Issue #48
Last Update January 23, 2007
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National The Scooter Jury by Gert Innsry January 23, 2007 The most interesting (though maybe not the most important) news story of the week was the impanelling of the jury for the "Scooter" Libby perjury trial. So low has the Bush administration fallen in the eyes of the American public that picking a jury that did not automatically believe that every word out of the mouth of defense witnesses Dick Cheney and other Administration stalwarts was a lie proved to be extremely difficult. This may be the first time that the mendacity of the accused's friends was a prime strategy in jury selection.
What has happened since jury selection is equally interesting. Witness after witness, many of them Libby's former friends and allies, have contradicted in significant ways the account Libby gave to prosecutors and the FBI. Considering that the main charge Libby faces is perjury, this is not a good sign for the defendant. Are administration staffers and the members of the press who have been in bed with them having a sudden attack of honesty, or is something else at work here? Reports have surfaced of a decision at top administration levels to sacrifice Libby in order to save Rove, considered to be a far more valuable player.
Scooter was Cheney's chief of staff, though, and Cheney is as capable of playing hardball as Rove, and could be vulnerable to impeachment if his responsibility in exposing a CIA officer could be proven. Impeachment of Cheney is a necessary prerequisite to the impeachment of Bush; even W's most bitter enemies don't want to swap him for Cheney. As long as Cheney is Veep, Bush is safe. This makes any sacrifice, even of a loyal follower, worthwhile.
Whether to protect Rove or Cheney, however, sacrificing Libby is a risky move. As the possibility of conviction and jail begins to loom larger, Libby may be more open to a deal; as Cheney's ex-chief of staff, he knows where a lot of the Vice President's bodies are buried, and, considering the sway Cheney holds over the President, perhaps where some of the President's bodies are buried as well. Watergate mushroomed when some of the minor characters being telling what they knew about their higher-ups. Libby could start the same kind of snowball rolling. Based on their public statements, Libby's lawyers understand this. In the next few weeks, we'll see if Libby himself has figured out where he stands and what is to his best interest.
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