[ExI] plamegate: the plot thickens

[spike]

spike wrote:
> ...  Can anyone suggest a context out of which the
> sworn testimony "I did not recommend him. I did not suggest him," would
> agree with the three paragraphs of the memo...


Spike,

...

>I am sure the same import could be found with various other wordings and 
pieces of missing context, without having to hypthesize an edit of 
Plame's memo itself.
...
>"The letter alleging Niger's attempts to purchase uranium, although 
probably a fake, is serious enough that we need someone on the ground to 
nail down as much hard information as possible.  ...

Richard Loosemore.



Excellent point, Richard.  The judge in the case *disallowed* almost all
classified documents to be entered into evidence, perhaps reasoning that it
would be too advantageous to the defense, who have access to all the
classified documents.  The prosecution would have access to only that which
was released by the security personnel.  The defense did in fact argue that
the evidence needed was not seen.  Introducing the documents with pieces
missing allows the jury to fill in with their imagination.

Even still, the memo reveals that Plame is Wilson's wife and that she works
at the CIA.  Libby testified he did not recall who he heard that from.  The
jury thought that a lie.  Well now we see there was a memo well before
anything happened, so a lot of people could have known, including reporters.

Notice the similarity to Keith Henson's case.  The judge disallowed the
critical defense witnesses, such that it came down to having the jury decide
if Keith did in fact scare the church leaders, based on the church leaders'
action of hiring private detectives to watch him 24/7 at great expense (to
see if he had a cruise missile in his Palo Alto home we must suppose.)  So
the church leaders bought the evidence with which to convict him.

We have here two clear cases where the courts are being used for something
other than what they are intended, as dealing out political punishment.

spike