Reply #28: Yup, that, too, is a possibility. There are multiple charges possible-- [View All]

not just perjury and obstruction, but also participating in the main crime and conspiracy (both on the main crime and on coverups). Fitzgerald has Rove on perjury, just on the known facts. And the likeliest scenario is that Rove has ratted on someone(s) and made some sort of deal with Fitzgerald to control the newsstream for a while. I tend to think there is a serious fissure between the Cheney/Libby faction and the Bush/Rove faction--which started developing way back behind the scenes during Katrina (and maybe before, when the Cheney/Libby crowd failed to get those WMDs planted in Iraq)--and/or, that we are seeing an orchestrated creation of fall guys (first Libby, then Cheney) that will in some way keep the Bushites' claws on the levers of US power. As I understand it, Luskin is keeping that letter close to his chest. It could be a "depending on your cooperation" letter (Fitzgerald to Rove). No press conference, because the wording of the letter would reveal that Rove has cut a deal, or remains in legal jeopardy--and if they hold a press conference, they are going to inevitably be asked about the letter, why they won't release it, and also why Fitz has made no statement.

I've seen newstream items on this Rove thing to the effect that the investigation is "winding down" and plainly stating or implying that it's over--as if a Rove indictment had been the main goal of the investigation. Spin. Rovian spin. It is possible that Gonzales has now done (or attempted) his "Saturday Night Massacre" (removal of Fitzgerald, or curtailing of this authority) and that it's over BECAUSE of that. But that doesn't mean that Cheney and a number of other people* shouldn't be in jail! They committed a major crime, amounting to treason--and engaged in a widespread conspiracy to do so, and to cover it up. That seems obvious from just the known facts--and god knows what else was going on. Barring a behind the scenes "Saturday Night Massacre," I simply don't see Fitzgerald "winding down" this investigation. I believe what he said in the Libby press conference, that what is at issue is a grave matter of national security--and I don't think he will settle for more lies and obstruction. If nothing else, he will issue a Grand Jury report replete with a number of "unindicted co-conspirators," possibly as high up as Bush, but at the least excoriating Bush for PERMITTING his people to assault our own covert agents and their covert WMD counter-proliferation network around the world.

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*(--and that "number of other people" should include Rumsfeld, in my opinion the mastermind of the Plame/Brewster-Jennings outings and possibly of the coverup as well. In the Rumsfeld/mastermind scenario, Rove is set up to take the blame for the outings (which had other purposes--disabling our "eyes and ears" on WMDs around the world) because of Rove's reputation for dirty politics; they created a plausible story that it was political revenge, and failed to inform him--or disinformed him--about the legality of what he was doing, giving Plame's identity to Novak; thus, Rove has reason to be pissed off at that faction--call it the war manufacturing faction, as opposed to the Rovian war-spin faction--and threw a shit-fit (a la the Wilson story about a dustup between Libby and Rove, early on) about going down for the Rumsfeldians. He refused to take the fall, demanded a "sacrifice" on their part, and got Libby. His deal with Fitzgerald could be to give Libby up on the main crime. Fitzgerald may feel he can get at the higher ups that way.) (The main crime--outing and thus endangering covert CIA agents--requires proof of intent and knowledge of the agents' status. Libby's filings in the perjury/obstruction case against him are PRIMARILY concerned with the MAIN CRIME, to an almost ludicrous degree. He is clearly vulnerable on it. This may be what Rove ultimately gave Fitzgerald, after months of Fitzgerald twisting Rove's arm on a potential perjury charge--further evidence against Libby (and possibly Cheney) on the main crime.) (But, in the "Saturday Night Massacre" scenario, this may be what Gonzales acted to PREVENT Rove from having to give to Fitzgerald--thus leaving Fitzgerald with few options except to issue a report; leaving him with no clear avenue to the main perps; leaving him, that is, with nothing but lies, obstruction and power-plays against the truth.)