Tim Russert Contradicts Libby's Testimony

"Meet The Press" Anchor Tells Courtroom He Never Discussed CIA Operative With Former Cheney Aide

(CBS/AP)  NBC newsman Tim Russert testified Wednesday he never discussed a CIA operative with vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, contradicting Libby's version to a grand jury in the CIA leak investigation.

The testimony came as prosecutors prepared to rest their perjury case against Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff.

The courtroom testimony so far has provided a rare view inside a White House under fire during the lead-up to the war in Iraq, reports CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger. It's not pretty: top advisers squabbling in the West Wing, leaked secrets and faulty memories — all part of a full-blown damage control operation apparently led by the vice president himself.

Russert, the host of "Meet the Press," testified about a July 2003 phone call in which Libby complained about a colleague's coverage. Libby has said that, at the end of the call, Russert brought up war critic Joseph Wilson and mentioned that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.

"That would be impossible," Russert testified Wednesday. "I didn't know who that person was until several days later."

That discrepancy is at the heart of Libby's perjury and obstruction trial. He is accused of lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters regarding Wilson's wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame.

During Libby's 2004 grand jury testimony, he said Russert told him "all the reporters know" that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. Libby now acknowledges he had learned about Plame a month earlier from Cheney but says he had forgotten about it and learned it again from Russert as if new.

Libby subsequently repeated the information about Plame to other journalists, always with the caveat that he had heard it from reporters, he has said. Prosecutors say Libby concocted the Russert conversation to shield him from prosecution for revealing information from government sources.

Plame's identity was leaked shortly after her husband began accusing the Bush administration of doctoring prewar intelligence on Iraq. The controversy over the faulty intelligence was a major story in mid-2003.

Given that news climate, defense attorney Theodore Wells was skeptical about Russert's account.

"You have the chief of staff of the vice president of the United States on the telephone, and you don't ask him one question about it?" Wells asked. He followed up moments later with, "As a newsperson who's known for being aggressive and going after the facts, you wouldn't have asked him about the biggest stories in the world that week?"

"What happened is exactly what I told you," Russert replied.

Russert originally told the FBI that he couldn't rule out discussing Wilson with Libby but had no recollection of it, according to an FBI report Wells read in court. Russert said Wednesday he did not believe he said that.

Wells spent a considerable amount of time in cross-examination Wednesday undermining Russert's general recollection of past events, reports CBSNews.com's Jennifer Hoar.

Wells seized upon a 2004 interview that Russert had granted to a Washington Post reporter in which he failed to mention a phone call he had made to a different reporter, from Russert's hometown paper, The Buffalo News. Russert was later lambasted for not remembering the call in an article titled, "Tim, Don't You Remember?"

Russert was also grilled about whether or not he had told the NBC News President Neal Shapiro that he had discussed his 2003 phone call with Libby with an FBI agent. Russert said he didn't recall if he had mentioned that to Shapiro, Hoar reports. Wells appeared troubled by this as Russert indicated that he and Shapiro were close.

Russert will be back on the stand on Thursday; Wells says he has about two more hours with his cross-examination.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has spent weeks making the case that Libby was preoccupied with discrediting Wilson. Several former White House, CIA and State Department officials testified that Libby discussed Plame with them — all before the Russert conversation.

Fitzgerald has said Russert would be his final witness. Prosecutors spent the past few days playing audiotapes of Libby's grand jury testimony in court. In the final hours of those tapes Wednesday, Libby described a tense mood in the White House as the leak investigation began.

Though President Bush was publicly stating that nobody in the White House was involved in the leak, Libby knew that he himself had spoken to several reporters about Plame. He said he did not bring that up with Bush and was uncertain whether he discussed it with Cheney.

Libby did remember one conversation with Cheney, however, in which the vice president seemed surprised when told by his aide where Libby had learned Plame's identity.

"From me?" Cheney asked, tilting his head, Libby recalled.

Libby said he had forgotten that Cheney was his original source until finding his own handwritten notes on the conversation. The notes predated the Russert phone call by more than a month.

Vice President Cheney is likely to take the stand in Libby's defense, adds Borger. But he may need to answer some questions about himself and whether he directly controlled a White House effort to discredit a political enemy.

[randalds]

This comes down to a he said vs he said over if Russert told Libbey about Plame. Given the choice of who to believe between an award winning and highly respect journalist and author or a lying weasel as*skisser of the Bush administration, I think the choice is obvious. I wouldn't believe anything anyone from this administration said if they told me the sky is blue and the sun yellow. They lie so much that even they have no idea what the truth is anymore.

