely. We know he flouts existing procedures for classified material. Even more, he was a source for many of her false pre-war intelligence reporting. He also visited her in prison. They also have known each other for many years.

The Bolton-to-Novak leak is also highly plausible. They both peddle in and thrive on these types of smear schemes. Bolton has also been a reliable source for Novak over the years.

Everyone seems to agree that Novak must have flipped and flipped early. If that's true, than that's why Fitz needed Miller's testimony to wrap up the case. He knew Bolton and/or Fleitz was the first source for Miller and Novak.

Judy Miller spent 85 days in jail b/c she wouldn't give up Libby OR Bolton. She'd like us to think that she only sorta gave up Libby ('he never used Valerie Plame's name or said she was covert' but he did try and influence my testimony) and NOT her other source. I don't buy it for a minute. Judy was likely facing a perjury and obstruction of justice charge related to the 'found notebook' and had no chance of holding onto her sacred principles and keeping her other source confidential. I think that Fitzgerald knew exactly what role Bolton and/or Fleitz played in this whole criminal enterprise and got exactly what he wanted out Miller plus some more charges against Libby."

Posted by: Lisa on October 16, 2005 at 9:50 PM | PERMALINK

[Chuck Dupree]

One other comment about this line:

"No briefer came in and said, 'You got it wrong, Mr. President,' " he said, according to my notes.

Given Shrub's well-known aversion to any information that contradicts his convictions, can we really imagine that a briefer would say to him, or to anyone in his inner circle, that he got it wrong? Such a briefer would no doubt have a very brief stay in that job.

Seems to me that the whole case is centering on the construction of an alternate reality by Cheney, Libby, Rove, Rice, Hadley, Bolton, OSP, et. al., the purpose of which was of course to promote the reasonability of a pre-emptive war against Iraq. This is naturally not something Libby, or any of the participants, would like to become public. It also appears that Saint Judy was in on the creation and marketing of the myth, quite consciously.

Thus, I agree with emptywheel's inability to believe that Saint Judy is off the legal hook. I'm really glad to read that opinion from someone with relevant and respectable knowledge. I was thinking something similar myself but had read no such speculation elsewhere.

Thanks again, emptywheel, for all you're doing to enlighten us!

[John Casper]

Thanks so much emptywheel. Your seemingly effortless, laser guided, literate, bunker-busting analysis is always the rarest of gifts.

[travelite]

chuck is on the mark.... but here is more from Kevin Drum's site, just keeping you in the loop knowing that you need to economize...

"First of all, surely something like this can't happen in real life, can it?

Who said this was real life?
This is the reality that THEY manufacture.

Miller is covering for Joseph Wilson.

Good lord you're daffy Ruppert! Why would Miller cover for him?

Posted by: osama_been_forgotten on October 16, 2005 at 5:33 PM | PERMALINK
Aldrich Ames outed Valerie Plame.

Joseph Wilson just mentioned his wife and her job to a few reporters to try and get them to see if Bush was going to reveal the truth about his Niger journey.

Posted by: Gary Ruppert on October 16, 2005 at 5:34 PM | PERMALINK
Kevin - you are so naive. You believe what Miller wrote and on top of that, you actually read Mickey Kaus.

Ignore what Bennett said. The facts are these. Fitz interviewed judy in the jail on what she was going to say the next day at GJ. She went in the next day to GJ and talked about the two July meetings (one meeting and one phone call). Fine. Then Fitz asked her if she had met/talked with Scooter in June. (He knew she had, but she didn't know he did.) She lied to GJ on her June call with Libby. That night Fitz checked with Wilson and other sources. Next day, he called her said - lady, you are in trouble.
Either you tell me everything or I will book you for perjury. Then she suddenly discovered her notes for june meetings and surrendered that to him in the follow-up mtg. This meeting between Judy and Fitz, remember, went on for 8 hours.
This is her crucial "come to jesus" meeting.
She sang like a bird under threat of perjury.
After 8 hours of that, Fitz sent her home and asked her to come to GJ next day and tell them what she told him. She repeated for 75 minutes.
Fitz condensed his questions, because this time he was not probing, only asking her recite main points.

Fitz got what he needed. She told him lot more stuff than what she wrote in NYT.

Re Mickey, I won't dignify with a comment."

