Martyr St.Judith's 'Smoking Gun'

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It appears, that Judith Miller's discovery of her 'smoking-gun-notes' has just managed to catapult itself to the top of the administration's crisis list. Harriet Miers, you may well have a moment of respite, and join all, including the President, who will be holding their breath:

"Last Friday, after spending 85 days in jail, Miller testified before the grand jury about two conversations she had with Libby in July 2003 and turned over redacted notes.

She testified about a meeting with Libby on July 8, 2003 at the St. Regis Hotel and a later conversation by telephone on July 12, 2003, sources said.

But after she testified, Miller discovered that she had additional notes from the June 2003 conversation with Libby.

[...]

Miller's notes could help Fitzgerald establish that Libby had started talking to reporters about CIA operative Valerie Plame and her diplomat husband, Joseph Wilson, weeks before Wilson publicly criticized the administration's Iraq policy in a Times opinion piece, the sources said.

One source involved in the investigation said Miller's notes could help Fitzgerald show a long-running and orchestrated campaign to discredit Wilson, which could help form the basis for a conspiracy charge.

Fitzgerald has yet to indicate whether or not he intends to bring indictments, but lawyers close to the investigation said there were signs he may be moving in that direction.

Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, plans to make a fourth appearance before the grand jury next week and prosecutors have told him they can make no guarantees he won't be indicted.

The outcome could shake up an administration reeling from criticism over its response to Hurricane Katrina and the indictment of House of Representatives Republican leader Tom DeLay of Texas on charges related to campaign financing.

The White House had long maintained Rove and Libby had nothing to do with the leak, but reporters have since named them as sources."

Murray Waas, the longstanding expert on the subject, who has followed this whole story from the beginning had this to say earlier today about what Karl Rove told the President. Check out The Moderate Voice on Did Rove lie to Bush?

Another great source on the subject is Tom Maguire, whose latest was posted yesterday. Also check out John Hinderaker @ Powerline, who first led us to the Miller Correspondence and then gave us this last week.

Update:  Saturday October 8th

Tom Maguire has another article on the subject of Rove and the President: "looks like an attempt to protect the President and cut him loose from Karl Rove." And finally the "Judy Remembers": "...who is Judy kidding?  She just found these notes now?"

Quite frankly, over to you Tom.....

Comments

[Alexandra]

NxN,

Since when has Huffington been the expert on the subject? You shouldn't be taking heed of her warped agenda loaded comments full of false allegations. Read Tom Maguire on the subject, and you'll get the best perspective.

[North by Northwest]

Has Arianna Huffington got it right? Was Miller "grandstanding" by going to jail because she was "effectively discredited" because of the weapons stories and that jail was "an opportunity to cleanse herself."?

[Drew]

Howard Kurtz at the WaPo wrote a good summary I think: "In the end, what did Judith Miller accomplish by spending 85 days in an Alexandria jail?"

"The case has galvanized support for a federal shield law, which has bipartisan sponsorship, that would limit the circumstances under which reporters could be prosecuted for refusing to reveal confidential sources.

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), one of the bill's sponsors, yesterday hailed Miller's release, saying "no reporter should be thrown in jail for doing their job." He added in a statement that the primary purpose of the measure, which the administration opposes, is not to protect journalists but "the public's right to information."

[North by Northwest]

Could just be the proverbial storm in a waterglass. But it's now hard to believe, that Miller hadn't planned this discoveryall along. What a murky affair...