[John Nichols] Patrick Fitzgerald: It's Not Over

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?mm=10&yr=2005

> Posted 10/28/2005 @ 3:26pm
> Patrick Fitzgerald: It's Not Over
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> The most intriguing news with regard to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation of the apparent effort by the Bush-Cheney administration to punish former Ambassador Joe Wilson for revealing how the White House deceived the American people about the threat posed by Iraq is not the indictment of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.
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> But what matters most are the questions that the Libby indictment has raised with regard to Cheney's actions?
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> Let's be clear: If the Libby indictment and resignation is all that comes of Fitzgerald's two-year-long investigation into a case that touches on fundamental questions of government accountability, abuse of power and the dubious "case" that was made for going to war in Iraq, then this whole matter will be no more that a footnote to the sorry history of the Bush-Cheney era.
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> Fitzgerald was extremely cautious about what he meant by that statement. But he did confirm that he will be keeping the "(grand) jury open to consider other matters."
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> But, while Fitzgerald made the predictable announcement that that the "substantial work" of the investigation was done, the fact that the grand jury remains empaneled makes it reasonable to suggest, or at the very least to hope, that we have reached the Churchillian moment when it can be said: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
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...like a little birdie and drag Darth Cheney and the whole corrupt Bush administration down...

We CAN hope can't we? ;-)

it will be disappointing but not surprising.

This is just the BEGINNING of what is going to be a long, drawn out affair, and lots of s**t has yet to hit the fan. Don't forget that Fitz could have 'exonerated' Rover today -- HE DIDN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cutting all the benefits to the poor...we just don't have time to wait...

A review of the documents surrounding the Libby indictment leaves little doubt that there are still many questions to be answered, and that at least some of those questions should relate to the actions of the highest-ranking officials in the administration.

This is why 40 members of the U.S. House have urged Fitzgerald to expand the inquiry to examine whether Bush, Cheney and members of the White House's Iraq War Group conspired to deceive Congress into authorizing the war – thus committing the federal crime of lying to Congress. Of course, there will be those who argue that such an investigation would be too broad an extension of the special prosecutor's brief. But that's just the latest line from those who have always wanted to close down this inquiry.

The simple fact is that, if Patrick Fitzgerald wants to get to the truth about who was behind the attempt to discredit Wilson and Plame, he has to examine the reason why the White House cared so very much about what was said regarding the use and misuse of intelligence. That is the examination that Fitzgerald can and should now begin.




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I'm sure he said that. It was what he used the baseball analogy to explain. I'll go back and read the transcript, but I'm sure he said that.

As I listened to Fitz today, that's what gave me the most hope.