Bush, Libby, Plame, and a suspicious note

February 1, 2007

Patrick Fitzgerald introduced an interesting, hand-written note into evidence in Scooter Libby’s criminal trial this week, written by Dick Cheney — and implicating his boss.

The VP noted that Scott McClellan had told the White House press corps that Karl Rove was not responsible for the Valerie Plame Leak. For Cheney, the denial wasn’t quite good enough; he wanted McClellan to extend the same denial for Libby. Cheney gave McClellan this note:
cheneynotesgraph.jpg

Has to happen today.

Call out to key press saying same thing about Scooter as Karl.

Not going to protect one staffer & sacrifice the guy this Pres. that was asked to stick his neck in the meat grinder because of the incompetence of others.

Now, Andrew Sullivan looked at the exact same note and, at first, said, “There’s some debate about what the crossed out words ‘the Pres” means. No idea myself.”

Is it really that big a mystery?

Eventually, after a reader of his drew him a compelling picture, Sullivan came around.

So Cheney was reflecting a presidential decision as to who was expendable and who wasn’t? Bush wanted to save Rove by designating Libby the fall-guy. He asked Libby to be the fall guy for Rove. (Cheney may not have been thrilled that he had to lose his right-hand man to save the president’s.) Pure speculation, of course. But it makes sense. And if true, it’s a fascinating glimpse into the mafia-like code of loyalty that exists in Bush world.

I have a hard time coming to any other kind of conclusion. Cheney was writing in active voice — “this Pres.” asked Libby to stick his neck in the meat grinder. He then changed it to passive voice — Libby “was asked.” Bush had to be taken out of the equation.

As Kevin put it, “Even in a note to McClellan, it was best not to admit that Bush had ever been involved. Plausible deniability, you see.”

On Tuesday, a reporter asked Tony Snow during a White House press briefing, “How closely is the President following the Libby trial?” Snow responded, “Not that closely really. I know there’s this perception that we’re all sitting around buzzing about it, but we really aren’t.”

The Bush gang may want to start.

The most hilarious scribbling was Mary Matalin’s note to Libby that said “He hates Chris” [that meant Time Russert hates Chris Mathews].

So that brings up the question again: who are the more sophisticated group – your local middle school class, or our national media establishment? (My opinion is the former)

  • What’s even more bizarre (or typical) is Sullivan’s revised reaction – he sees only an odd code of loyalty & protection in Bush’s world, but totally fails to notice the implication _he himself spells out_ that the Vice-President just directed the Press Secretary to baldly lie to protect the back of a senior official from possible national security charges.

    It’s like examining the body of the victim of an unspeakably brutal murder, and noting only that he was carrying an overdue library book. The man’s self-delusion is phenomenal.

  • how the hell did this document survive the shredder? c’mon

    also, didn’t “the Pres” indicate at the time Plamegate started to unravel that he was going to get to the bottom of this matter? not that it’s surprising in the least that he was lying and was neck deep in this crap, but if accountability means anything anymore it’s time for someone to revisit the Pres’s statements at the time.

    seriously, if no one ever calls him out on such blatant lying then what incentive is there for them ever to stop.

  • Anyone else see a pattern of the Rightwing/Neocon/Repubs

    Sullivan can’t SEE note refers to Pres Bush? = Three Blind Mice

    Success in Iraq = Clap harder to save Tinkerbell

    Dems are always too shrill or too wimpy but Repubs are just right = Goldilocks and the 3 bears.

    Every Dem minor stumble or poor phrasing = major felony to be hammered
    Every Repub major stumble = dismissed as less than a misdemeenor.

    Jim

  • I forgot to add: Cheney pointing out other people’s incompetence is like Bush pointing to a pile of cowshit.

  • And of course the Orwell quote in Sullivan’s banner would seem to be particularly appropriate today, eh?

    Heh.

    Sullivan’s struggle to see what’s right in front of his nose continues.

  • “mafia-like code of loyalty” — the Sicilian word for it is Omertà (silence).

    Bush Crime Family, anyone?

    Americans would understand more about this bunch if they studied the history, structure and functioning of the Mafia. We’d also come to a clearer understanding of events taking place in the Middle East. In either case we’re not dealing with nations and governments, (\Founding Fathers, Constitution and lawyers); we’re dealing with cabals of criminals.

  • So, what happens with this note? Do Congress, Fitzgerald and the media read it, shrug their shoulders and move on?

  • FWIW, I would like to point out that there are several instances of the word “the” in the note, and they all look a lot like the crossed out word before “pres.” so I would say the note does not say “this pres.” it says “the pres.”

    Several words in the note end in the letter “s” and the last letters in each of these words are all similar to each other, and quite different from the last letter in the crossed out word. Not sure if that makes much of a difference, but maybe it would to someone.