[RadicalFringe]

I had an aspen epiphany yesterday and I'm increasingly compelled by it: Libby's 'roots' allegory was about the interconnectedness of the WHIG's agenda & activities with the Pentagon's Office of Special Projects. Libby wasn't talking about Judy's fate being tied to his own; he was reminding her that 'turning' (ahem) would implicate the entire neocon system.

For the trifecta, I'm betting Douglas Feith told John Bolton told Judy Miller (who 'told' Libby & Rove, et.al.). Remember, the OSP was in charge of providing bogus intelligence to the White House whenever Cheney couldn't intimidate it out of Langley.

I'm also going to suggest that Walter Pincus' source for learning about the two vengeful leakers may have been Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski. Not only would that align nicely with the fact that all of the major whistleblowers during the Bush reign have been women, but it also ties with her retirement from the OSP in July, 2003...

[John Casper]

Ardant, great post.

[emptywheel]

travelite

FWIW, I think both Card and Ari are unlikely. First, because this person is supposed to not be White House. Which would rule both of them out. If WH were on the table, I'd say Hadley, in a second.

I'm trying to remember where Eliot Abrams was officially at that time. He was originally accused in September 2003 (Scottie's famous denials all refer to Abrams as well as Rove and Libby).

And then I guess the timing is importnat (must review that). If it was pre- July 6 week, then Bolton is a possibility; but July 6 he was in Australia. Not impossible to leak from Australia, but much less likely Pincus'd be on the phone with him.

Re the NSA intercepts. Assuming these were leaks of Brewster Jennings makes it possible the NSA picked up some signal on them. But remember two things about the NSA intercepts.

First, Bolton was out to "get" a LOT of people. A TON. We know he was after Fulton Armstrong (some Bolton allies were trying to frame Armstrong as a spy), Bolton was after just about anyone associated with the US North Korea policy, and Bolton went after some people associated with China.

Then, consider the fact that the NSA can only tap non-US citizens. If they happen to be talking to a US citizen, then the name is supressed. All of which makes it more likely BOlton was after NSA intercepts on someone else, someone more likey to be on the phone with a foreign citizen. The Brewster Jennings angle makes it possible. But Bolton certainly never limited his negative attention to Plame.

[DemFromCT]

note this:

HT to josh Marshall.

NYT: Miller's Delays Made Story Miss Deadline

It didn't take 85 days, but Judith Miller was slow enough to cooperate with the New York Times team reporting on her case that some readers ended up missing the paper's long-awaited Miller coverage on Oct. 16. ,/blockquote>

[DemFromCT]

note this:

HT to josh Marshall.

NYT: Miller's Delays Made Story Miss Deadline

It didn't take 85 days, but Judith Miller was slow enough to cooperate with the New York Times team reporting on her case that some readers ended up missing the paper's long-awaited Miller coverage on Oct. 16.

[emptywheel]

No reason Miller wouldn't use the same document dump techniques the WH does.
But since I think the NYT article is mostly rubbish, I don't think NYT readers are worse for it.

[DemFromCT]

But enquiring minds want to know. And NY Times subscribers want to know.

Bad move all around. Anyone want to guess at Keller's departure date?

[emptywheel]

Hmm, do you think Judy will go first or Keller?

Me, I think Jill Abramson needs to go too. I'll get to it in a day or so (although it's raining here, so maybe I'll get to it today), but by choice or design she has been doing most of the heavy lying for NYT. Well, she and George Freeman.

[DemFromCT]

Kurtz' feedback summary is up. The media didn't like the Times' reporting job any more than we did.

[John Casper]

James Wolcott at his Vanity Fair blog:

"Let us not be too harsh on Judith Miller herself, however. She was caught up in the hypnotic voodoo of highstakes journalism. We've all been there. All of us veteran reporters who risk our parking privileges in pursuit of a hot story know what it's like to have strange words leap into your notebook out of nowhere in the middle of an intense interrogation.

"You're sitting there having breakfast at the St. Regis with Scooter Aspen, buttering each other's toast, and somehow the name 'Valerie Flame' pops up in your notebook without you knowing how it got there! It's your handwriting, sure enough, but rack your brain much as you will, you just can't remember which little birdie tweeted that name into your ear."

[Monzie]

Over at Atrios' shop, Shawk posted a one liner, "Brewster Jennings and their investigation of Saudi WMD are key to Plame." Any comments?

[texas dem]

Does anyone know of a good overview storytelling of Bolton and the NSA intercepts? I've never heard a single telling of what that is all about. If he was out to "get" people (North Korea... does that include Bill Richardson?), then it sounds juicy.

