Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Closing arguments in the Libby trial: Defense team is up! Part Four


Ted's turn again. I suspect we'll get the contrite Ted. But that's just a guess.
Also, I'm using "L&G" as abbreviationg for Ladies and Gentleman. I've included it to give the civilized tone of the discourse. But it's too damn long.
Wells has 50 minutes.
Yup, contrite, calm Ted.
Good Afternoon. I have 50 minutes left to speak to you. I'm going to have to be quick, cut some things about. I was talking about relevancy of meat grinder note. If you look at top part of that note, Libby is saying in his own handwriting that he did not leak classified info. That's a note he gave to the VP of US. He DID. NOT. did not leak classified info. Prosecution played a tape from McC, I say, give me a break. He had to go to Card, McC, then VP. That ain't a team I think he should WANT to be on. They didn't treat him like he should want to be on it.
In terms of time. THe record is very confusing. Russert says he thinks one call. He said call could have been 10, 11, or 12. When interviewed by Eckenrode, possible that there were two calls. Libby always thought two calls. One on 10th and one on 11th. No phone records to nail it down. I'm going to give you homework assignment. I'm going to ask you, if you look at Libby's GJ on March 5, you'll see LIbby's all over the place. if you also read GJ on March 24, there's more discussion. And Fitz on one of those pages, even says is it possible you talked to Rove before, withdrawn, Russert before you talked to Rove. Because I'm telling you what if Rove left early that day. Remember one of the rules. Questions by lawyers are not evidence. THat's just Fitz' question. Maybe he talked to Rove first and Russert second. What you'll see is mass confusion, bc there are no phone records. When you have this kind of confusion, benefit of doubt must be given to Libby.
This case built on theory that does not have hard evidence. They're asking you to speculate.
3:06pm ET
There's nothing wrong with circumstantial evidence, it's got to be poweful evidence. it's got to bebuilt on strong foundation if you're going to change someon's life.
I want you to look at GX65, letter from DOJ that says what investigation is about. Says that investigation involved investigation into Novak article, and Newsday. Investigation was about Novak, when it first started, taht that was Libby's state of mind, part of packet from DOJ. This is from highest ranking officials in US. Mr Libby had every right, if given letter, to rely on doggone letter.
I want to go to another area. Want to talk about how the fact that he was very involved in responding to allegations by Wilson, and saying you had to remember what you knew about the wife. THere's a disconnect. Everyone has problems remembering Mrs Wilson. Mrs WIlson did not become important until there was a criminal investigation.
This slide, I developed it with Ms Martin. It's one of the most important pieces of evidence. Contemporaneous on talking points that were developed by OVP. No one could have known criminal investigation. [names the defense exhibits to point to talking point documents.]
Those are the VIce Presidents own talking points that he dictated to Ms Martin. It shows what he was concerned about. I'd ask you to look at each one of those talking points. One of them was after Novak article. She never was part of the story.
I was going to read you some testimony, but I don't have time.
We do not dispute that Ms Martin on or abotu June 11 told Libby about the wife. Libby told FBI from day one that he learned about it. If you put Fleischer to the side, and Mr Addington, all the other witnesses cluster around the same day. [Um, and Judy judy judy? and You've put Mr Unitary Executive aside???]
Nobody is disputing that there's a period in June that Libby knew Mrs Wilson worked at FBI. He brought note. Like Mr Jeffress said, if he's such a bad guy he should have put the note in the trash can. He said he looked at note and refreshed recollection.
Govt tried to put cloud over VP Cheney. During questioning of Ms Martin. We'll you weren't with Mr. Libby all the time. Somethings could have happened while you weren't there. The clear implication was that there was skullduggery. That's unfair on teh facts of this case. Scooter Libby wasn't out pushing stories on the wife. Look at output side.
Faces of journalists. Best proof.
We brought in EVERY reporter. [except Mitchell] We didn't bring in Mitchell, she's in GJ he said he didn't say anything. [And also David Martin]
The only person who said libby told her, I don't think it happened. She's got a note that says WINPAC. She didn't work at bureau. Bureau, taht's a state department. She's got bad information. When these people leaked, tehy said wife works at CIA. She got the word bureau, which is inaccurate, and WINPAC which is inaccurate. Mr Libby had no intention to give bad information. He didn't leak to anybody.
Prosecution focused on July 8 meeting. They say, Mr. Libby, how if he was so busy to take two hours to have lunch with Miller on July 8, the reason he took two hours is taht Libby understood VP of US had directed, and President, President Bush behind it too. Not to say anything about Valerie Wilson, but to discuss info that Bush had privately, lawfully declassified concerning.
[Text says, "Libby was sent on a secret mission to discuss the NIE … it had nothing to do with Valerie Wilson"]
3:17 pm ET


More on Wells' closing arguments.

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