Russert -- Why did Libby lie about a conversation with Russert?

I don't watch Russert's show, so I have nothing against him, no bone to pick, so to speak. But, one of the many questions raised by the indictment of Libby is --- Why did Libby pick Russert as the name of the reporter he said had told him about Plame? Did Libby feel very confident that Russert would not dare to tell the truth? that Russert was not likely to contradict Libby's lie? Was Libby confident that Russert "was in his pocket" so to speak?

What does the fact that Libby chose to lie about what Russert had told him say about Russert's objectivity as a journalist, about his reputation for objectivity, or for that matter for honesty or dishonesty among the staff and officers at the White House? Isn't Russert just furious that Libby would have had so little respect for Russert's integrity that he would try to involve Russert in this lie? What's the story on this? What do you think? If I were Russert, I would be doing some serious damage control and finger pointing at Libby at this point. I would be outraged at Libby and at the Bush White House. Libby's lies impugned the honesty and integrity of Russert. You would think he would realize that.

Not to say he was, but how do we know?

Also because his statement is kind of corroborated by the fact that Libby spoke to so many people about the Plame role in the Niger trip and about Plame's working for the CIA that the evidence that Libby was the liar is very great beyond Russert's statement.

special prosecutor.

He only had to testify to what he told libby, not what libby told him. I made a whole post about it earlier.

They were relying on reporter's honor not to reveal a source.

my source here for Bush quote is fox site, so I'm not gonna provide a link. . .but google the phrase if you need one.

<snip>

"I have no idea whether we'll find out who the leaker is, partially because, in all due respect to your profession, you do a very good job of protecting the leakers," he said. "You tell me: How many sources have you had that's leaked information that you've exposed or had been exposed? Probably none. I mean, this town is a town full of people who like to leak information."

<snip>

apparently Russert discussing this last nite:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5220115

Russert stonewalling the Special Prosecutor. Also, the whole "protect the source" tradition usually gets a lot of respect from prosecutors, especially when the one doing the protecting has supposed "gravitas" and a national reputation. I think Libby figured that Fitz might go after print journalists, but would not go after Precious, Famous Timmy...or would back off if Timmy said NO.

Also, NBC, his parent corporation, has DEEP pockets and a MASSIVE legal team. Perhaps Scooter figured those guys would set to work and throw stones in Fitz's path. Problem was, the corporate suits had a problem with standing up for principle in order to protect a liar.

I think Timmy is telling the truth about his role. I do think there is more he has not yet shared, but I do not think he is prevaricating. Obfuscation is another question.

I do not like Timmy, BTW--but I do have to laugh at his discomfiture. He was a BushBot, and now he realizes that they will fuck him blue as soon as look at him. He wasn't "special"--he was simply a bloated, useful tool.

regarding journalists not having to reveal their sources. Remember, they even went to the Supreme Court with Judith Miller to fight that one and lost. That's when their shit fell apart and Judy got to find out what jail was really like.

well filled with what are called "good gets." Timmy always had the HOTTEST, bestest administration officials on, before anyone else. Other Sunday shows were reduced to quoting what people said on Timmy's grand hour...the biggest, breakingest news was to be had at what Modo called the "Church of Russert" on Sundays!

It was a 'lie down with dogs, get up with fleas' bargain for old Timmy. I doubt he will get many White House types leaping over themselves to go on his show to push their agendas now. They won't be able to count on a "friendly host" anymore.

In order to keep his ratings up, Timmy just may have no choice but to stir the pot by featuring the opposition view, which will force the WH clowns back to his table to respond.

to testify in Libby's trial and he gets asked about what Libby told him during their phone conversation?

Do you think he will only have to testify to what he told Libby?

Will there be another legal battle regarding confidential sources?

It will be fun to watch, if it gets to trial that is.

If the questions go where he does not want them to go, he can count on either Scooter's attorney raising an objection, and if it is overruled, he has two choices: answer, or not. If he chooses the latter course, he is in contempt and off he goes to the pokey until the trial concludes or he changes his mind.

But I do think, in this case, he will spill it all, answer all questions asked, and if deals are made ahead of time, they will have to be made between the prosecution, his attorneys, and Scooter's, with everyone agreeing.

Scooter LIED about him, after all. His case of hubris was equal to that of some of those fuckers over on Pennsylvania Ave...he cannot be feeling loyal to them anymore.

we disagree. If he didn't have loyalty to them after what they did to him, he wouldn't be hiding under under the "protect your sources"

After all, he saw what happened to Judy, she had to spill all. He got off easy.

the NBC corporate lawyers (he is the POLITICAL NEWS KING for NBC; that was the reason for Scooter calling him, to bitch about a story that appeared on MSNBC--probably Olbermann!!! Heh heh) and they eventually decided that he would testify--not initially, but eventually. And to be technically correct, he did NOT testify, he submitted to an interview UNDER OATH with the SP.

Interesting quote from an old article here: WASHINGTON -- Time magazine is appealing a judge's ruling that one of its reporters is in contempt of court for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the leak of the identity of a covert CIA officer.

Faced with a similar contempt ruling, NBC-TV's "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert agreed to an interview with prosecutors about a telephone conversation he had in July 2003 with Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby...
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/04224/360032.stm

I am guessing the lawyers figured out, no doubt from talking to Fitz, that Scooter was telling the FBI and the GJ that RUSSERT was the ratfink, shopping Valerie's name about. At that point in time, he said, screw this, the guy is LYING about me. And the NBC suits knew if they didn't move this mess forward and then get it behind them, that Timmy would be too distracted to Meet anyone, never mind the Press!

His loyalty will fade if he can no longer deliver the GOP goods to the Meet the Press set. He is a media whore, he is unfair, but I think his loyalty is directly related to his paycheck. A simple, greedy man.

Good thing he's exposed as a whore on the White House A list.

about the stuff that involved him - like his subpoena, the fight of it, that they lost the fight - I mean he could hardly look into the camera

... I tried to replay what must have gone through Timmy's Irish-Catholic brain and conscience just thinking about facing Fitz (apology to Dirty Harry):

"you gotta be thinking to yourself, you're a pretty damn great 'gotcha' boy yourself - probably worthy of around 357, so how many gotcha's did he(Fitz) already fire?? well, do you feel lucky, punk???"

couldn't happen to a nicer toady - soap on a rope for you too at Fitzmas time, Timmy ... looks like Fitzmas may be Karmageddon

That's the only way his evidence 'against' Libby could have been so conclusive.

That's the latest rumor in DC.

He was forced to tell what he knew, regarding Libby and the conversations that had taken place. The man is a Beltway blowhard who thinks he's playing both sides of the fence, when in fact he's taken journalistic tv to an all time low, and has consistently acted as a lackey for the current administration.

That was his "out"--but I suspect he was ready to testify once Fitz told him that Scooter blamed him for passing the gossip about Plame about.