Funmurphys: the Blog

Why Is Scooter Libby On Trial?

I've promised one last Plame post numerous times, but the Scooter Libby trial requires comment -- if only for the sheer fun of saying the defendant's name. If you want the ins and outs, Tom Maguire is as always your man. I'm taking a big picture look.

First off, near as I can tell just about everybody who got roped into Fitzgerald's investigation has had trouble with remembering what actually happened -- who said what to whom when -- or has changed their story, yet only Mr. Libby is on trial. Mr. Fitzgerald claims that is because Mr. Libby deliberately mislead him and impeded his investigation, but his investigation into what? He determined that no crime occured, and that determination had nothing to do with who leaked first, it had to do with Ms. Plame-Wilson's status.

Secondly, Joe Wilson has lied long and loud and clear yet he suffers no penalty for doing so. I'm not even sure he actually went to Niger since he's lied about everything else. And as it turns out, he is the guy who actually leaked his wife's status as an ex-NOC -- up until he yapped to Mr. Corn, his wife simply worked at the CIA. It's bad enough Armitage, Fleischer, Rove and Libby let out that much, but Joe himself the most damage.

Third and last, why is Fitzgerald and the government wasting time with this prosecution when real live CIA leaks that actually caused harm are going uninvestigated and unpunished?