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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Another anxious day inside the beltway as the chattering class, punditocracy
and assorted political prognosticators attempt to divine the outcome of Patrick
Fitzgerald's nearly two year old investigation into who outed CIA operative
Valerie Plame/Wilson...While the CW last night was that indictments were coming
down today, the Grand Jury and Fitzgerald met this morning for several hours
and have adjourned the E. Barrett Prettyman building with nothing to publicly
show for it....
We'll bring you the latest of what we know, piece together a coherent narrative
and raise significant questions which we feel are unresolved..
The major questions swirl around Dick Cheney's office...If Cheney was the one
who told Scooter about Plame in June '03, what did he know about Wilson's trip?
Why did he deny on Meet the Press three months later that he didn't know
Wilson or who sent him on his trip to Niger? Why did Scooter testify that he
got Plame's name from a journalist but now we learn he got it from Cheney. We
know that Wilson's trip to Niger was ordered by someone at the CIA as a result
of an inquiry by Cheney about this Niger-Iraq uranium claim. Why did Cheney
not get a report on Wilson's results? Why do Libby's notes say Tenet was the
one who gave Cheney the name of Wilson but Tenet denies being the source? Who's
telling the truth? Did Cheney tell President Bush in 2003 of his knowledge of
Valerie Wilson?
These are a few of the questions Chris went over this morning with us...We'll
see how it all shakes out on air...
Walter Pincus from the Post and Howard lead off the show after Shuster's daily
wrap up...Btw, it was on the day Walter wrote a big piece which disputed the
Uranium claim that Cheney revealed to Libby Plame's name, (June 13, 2003)...
We'll talk to a couple of lawyers, Dem David Boies (of Gore's recount team) and
Republican Brad Blakeman, a fmr. special assistant to President Bush...
Shrum and Tucker will slice and dice the politics of this and later...John
Nichols of the Nation magazine and author of "Dick: The Man Who Is President"
will join Mike Allen of Time mag
Another show not to be missed...Please join us...
Btw, a bit of elitist humor here but it did crack me up...From Milbank's piece
on last night's big GOP fundraiser..."Only the wine selection -- a pedestrian
Clos du Bois -- hinted that these are not fat times."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501704_pf.html
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from
Washington, DC
They're Baaaaaack...Broaddrick and Willey at Clinton Library: Bill and Hillary
Promote Violence Against Women (Human Events)
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=9882
Prosecutor nears end of CIA leak investigation...Last-minute interviews by FBI
agents; decision on charges may be today (AP)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9824067/
Prosecutors investigating the leak of a CIA officer's identity returned their
attention to White House advisor Karl Rove on Tuesday, questioning a former
West Wing colleague about contacts Rove had with reporters in the days leading
to the naming of the covert operative. (LA Times)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20051026/ts_latimes/focusofprosecutorincialeakinquiryappearstoshifttorove&printer=1
The prospect of indictments against White House officials in the leak of a CIA
officer's identity created anxiety in the West Wing on Wednesday as Bush
administration officials worked to conduct business as usual. (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051026/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush&printer=1
Bush aides brace for charges...Grand jury may hear counts in leak case
Wednesday (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9819536/
Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was spotted Tuesday at the law offices of
Patton Boggs paying a visit to Robert Luskin, the eccentric (for Washington,
D.C.) lawyer who represents Karl Rove....The rumor floating around Patton Boggs
Tuesday was that there "may" be no indictments this week because Fitzgerald
"may" need to seek an extension from the presiding judge to wrap up his
investigation of Flamegate (or Plamegate for those of us who aren't Judy
Miller). (Roll Call, Heard On The Hill, no public link available)
DeFrank: For the first time, the White House yesterday injected a little
distance between President Bush and top subordinates at the center of the CIA
leak probe.
http://www.nydailynews.com/10-26-2005/news/story/359368p-306176c.html
Knight-Ridder Analysis: CIA leak illustrates selective use of intelligence on
Iraq http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12995512.htm
Fineman backgrounder: Bush's on-the-ropes strategy...As the leak investigation,
the Miers nomination and the war castigation take a toll, the White House
weighs the options http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9826245/
Americans are increasingly critical of President Bush and dissatisfied with the
Republicans who have controlled Congress for a decade, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup
Poll finds http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-10-25-poll_x.htm
White House staff indictments...A brief history of indictments in recent
administrations: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9825296/
President Bush tried Tuesday to begin reviving U.S. support for the war in Iraq
and reinvigorating his troubled presidency as the U.S. military death toll
topped 2,000. (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051025/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_iraq&printer=1
Republican dinner raises at least $1 million...Pulling out of Iraq would be
'foolhardy,' Bush tells supporters (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9820686/
Neither victory nor exit strategy for Iraq in sight...American public, members
of Congress growing impatient (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9818130/
Opinion/Editorial
Pat: 2,000 dead - and for what?
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47048
Terry: Bust This State, Mr. President
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=9891
Vice President for Torture
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501388.html
Mondo Washington: If Dick Cheney Goes...Speculation about the Plame Affair
reaches all the way to the vice president
http://villagevoice.com/news/0543,mondovp,69309,6.html
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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