[getcentered]

Man this guy Fitzgerald is GOOD!

We should put him on impeaching the President next.

[luvny-2009]

We should put him on impeaching the President next.
Posted by getcentered at 01:58 PM : Feb 07, 2007


Nice! BTW think Cheney's a$$ will be hauled in for LEAKING the name or does he already have a fata$$ covered?

[randalds]

Nice! BTW think Cheney's a$$ will be hauled in for LEAKING the name or does he already have a fata$$ covered?
Posted by luvNY at 02:06 PM : Feb 07, 2007

It's covered, but only for now. Personally I can't wait until uncovering his fat as*s is the job of his cellmate in the shower and late at night in the dark. Such thoughts can't help but warm the hearts of real Americans. ;-)

[clemenhagen1]

Her's a bet on how this plays out. Libby, too guilty and gutless to take the stand, opts to play out the string with appeals. This then allows Cheney to not have to perjure himself on the stand, thus avoiding the obvious treason and impeachment charges. Impervious George then uses the midnight hour pardon of Libby, if necessary, casting it all as a poor innocent lad caught up in the machinery of a political witch hunt. What about this scenario leads me to conclude that no real justice has been served?

[observantx]

Fitzgerald has Libby boxed in from all sides, not just with Russert, but also with Miller and CIA, White House and State Dept people.

However, why is he stopping with Russert as his final witness? He can and should bring in the two other little darlings of this soap opera, Rove and Cheney. I would love to see them get boxed in right next to Libby.

[notblue]

CBS refuses to ask the right questions. First was Plame undercover at the time? NO. Did plame send Wilson to Africa to discredit the president before the last election? YES. At that point was she fair game via public information? YES. Is this investigation going after the actual person who allegidly outed PLame? NO. It's all politics, smoke and mirrors that will cost the taxpayers a bundle and accomplish what? NOTHING. Just more blame the administration CBS crapp.

[susanhelit]

How about the right questions:

Does knowing Plame's true job and identity endanger everyone she ever worked with undercover, our spies, people we've paid off, businesses that might be a front for our intelligence operations? YES

Is that treason? YES!

Was Plame ever fair game by CIA rules put in place to ensure the security of our spies? NO.

Of less importance, but some just are fixated:
Did Cheney ask the CIA to send someone to investigate the Nigerian claims? YES

Who did they decide to send and how? After discussing it with their people, including Plame, they decided to send Wilson.

Was Wilson a regular contributor to Republican campaigns? YES.

Libby is hardly the main villian here, just one more of the peons told to spread the dirt around, to try to tarnish the truth Wilson told (all subsequent investigations find him to be completely right) by committing treason and outing a CIA agent, in order to get us into a war that was unnecessary and based on lies!

[hobbs5718]

Libby's got nothing to worry about.There's no way he'll get more than five years. And with Judy Miller visiting twice a month, the time will fly by.

[hobbs5718]

Libby has nothing to worry about. There's no way he'll get more than five years. And with Judy Miller visiting twice a month, the time will fly by.

[hobbs5718]

Libby's practically home free. There's no way he'll get more than five years. And with Judy Miller's twice monthly visits, the time will fly by.

[markieta]

Notblue: What planet have you been on? You are spouting GOP talking points that are verifiably wrong. Plame was an undercover agent in effect due to the office she was working in. It was the CIA itself that brought the matter to the Justice Dept. Plame had no authority to make a decision to send her husband to Africa. Someone else actually sent him. For the above reasons she was NOT fair game. Ask the CIA. Bush said no one in the WH was involved in the leak of Plame's name. That is unquestionably not true. The question is: did he know that Rove, Cheney and Rove were involved? This trial is "all smoke and mirrors that will cost the taxpayers a bundle"? Gee, sounds like the investigation and impeachment of Clinton, for lying about a personal matter - an affair with a consenting adult. You rightwingers had no problem with that. Perhaps you should stop drinking the Kool-aid, and return to Planet Earth and the reality based community. i suggest you do some homework and stop watching Faux News Network.

[luckyoldson]

notblue,
actually plame was undercover, working on problems with iran. she did not send her husband, she recommended him because of his previous experience, which lead to the CIA sending him. CIA agents are never "fair game." the real leaker is obviouslysh cheney...libby has said as much.
as for $$$ being wasted, read up on the iraqi fiasco, especially bremer's latest testimony.

oh, and thank rush and sean for your talking points.

