According to the New York Times, the Bushies are plotting a response to any and all forthcoming indictments. They may go with their usual strategy of attacking the messenger by attempting to smear Fitzgerald as an "overzealous prosecutor," or they may argue that any and all criminal charges are merely "legal technicalities."
If you saw Sunday's Meet the Press, then you got to see loyal-whiner-to-the-bitter-end Sen. Kay Hutchison make a stab at the 'legal technicality' defense.
Sen. Hutchison said:
"I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars." (video)
Sheesh. Perjury is a legal technicality when a Republican does it. But check out Sen. Hutchison's views on perjury when a Democrat does it:
"Willful, corrupt, and false sworn testimony before a Federal grand jury is a separate and distinct crime under applicable law and is material and perjurious if it is 'capable' of influencing the grand jury in any matter before it, including any collateral matters that it may consider." I vote `Guilty' on Article I, Perjury. I vote`Guilty' on Article II, Obstruction of Justice." [1998]
Gawd. Somebody find this video, and send it to Keith Olbermann. When Republicans aren't busy being crooks, they are busy being the world's lowest scumiest hypocrites.
This little 'legal technicality' will get you up to five years in prison.
The longer Fitzmas takes to arrive, the longer Rove and Libby and Cheney and all the Bushies get to sweat it out. I can wait a few more days, heh.
But the crooks may know by today. Their lawyers may hear from Fitzgerald as early as Monday, the WaPo reports.
Photo seen at Steve Gilliard
UPDATE: Howard Kurtz has more in a post appropriately titled: What's a Little Lying Between Friends?
Yeah, but will they be friends after Fitzgerald persuades some of them to squeal?
Plamegate Fitzgerald CIA leak Valerie Plame Karl Rove Rovegate Treasongate Libby Rove Cheney Bush Kay Hutchison
