I hold these truths to be self evident:
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On July 10, 2003, Scooter Libby called Tim Russert to complain about being bashed by Chris Matthews. At no time did eother person mention Valerie Plame. At the time of the call, Time Russert didn’t even know there was a Valerie Plame. Joseph Wilsom’s oped piece had been published 4 days before this phone call, and Joseph Wilson had been on Russert’s show, Meet the Press, though Russert wasn’t there. He was on vacation, returning on July 8th. Wilson was interviewed by Andrea Mitchell that day.
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In November 2003, an F.B.I. Agent called Russert about that Libby phone call and Russert told him what they’d talked about [and that neither Joseph Wilson nor his wife, Valerie Plame, were mentioned].
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Thereafter, the truths become few and far between. In March 2004, Libby testified twice before the Grand Jury saying that he was told about Wilson’s wife’s C.I.A. connection on June 12, 2003 by the Vice President, but promptly forgot it. He then re-learned about Valerie Plame from Tim Russert in the July 10, 2003 phone call. Patrick Fitzgerald has paraded witnesses that say otherwise – Grossman, Grenier, Schmall, Martin, Miller, and Fleischer. Now Russert’s on the stand, saying that Libby and he never talked about Wilson/Plame, much less that he was Libby’s "source" of information about Valerie Plame.
Yesterday, defense Attorney, Ted Wells, brought up a paradox to hammer Russert with. Russert openly talked to the F.B.I. Agent about his phone conversation with Libby. Yet, he tried to avoid testimony about it to the Grand Jury, claiming it was a confidential First Amendment issue. It’s a day later and Wells is still hammering. None of us are in love with Russert, but today, I feel sorry for him. I kind of doubt that Ted Wells and Tim Russert are going to have a very close and enduring friendship after today.
It’s 2:30 PM and Wells is still at it, microdissecting things Russert said on T.V., seeming incredulous that Russert can’t recall his exact words from previous T.V. shows. I guess he’s saying, "See, Russert can’t remember things either" or "Russert is biased against Libby" or who knows what, but it feels like Walton’s letting Wells wander far afield without stopping him and making him prove that this badgering is relavent to the case at hand.
Finally, Wells sat down. Fitzgerald asked a few questions to get at what Wells was implying – that Russert enjoyed Libby’s Indictment. Then, at 2:50 PM, came the finest thing a Trial Lawyer can ever say:
Fitzgerald: No further questions.
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