Almost Indictment Day

Well, those who've opposed the Bush Administration for several years are about to celebrate their very first Merry Fitzmas, as Raw Story has announced the Special Proscutor Patrick Fitzgerald is about to finally announce his long awaited indictments in the Valerie Plame Affair.

Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has asked the grand jury investigating the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson to indict Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, lawyers close to the investigation tell RAW STORY.

Fitzgerald has also asked the jury to indict Libby on a second charge: knowingly outing a covert operative, the lawyers said. They said the prosecutor believes that Libby violated a 1982 law that made it illegal to unmask an undercover CIA agent.

Two other officials, who are not employees in the White House, are also expected to face indictments, the lawyers said.

The grand jury had not yet decided on whether to make indictments at the time this article was published. It appears more likely that the jury would hand down indictments of perjury and obstruction than a charge that Plame was outed illegally.

Those close to the investigation said Rove was offered a deal Tuesday to plead guilty to perjury for a reduced charge. Rove’s lawyer was told that Fitzgerald would drop an obstruction of justice charge if his client agreed not to contest allegations of perjury, they said.

Rove declined to plead guilty to the reduced charge, the sources said, indicating through his attorney Robert Luskin that he intended to fight the charges. A call placed to Luskin was not returned.

Those familiar with the case said that Libby did not inform Rove that Plame was covert. As a result, Rove may not be charged with a crime in leaking Plame’s identity, even though he spoke with reporters.

Many on the Left are practically ready to put on party hats, while the Right is spinning itself silly with tons of denials that any crime was committed, then when challenged immediately claiming that all we actually know at this point is nothing (which of course makes one wonder how they know whether a crime was or wasn't committed).

Regardless of whether it's a Democratic or Republican Administration in office, it should be understood that these are the most serious criminal charges against anyone this highly positioned in our government, and in many ways it is not a time for celebration - this is not Fitzmas, these indictments are not a gift to the Liberals or Democrats. It is however far past time the some of these people are finally being held accountable for their actions. Actions which have put dedicated CIA operatives linked to Brewster-Jenings at risk, and whose lies have lead us into an virtually endless and unwinnable War.

It is time to start taking back control of our control, time to start living by honor and dignity - not simply using it as attack words against those we disagree with.

Vyan