Russert is Lying by Ommision every Sunday!

[boston bean]

Here is the NBC Statements regarding Russerts meeting with the Special Prosecutor and my take:

NBC NEWS STATEMENT: (August 9, 2004)
Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's Meet the Press and Washington Bureau Chief of NBC News, was interviewed on Saturday under oath by the Special Prosecutor investigating the leak of a CIA employee's identity last summer. As NBC News previously reported, Mr. Russert was not a recipient of the leak, which resulted in the public disclosure of the name and CIA employment of Valerie Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

Me: So Russert didn’t publicly disclose the name and CIA employment of Valerie Plame, neither did Judy Miller. That doesn't mean he didn't know about it.

During the interview, Mr. Russert was asked limited questions by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald about a telephone conversation initiated by Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff, in early July of last year. Mr. Russert told the Special Prosecutor that, at the time of that conversation, he did not know Ms. Plame's name or that she was a CIA operative and that he did not provide that information to Mr. Libby. Mr. Russert said that he first learned Ms. Plame's name and her role at the CIA when he read a column written by Robert Novak later that month.


Me: So when Libby called him he didn’t know about Ms. Plames identity and he didn’t tell Libby. But what did Libby tell him? Also Russert leads you to believe that the first he learned of Plame was when reading Novaks column. Well I suspect that he learned about “wilsons wife” and that she worked at “trimpac” from Libby. Remember, didn’t Judy Miller testify that Libby told her Wilsons wife worked at trimpac. Russert can wiggle his way out of this because he was asked only “limited questions”.


Saturday's interview resulted from a dispute about whether Mr. Russert could be compelled to appear before the grand jury investigating the leak to testify about information provided to him by confidential sources. NBC News, on Mr. Russert's behalf, went to court to prevent such testimony based on the First Amendment. The court rejected the First Amendment arguments in a decision rendered on July 20, 2004 (but not made public until today) and ordered Mr. Russert to provide testimony.

Under an agreement subsequently reached with the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Russert was not required to appear before the grand jury and was not asked questions that would have required him to disclose information provided to him in confidence. Instead, the Special Prosecutor's questions addressed a telephone conversation initiated by Mr. Libby and focused on what Mr. Russert said during that conversation. Mr. Libby had previously told the FBI about the conversation and had formally requested that the conversation be disclosed. The Special Prosecutor can share Mr. Russert's answers with the grand jury.


Me: So Russert didn’t have to answer questions that would have to require him to disclose information provided to him in confidence. He is covering for Libby.


NBC News President Neal Shapiro released the following statement regarding Saturday's interview:
"Compelling reporters to reveal their newsgathering to government investigators is, in our view, contrary to the First Amendment's guarantee of a free press. In this case, we were able to reach a resolution with the Special Prosecutor that permitted Tim Russert to answer only limited questions focused on what he said during the telephone conversation without revealing any information he learned in confidence."


Me: Again, Russert doesn’t have to answer questions that would have to require him to disclose information provided to him in confidence. He is covering for Libby.

Remember when reading through this that two days prior to Libby calling Russert, Matthews was running rough shod over the Niger Yellow Cake story and implying Libby knew the sixteen words in the State of the Union Address were false. You think Libby might have been calling over to Russert to complain about Matthews. After all Russert says that Libby called him to complain about a story that was done on one of the cable news shows.

[emulatorloo]

1. Libby told Fitz "Russert told me!" Russert told Fitz "Hell no I did not!"

Apparently Fitz believes Russert over Libby, because Libby's story is inconsistent w testimony from Russert and many others.

i am not sure what more you want. Can you simplify it so I can get it? Do you believe Libby and think Russert is lying? and that Russert did tell Libby?

[boston bean]

2. I believe libby told russert and he (russert) was very particular in

his meeting under oath with the special prosecutor.

I think russert parsed words and only had to testify to what he told libby, not what libby told him.

He is a disgrace.

[emulatorloo]

3. thnx -- I appreciate the clarification

I will keep my eye on this angle.

[MADem]

4. My take is that Potato Head is PISSED at the White House

Notice who was NOT on his show this week--no WH shills. The feature players were former WH COS's, and a bunch of columnists. The MEET TIM RUSSERT soapbox for the White House, softball questions and all, has been kicked out from under them, at least for now.

I don't think Timmy is protecting anyone--I think he realizes that they were trying to pin some ugly shit on him, and he is not happy about it. When a source flat out LIES about you, it does not make you disposed kindly towards that source.

The good news is that maybe MEET the PRESS will actually give us a chance to meet some members of the press in future...instead of WH toadies.

