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Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend

By Jeralyn, Section Valerie Plame Leak Case
Posted on Fri Oct 21, 2005 at 12:11:35 PM EST
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Via AmericaBlog, the Providence Journal reports:

A Rhode Island Republican Party fundraiser scheduled for tonight featuring Andrew H. Card, White House chief of staff, has been canceled because Card is spending the weekend with President Bush at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Patricia Morgan, Republican state chairwoman, said yesterday.

I suspect they will be discussing replacements for those who about to be indicted, and/or those who have agreed to plead guilty.

I'm still leaning towards believing that Rove and Libby will fall on their swords and have plea agreements in place by next week, to spare their respective bosses, Bush and Cheney, the ugly fallout from a protracted criminal case and from being called as witnesses.

The question is, will Bush pardon them in return for their loyalty before or after they serve any jail time required by the deals?

But how do they make Joseph Wilson go away, so he doesn't file a civil suit that would require Bush and Cheney's testimony at depositions?

There are some problems with my theory: I doubt Fitzgerald would have put up a website just to publish Indictments and plea agreements. Someone big must be holding out. Unless, of course, it's a ploy by Fitzgerald to convince those teetering on the edge of a deal that he means business and this is for real. What better way than to flash the website before the public ahead of time, so each of the holdouts can envision their own dirty laundry up there?

For a round-up of speculations by other bloggers, check out Reddhead at Firedoglake.

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    Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    I agree that Fitzgerald put up his website to shake the tree. He is suggesting to any apples still on the tree that Autumn is upon us and if they don't fall in the next few days they will surely become applesauce. His mastery of media is evident here as it was in the Miller/Libby episode.

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#2)
    by archpundit on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    I think there is a problem with the assumption that Rove and/or Libby might fall on their sword. Scott Fawell tried that in Illinois and Fitzgerald kept coming at him until he cracked. If Fitzgerald thinks they are taking one for the team, he'll keep squeezing them.

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    I definately see where you are going regarding the possibilities of a plea agreement...but wouldn't Fitzgerald, given the serious nature of these charges (at least per Tatel), want to extract a major quid pro quo before agreeing to a deal. I would think that the quid pro quo would be cooperation regarding the folks up the ladder - precisely the same people that they would be copping a plea to protect. Of course, this is all tea leaves and cow entrails at any rate.

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    I think Fitzgerald set up the website so that the public could see, in the documents posted, that he was expressly authorized by the Assistant Attorney General to bring charges relating to anything having to do with the Plame leak, expressly including a charge based on lying to the Office of Special Counsel. This was in anticipation of Republican claims that he would be going beyond his mandate in filing indictments based on obstruction of justice, and not just violations of the espionage acts. It also clearly indicates to me that he intends to bring indictments next week, if that wasn't already clear. Indictments against Libby and Rove, and their juniors, are a foregone conclusion. The only question is does Fitzgerald have enough to go against Cheney (quite possibly, if Hannah and Wurmser have flipped to the extent reported in the Daily News and Raw Story) and Bush himself, as an unindicted co-conspirator, if they can establish, as has been reported, that he knew of Rove's leaks to the press in 2003 and denied any such knowledge when interviewed by Fitzgerald in 2004. Hold onto your hats.

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    There is nothing in Fitzgerald's past prosecutions that leads me to believe this is a bluff on his part. He does what he says and says what he does. He has at least two indictments, and that's fairly common knowledge. I'm sure as a courtesy to the White House, he's informed the Chief of Staff who will be indicted (and clearly the indictments don't stop at the VP's office door, they must include Presidential appointees). Further, I'm not sure Bush can pardon Rove or even Libby, at least not right away. Perhaps after the midterm elections, as we all saw what a blanket pardon did to Ford and the Republican party after Watergate.

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    My prediction (posted yesterday) Cheney and friends resign Cheney and friends are pardoned Jeb is VP, after saving Florida singlehandedly from Katri, Rit, er, Wilma.

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:15 PM EST
    Actor-Bush can pardon everyone at anytime, including himself. He can also fire Fitzgerald, who as John Dean puts it,
    a president can remove any federal prosecutor who might indict him, for they all serve at his pleasure
    . The only thing he cannot do is pardon someone who is impeached. But if the VP were impeached,
    As the presiding office of the Senate, a vice president who had been impeached could preside over his own trial. (The Constitution failed to account for this situation by naming another official who could preside -- a slight flaw, to say the least.)
    Dean has quite a pessimistic view of how the Plame case will turn out, that is he thinks nothing will happen. Although his last word is a hedge for sure:
    In short, I think the frenzy is about to end -- and it will not go any further. Unless, of course, these folks were foolish enough to give false statements, perjure themselves or suborn perjury, or commit obstruction of justice. If they were so stupid, Patrick Fitzgerald must stay and clean house.
    John Dean

    Re: Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:16 PM EST
    Maybe it's just me but this thread made me flash on that indelible scene from "The Untouchables" where Pacino hulks around the huge table with a baseball bat, waiting to swing. So ... who's gonna take that baseball bat in the skull this time? Is it Rove? Is it Libby? Is it ...? Hey, Karl, I want you to meet ... my leetle fren!

    Pow-Wow at Camp David This Weekend | 8 comments (8 topical)