Very interesting day with the rest of David Addington and the testimony of reporter, Judy Miller.
Continued testimony: David Addington
Addington had some pretty damaging testimony tha favored the prosecution's case against Libby. Here is an interesting testimony from Addington to Fitzgerald:
Fitz: Coversation about paperwork related to CIA employee spouse trip. Did you ever have a later occasion to discuss this.
Addington: Yes, right before investigation started.
Fitz: Describe what you recall.
Addington: Larger office in OEOB, I knew it would have to do with the case. I reminded them that I was employee for the govt, our conversation wouldn't be privileged. He said, I just want to tell you I didn't do it.
Fitz: What else was said?
Addington: He asked me how you would know if you met someone from CIA if they were undercover. I responded when I worked out there, you'd ask if someone if they were undercover. He asked if they introduced themselves how you'd know. I told him you wouldn't know unless you asked or saw a piece of paper that said it was classified. I volunteered to him I could get him a copy of IIPA that makes it a crime to reveal identity of covert agent. I took it to his office and gave it to him.
Oh oh! Not good for Libby. He told Addington that he didn't do it. And Addington was a legal counsel to the White House. Not good Libby...
On the defense side, here are some highlights that are not in favor of Libby. Of course, the defense tried to discredit Addington:
Wells: Top half of document in Libby's handwriting.
Addington: The word classified there looks like his handwriting.
Wells: Bottom half in Cheney's handwriting. Writes;
Has to happen today. Call out to key press saying same thing about Scooter as Karl. Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the guy.
Wells: Can you make out what's crossed out?
Addington: I can't tell.
Addington: Now that it's been expanded I can read it. Pres is scratched through. I read that as two words This Pres.
Wells: This Pres was crossed out by VP and note goes on to read.
that was asked to stick his neck in the meat grinder because of the incompetence of others.
And then comes the blame game with Rove and Libby on why was Rove exonerated and not Libby:
Wells: White House went out and exonerated Karl Rove, just Karl Rove. They did not exonerate Libby. By exonerating Karl Rove in the media and the public it created a clear impression that Scooter Libby had done someting.
Addington: I can't reach that conclusion. Not to me, what bothered me is that press offices should not be discussing what's going on in criminal investigations, they don't know.
Wells: He said the VP instructed him to clear Libby in the same way that WH cleared Rove.
Addington: Let me repeat. Staff table in WH, he happened to be at the table. So was I. I didn't ask question why did you, I said you ought not be out there saying you did or didn't do something. He said, your boss is the one who wanted us to.
Second Testimony: Former New York Times reporter, Judy Miller
Ms. Miller was quite revealing. Here is an interesting testimony with Miller:
Fitz: Mr Wilson was discussed, did ground rules remain same
Miller: Ground rules changed. Libby said, when we shifted into alleged efforts to acquire uranium, he wanted to be identified on deeper background and I think he said something like Former Hill staffer
Fitz: had you ever been asked by him before to treat him as Former Hill staffer
Miller: No
Interesting that Libby didn't want to be treated as a former hill staffer but wanted Miller to ID him as a former hill staffer. What happen to memory loss from Libby?
Miller had met with Libby on several occasions yet she says that she didn't recognize him in an event in Wyoming:
Fitz: saw Libby in person?
Miller: In Jackson Hole WY, at a rodeo, I went with my husband. This figure approached me, began talking to me, it became time to introduce husband, it became clearer I didn't know who it was. Judy, you don't know who this is, sunglasses, black t-shirt, cowboy boots. I had never seen him in any thing but a suit. Just some banter about meeting in Aspen. Meeting of Aspen stataegy group. Topic had been lack of WMD in Iraq.
I just thought that was funny. And she didn't Libby? hmmm..
Throughout Miller's testimony, she recalled that she wrotes notes but failed to go bakc to review them. I thought this testimony was interesting:
Miller: You asked me, I couldn't pinpoint time of second meeting in Sag Harbor if I would check notebooks, to better place time.
Fitz: Did you do that
Miller: I found, when I returned to my office, I looked under my desk there was a shopping bag full of my notebooks. Looked through July, picked up June, and discovered entire conversation in June, that I had forgotten about. I happened to be on phone with Bennett, urged him to call you and tell you there was more info
This is obvious that Juddy is hiding something and covering up. I find amazing of Miller's techniques for reporting especially with the story about Wilson and Plame that she only refer to her notes for guidance. She should take lession from reporter, Bob Woodward. woodward takes notes and have a tape recorder. It is less likely to retain all information from note taking! Interesting that her pen was give her trouble!
And this testimony was mind boggling from Miller and left a lot of questions about Miller:
Jeffress: You remember being asked. Let me go back, set the stage. After you didn't remember this meeting at all, you went back after finding that there had been a meeting. What date did it say
Miller: 5/23.
Jeffress: But you know there was a meeting on June 23
Miller: I don't know what was in Mr Libby's calendar
Ms. Miller couldn't remember June 23 rd. and she said May 23rd? It makes you wonder who did Judy meet with on May 23rd and why May 23rd was written in her notes. I think Miller is in a lot more deeper trouble in this case. She was given a security clearance card from the White House and no other reporters were given that card and lot of inteviews with Libby. There is more to Miller than meets the eye from her claim that she was protecting her source. The real question is who is really protecting and what does she know?
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