I just can’t understand it. I just finished reading the indictment, and I watched the entire press conference, and I gotta say it looks bad. I’m not one of those who thinks Libby did anything wrong in discussing Wilson’s wife with reporters. Her relationship with the CIA was well-known around Washington according to numerous accounts, and the public deserved to know that Wilson’s wife arranged the trip. Apparently leaking Plame’s name was not a crime. No one has been charged with any violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act. So why would Libby concoct such an easily disprovable story?
Of course, he’s innocent until proven guilty. An of course, it remains important to tell the truth about Joseph Wilson and not let the press turn this into a vindication of Wilson’s lies. But I’m angry at what appears to be an incredibly stupid move, and left wondering why.
UPDATE: I just read this statement from Libby and his lawyer. I understand that sometimes people have different recollections of different events. But if the charges in the indictment are true, it looks more serious than that. The indictment alleges that Libby told the FBI and the grand jury that he first learned about Valerie Plame from Tim Russert, who testified that he never discussed Plame with Libby. That could be chalked up to different recollections. But according to the indictment, Libby discussed Plame with government officials seven times and with Judith Miller twice before he ever talked to Russert. That’s not forgetfulness. That’s Alzheimer’s.