[boston bean]

5. did you watch it today. it was disgusting. he needs to recuse

himself.

[MADem]

6. Yes, I did, which is why I said what I said

MTP, for the past five years, has been a platform for assholes from the WH, State, and Defense. They pontificate, and Timmy tosses softballs that they hit out of the park.

Today, no WH toadies, no State toadies, no Defense toadies. Just Carter's COS, Reagan's COS, and Clinton's COS, discussing the challenge of managing a WH amidst scandal, and later, four columnists, including the idiotic Safire, who needs to go home and write another language book and get out of political commentary, because he is so far out there it isn't funny anymore. Brooks, of course, is a total toady, but Judy and Zuckerman made some good counterpoints.

I think it is a huge step forward that Toady Tim actually spoke about his role. He hasn't, prior to today. Toady Timmy no doubt saw himself in GRAVE financial jeopardy when Scooter tried to screw him (those lawyers get very expensive, and jail ain't fun) and he wanted to keep paying his kid's BC tuition, the mortgage on his fancy new house on the Vineyard, and keep big Russ in a style befitting his new celebrity status.

Timmy KNOWS they tried to screw him, toss him on the bonfire, give him up as a casualty of war.

I don't expect him to come to Jesus, but perhaps he will treat the GOP in future with the same jaundiced eye that he has leveled at the other team for far too long. He flopped down with dogs, and surprise, he got up with fleas....

[boston bean]

7. I thought the previous admin officials were pretty soft,

brought nothing new to the table, and actually turned it off after he brought on three other republican pundits and editorialists with one alleged democrat.

[MADem]

9. They were only there to discuss the issue from a historical context

Timmy ain't playing no hardball this week--he is too bruised, and no one is talking to him. He is gonna have to find new voices, or new bait to get the old ones back to the table.

Judy Woodruff, despite what many say about her, is a moderate. She is married to Al Hunt, and was graced while dining out one day with a drunken GWBMonkey screaming at her husband, her, and her four year old child when her husband dared to put something in the paper about Poppy Bush and Jack Kemp's candidacy that the Monkey did not like. The remark went something like "You fucking son of a bitch, I saw what you wrote, and we won't forget it." Zuckerman, too, is no right winger. He cuts his cloth according to the issues, and can flop all over the map. Safire is a nut, and Brooks is to the right of Attila the Hun.

[Lancer]

8. Correct me if I'm wrong,

but I think you mean Broder, not Zuckerman. David Broder is a sharp old-timer who knows the value of the dramatic pause. He used it effectively before plunging into a laundry list of every fiasco MIHOP by the White House in this calendar year alone. No one, not even Brooks could dispute him. Later Harry Reid, beginning to evince the burgeonings of a spinal column, listed the same points to Wolf Blitzer, as well as calling for Rove's resignation. (As mentioned in another thread.)

At any rate, as long as Russert keeps Broder on, the show will have some credibility. But I agree with all of you—Russert's role in this whole things becomes murkier and murkier.

[MADem]

10. You're right, and that makes it even fairer

Broder cuts to the chase in very deliberate fashion.

Where the hell did I see Mort this morning? ABC???

[emulatorloo]

11. CNBC last night Russert was calling pointed attention to early Bush quote

I didn't see it but there was a DU thread re a roundtable on CNBC - Russert, David Gregory, Mitchell.

Russert saying they expected reporters to cover for them -- made a big point out of early bush quote:

"I have no idea whether we'll find out who the leaker is, partially because, in all due respect to your profession, you do a very good job of protecting the leakers," he said. "You tell me: How many sources have you had that's leaked information that you've exposed or had been exposed? Probably none. I mean, this town is a town full of people who like to leak information."

[emulatorloo]

12. I found DU thread on this here -- very interesting

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5220115

[NNN0LHI]

13. No WH shills were not on because the investigation is continuing

They know anything they say can come back and bite them later. Thats the only reason little Timmy didn't have them on.

Don

[MADem]

14. Your point is totally valid

But I still say Timmy is pissed, hurt, confused, and going through a crisis of conscience. He was consumed with his own sense of importance, and quick, like a wink, he was slapped back. Why? Because as much money as he makes, he knows now that he is just A TOOL.

He is feeling more like the garbageman's son, lately, I think.

And there ain't nothing wrong with that--it is an honest living his dad made, and perhaps this horseshit will smack him back to some reality.

He did good, he made money, he got himself some power, but he left his people behind, and disrespected his roots.

Now he has to go and find them again.