Here are some of the highlights to the witnesses, Ari Fleischer and David Addington:
First testimony: Former White House Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer
Ari testified that heard Plame's name from Libby. He said he thought the information might help deflect critical questions from reporters. Fleischer said Libby told him about
Valerie Plame' job at the CIA over a lunch in the White House mess on July 7, 2003.
Valerie Plame' job at the CIA over a lunch in the White House mess on July 7, 2003.
Zeidenberg: What word did Libby use when he described Wilson's wife.
Fleischer: I remember him saying she works at CIA at CPD.
Fleischer: I remember him saying she works at CIA at CPD.
Zeidenberg: Did you know what it meant.
Fleischer: not in specific, I don't know enough about CIA inner structure to know what it means.
Zeidenberg: her name, how did he describe her name
Fleischer: I believe he said Valerie Plame
Fleischer: the news that VP had not sent him, it was the first time I ever heard it.
Zeidenberg: what did you understand Libby to mean by hush hush
Fleischer I thought it was kind of odd. My sense was Libby was saying it was kind of newsie, no one knows.
Fleischer I thought it was kind of odd. My sense was Libby was saying it was kind of newsie, no one knows.
Of course, Libby has told investigators he thought he first learned about Plame on July 10, 2003 from NBC reporter Tim Russert.
Fleischer proved to be a calm witness, even under cross-examination by defense lawyer, Jeffress.
What is interesting about Fleischer's lunch with Libby is that that was their first ever and had been scheduled by Libby. Fleischer stated that he ate his lunch at his desk.
"His wife sent him" and "She works at the CIA" recalled Fleischer to what Bartlett told him.
Jeffress tried to suggest that Fleischer might have heard the Plame story first from Bartlett and was trying to protect him. Nice try Jeffress. Interesting about the chain of command of Dan Bartlett and Fleischer:
Jeffress tried to suggest that Fleischer might have heard the Plame story first from Bartlett and was trying to protect him. Nice try Jeffress. Interesting about the chain of command of Dan Bartlett and Fleischer:
Jeffress: Dan Bartlett is your boss.
Fleischer: nominally my boss. the way the WH worked, I really reported to the president. Dan Bartlett would have a box above me.
Jeffress got Fleischer to acknowledge he saw reporters between July 7-10 2003, but he said he didn't tell any of them about Plame until after hearing from Bartlett. But, he wouldn' t back off his contention that he heard about her job from Libby first. He conceded only that he wasn't absolutely sure Libby used her name.
Second testimony: White House Chief of Staff, David Addington.
Addington is called Cheney's Cheney. Here is an interesting discussion with Fitzgerald and Addington:
Fitzgerald Does this appear to be the set you put together.
Addington: Let me flip through it. There are a few redactions. But I produced it.
Fitzgerald: Publish 53, turn to page 2. This describes the 10/7/2003 request. Relating to:
Addington: Let me flip through it. There are a few redactions. But I produced it.
Fitzgerald: Publish 53, turn to page 2. This describes the 10/7/2003 request. Relating to:
A) Wilson, his trip to Niger, his wife's purported relationship to CIA
B) Contact with any member of news media about wilson or his wife
C) A contact with any or all of the following: Phelps, Royce, or Novak
Fitzgerald: Govt not contending there's been any withholding of documents. I don't want anyone to misread what we're doing.
Fitzgerald: Was it your understanding that doct requests only concerned Novak, Royce and Phelps.
Addington: No.
Fitzgerald: If it related to Wilson or his wife, would that be responsive
Addington: Yes, B.
Addington: Yes, B.
Fitzgerald: Shows date.
Addington: sent out 10/3/2003. Those are my initials, next to my typed title.
Addington: sent out 10/3/2003. Those are my initials, next to my typed title.
Some interesting tidbit of Addington from an article last year in the New Yorker:
Cheney and Addington met on Capitol Hill in the mid-eighties, when Cheney was a Republican congressman from Wyoming and Addington was a young staff lawyer working for the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees. So they have worked together for about two decades. Their partnership was cemented when they worked together on the Minority Report on the Iran-Contra affair.
Addington was merely the legal counsel to the Vice-President until last fall, so it is curious that he exercised so much influence. But, according to other lawyers who deal with national-security issues in the Administration, Addington exercised enormous influence in part because he was seen as Cheney’s representative, and Cheney was the epicenter of power on these matters.
Addington also had a forceful, aggressive, and, some say, bullying style that allowed him to dominate legal debates. In interviews, other lawyers told me how he dismissed their views, mocked their softness if they championed international law, and worked secretively and, one of them said, viciously, to outmaneuver critics.
Addington was merely the legal counsel to the Vice-President until last fall, so it is curious that he exercised so much influence. But, according to other lawyers who deal with national-security issues in the Administration, Addington exercised enormous influence in part because he was seen as Cheney’s representative, and Cheney was the epicenter of power on these matters.
Addington also had a forceful, aggressive, and, some say, bullying style that allowed him to dominate legal debates. In interviews, other lawyers told me how he dismissed their views, mocked their softness if they championed international law, and worked secretively and, one of them said, viciously, to outmaneuver critics.
Timeline, timeline, timeline. The defense tried to do all they can to do damage control. But, Fleischr didn't cave in. But, that July 7, 2003 lunch with Libby and Fleischer's words from Libby that "this was hush, hush and on the QT." will certainly be on minds of the jurors. Too early for an opinion for Addington's testimony. I look forward to more of Addington's testimony. Since he is Cheney's cheney, I am sure Fitzgerald has done in depth background into this witness.
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