[texas dem]

This is the best I can find on the NSA intercepts. And while interesting, his other hit on Google involves alleged NSA leaks on Flight 93, so I'll regard him with more-than-average skepticism.

Couldn't find much detail in a quick search of Steve Clemons though. Maybe I can do a more exhaustive one if the boss gets off my back.

[emptywheel]

texas dem

Go search it on Steve Clemons' site. He's got by far the most information on it. And yes, Richardson has been speculated to be one of the people he was trying to get dirt on.

[texas dem]

The best I can get out of Clemons is here and here.

Summary paragraphs:

"There is a great deal of speculation as to what is mentioned in the transcripts and which individuals will make the cut of those Bolton was essentially checking up on (or spying on) with his weekend reads of these super secret intel reports. The speculation and commentary range from Bill Richardson on some North Korea matters to Joe Biden on some Iran efforts...to Jack Pritchard on North Korea...and even Richard Armitage.

I have heard through an indirect source, someone close to a former very senior level officer at the State Department, that the intercepts will most likely not provide a "slam-dunk" against Bolton in showing some very clear pattern of interest in sabotaging his colleagues -- but they will show a pattern of serious lapses in judgment and some serious ethical lapses when it comes to his perception of his role as a staff member assigned to follow the instructions of the Secretary of State."

That's as close to "informed speculation" as to what Bolton was up to as I can find from Clemons. Now, the second paragraph does dull the need for speculation; the details are less important if the motives are both discernable, and less than outrageous. But as far as I can tell, Clemons is also so plugged in to the relevant offices that it's just not in his interest to dish broadly about the possible motives and actions of various parties; not only does he have an important reputation to uphold, but he's got no motive to just storytell when he can have more fun playing a much more important game that requires him to speak in measured tones.

So given that I was looking for the very "speculation and commentary" he references, I think I have to look to sources other than Clemons. Cause "those who know ain't talking." Or rather, they're talking in specialized ways.

[gdbvh]

http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/edimburgo-terrace-restaurant.html >edimburgo tower restaurant and terrace the [url=http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/edimburgo-terrace-restaurant.html]edimburgo tower restaurant and terrace the[/url] http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/edimburgo-arrivare.html >bed and breakfast edimburgo [url=http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/edimburgo-arrivare.html]bed and breakfast edimburgo[/url] http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/lettini-usati.html >lettini viaggio [url=http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/lettini-usati.html]lettini viaggio[/url] http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/wallpaper-cindy-crawford.html >cindy crawford foto [url=http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/wallpaper-cindy-crawford.html]cindy crawford foto[/url] http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/edimburgo-introduzione.html >alloggi edimburgo [url=http://s7wg8rlt.nm.ru/edimburgo-introduzione.html]alloggi edimburgo[/url] http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/lettino-solare-confronta-prezzo.html >lettino solare confronta prezzo [url=http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/lettino-solare-confronta-prezzo.html]lettino solare confronta prezzo[/url] http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/vendo-lettino-relax.html >lettino legno giardino [url=http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/vendo-lettino-relax.html]lettino legno giardino[/url] http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/neonato-lettino-materasso.html >coperte lettino neonato [url=http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/neonato-lettino-materasso.html]coperte lettino neonato[/url] http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/regalare-fiore.html >fiore regalare [url=http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/regalare-fiore.html]fiore regalare[/url] http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/lettino-culla-naturale.html >stokke lettino culla [url=http://b4vz4dey.nm.ru/lettino-culla-naturale.html]stokke lettino culla[/url] http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/breve-storia-popolo-ebraico.html >breve storia popolo ebraico [url=http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/breve-storia-popolo-ebraico.html]breve storia popolo ebraico[/url] http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/energia-cottbus.html >energia cottbus [url=http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/energia-cottbus.html]energia cottbus[/url] http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/consiglio-comunale-bilancio-rispettato-patto-stabilita-giornale-novembre-dicembr.html >cosa fare non viene rispettato contratto telefonico [url=http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/consiglio-comunale-bilancio-rispettato-patto-stabilita-giornale-novembre-dicembr.html]cosa fare non viene rispettato contratto telefonico[/url] http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/tech-aa-cordless-telecom.html >tech aa cordless telecom [url=http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/tech-aa-cordless-telecom.html]tech aa cordless telecom[/url] http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/q-tech-2020.html >auricolare tech [url=http://e6ij1pil.nm.ru/q-tech-2020.html]auricolare tech[/url]