    On a lighter note, I wonder how long until the wingnuts come up with the theory that Cheney was referring to himself rather than Bush? Anything to protect Dear Leader.

  • I think Cheney could have been referring to himself. He pulls the strings anyway. Like the Chief of Staff in the movie “Dave,” the president only exists to carry out his wishes. I wouldn’t doubt that Cheney speaks more often as the President than W does. You can tell he was pissed when he wrote the note. Probably just enough that he forgot he wasn’t really the president.

  • Just for clarification here… didn’t Scooter’s lawyer introduce this evidence? That’s what the linked article says. And this is Scooter’s whole defense anyway – that he’s a fall-guy.

    Quite how that excuses you for lying to investigators is another matter, but at this point, I would encourage all 72%ers to throw a few dimes into Scooter’s defense fund. From what we have seen so far, this trial cannot go on long enough.

  • Ed is right, Scooter’s attorney is the guy who’s pointing the finger at Bush. And I can’t figure out how this helps with Scooter’s perjury either, except to maybe make him a good candidate for a plea bargain.

    And I really can’t wait to hear Cheney’s explanation of that note!

    More popcorn!

  • My read says that Cheney is essentially saying, “F*&k Bush. You had better save my guy’s bacon”

    Whenever anyone else says such a thing, they are emboldening the terrorishts. But Cheney? It’s good to be the vice president king.

  • how the hell did this document survive the shredder? c’mon Benjamin

    Sometimes people are paranoid when they are setting someone up to be a scapegoat. Maybe it was kept in order to avoid becoming another scapegoat.

    Blackmail? Power? So many possible reasons to keep incriminating evidence.

  • true enough, doubtful, yet the whole defense theory is that it was Bush—the other president—who was setting up Scooter as the scapegoat.

    given that theory, it makes sense that libby’s team would be the party to introduce the evidence (though i would think the defense exhibits would be introduced when they present their case, not during the prosecution’s case).

    in any event, i still have to wonder how this document ever made it to trial. although Libby has since been fired, at the time this note was written it was while he was employed as VP chief of staff. accordingly, during discovery, such documents created during his tenure as chief of staff would have been handled by the VP’s counsel. i wonder if cheney sought to exclude it on some notion of exec privilege, or if he just readily turned it over. which is why i’m surprised it survived the shredder (cheney being the ex-CEO of an ethically-challenged company is no doubt familiar with the shredder, aka the best friend of a morally bankrupt CEO).

    there’s something going on here that i can’t quite figure out yet. I’ll just leave it to the enterprising journalists of the MSM to unravel the mystery….

  • I think it is rather more likely that Sullivan was being sarcastic with “no idea myself.” He left it for readers and other bloggers to make the accusation. Whether Sullivan was being shrewd, coy, or chicken is hardly worth talking about, although it is amusing to see how people read someone they have decided they don’t like in a superficial way, while giving the benefit of the doubt to others.

    Explanations that make the most sense based on circumstances are often correct, but to assume that they are in fact correct is dangerous, as Mr. Sullivan and the better half of the country learned the hard way in regards to WMD.

  • Mr. Carpetbagger,

    Given your unattractive duties of reviewing prominent right wing blogs for your other gig, can you provide any insights into how they are reacting to this? (other than Sullivan, of course). I’m always amazed at how the right blogistan can justify any/every action of this administration (okay, with the single caveat of Harriet Myers), but can’t bring myself to go visit their dens of hatred. (I’m also one of those rare people that don’t look at the accident on the freeway as I drive by).

    thanks in advance.

  • I guess I don’t read this the same way you do. I read it as “We are [N]ot going to protect one staffer (referring to Rove since McClellan had already stated that Rove was not involved?) & then turn around and sacrifice the guy this Pres. that was asked to stick his neck in the meat grinder because of the incompetence of others (meaning Libby).” So Cheney was telling McClellan to include Libby when stating that no one in the White House was involved (or something to that effect).

  • I’m really interested what was meant by “the incompetence of others.” Was the plot to discredit Wilson incompetent? Was Wilson supposed to be silenced by other means previously and the outing job was a backup plan? Did Novak do a crappy job in outing Plame?

    What Cheney meant by that phrase would go a long way to understanding the plotting of these amateur Macchiavellis.

  • The President said he’s going to fire anybody that was involved. And we know he’s a man of his word!

    Can we all say hello President Pelosi?

  • To me, it almost seems as if Cheney purposely wrote and then left legible the words “the Pres.” to stick it to Bush a bit… If he really didn’t want anyone to know what was going on, he would’ve done a more thorough job of crossing it out. Excessively calculating?? Who knows…

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