[luckyoldson]

notblue,
actually plame was undercover, working on problems with iran. she did not send her husband, she recommended him because of his previous experience, which lead to the CIA sending him. CIA agents are never "fair game." the real leaker is obviouslysh cheney...libby has said as much.
as for $$$ being wasted, read up on the iraqi fiasco, especially bremer's latest testimony.

oh, and thank rush and sean for your talking points.

[tblendell]

" a newsperson who's known for being aggressive and going after the facts..." is he talking about Russert? is this comedy??

[skyk-2009]

CBS refuses to ask the right questions. First was Plame undercover at the time? NO. Did plame send Wilson to Africa to discredit the president before the last election? YES. At that point was she fair game via public information? YES. Is this investigation going after the actual person who allegidly outed PLame? NO. It's all politics, smoke and mirrors that will cost the taxpayers a bundle and accomplish what? NOTHING. Just more blame the administration CBS crapp.
Posted by notblue at 05:53 PM : Feb 07, 2007
+ report this comment

Don't you feel sorry for the poor simple minded Fascist. How small a mind do you have to have to be this stupid. The lawyer for Libby is paid one HELL of a lot of money to defend him, hasn't it EVER occured to these poor creatures that they have been lied to and she was indeed covert. Otherwise the Gestapo head, Cheney, would not have gone to the lenghts he did to hide who was leaking it. LOL You can rest assured IF she were not covert there would have been NO investigation and the first words out Scooters Attorneys Mouth would have been that fact. I guess it just goes with the mission of being fascist... After all these poor fools actually BELIEVED Sir Lies-A-Lot when he told us all we were WINNING in Iraq!! LMAO

[j-whitman]

Tim Russert for President -- America needs honesty

Bush lied on investigation into Border Patrol Agents.. Sutton his appointee started prosecution before investigation was complete... Sutton was Bush's criminal advisor when Bush was governor

Bush lied on Iraq, No Child left behind, Economy, Medicare, Social Security,,,, & Making America Safer
Homeland Security, the Bush dept who had 4 years of total failures -- Is still failing to keep America safe

[bm6005]

Not Blue; Where do you get your info? You are sooooo wrong, but then again you've drunk the moron kool-aid served up by the *** artist talking heads of the right wingnut jobs. Read "Hubris".

[frankly6]

notblue

You are wrong on every count. The CIA demanded a criminal investigation be done because she was a covert agent.

[j-whitman]

Put Cheney on the stand,, strap him in,, plug the chair in,, Then turn on the juice.........

...........AMERICA WILL BE SAFER .........

[frankly6]

j-whitman

Be careful. You are being watched.

The black suits may show up at your door.

[radiob-2009]

I seriouly doubt the truth will ever emerge from this,the ones who leaked her idenity will remain under suspicion and that's about all we will ever see.Libby is nothing more than a scapegoat for the admin., the war was planned long before 9/11 and will haunt this nation for decades to come.It's apathy for the devil and it's at fever pitch.

[stevex47]

Notblue,
Again, now come on,

CIA agents aren't secret one day and outted the next. If this were true (ha) who's job would it be to inform the public each and every time. Libby's job? Um, no. Not his job. But it could be, if his boss the vice pres. told him to do so. And we are paying these guys to do this? This is what they do at work all day?

[tuckerndfw]

The Bush administration as an organization is well known for their smear tactics. Those slimy tactics have come to be known as "Swift Boated" (used to be "Borked").

It is obvious George Bush outed Ms Plame in retaliation for her husband's rebuttal of the false claims about uranium.

Who cares which person? George Bush is responsible and should have been impeached instead of re-elected.

His supporters are morons (unless they are also stealing from the US Treasury like the rest of his administration and cronies).


George Bush & his entire administration should be in jail where they belong.

[clemenhagen1]

Again, treason apologists playing the "she wasn't covert so there couldn't have been a crime" card. They knowingly exposed not just Plame but an entire CIA front-company, BREWSTER-JENNINGS. When Novak published the name Brewster-Jennings in his column he alerted governments and terrorist networks all over the world that ANYONE remotely associated with Brewster-Jennings was a likely spy, informant, or collaborator. The CIA rolled the company up, but people who had cooperated with the CIA met a different fate. CIA experts have discussed extensive damage done, but the final damage assessment report will not be released because of "security clearance" issues. That is one thing Bush and Cheney will not cavalierly declassify. Treason, pure and simple, all you patriots! All the half-truths and fabrications cannot cover this heinous breach of national security. Support the troops indeed! No one serves at more risk than those in the intelligence agencies. Treason as clear as crystal. It's truly amazing how your partisan blinders will not allow you to see.

[Razzl]

Any man foolish enough to fall on his sword for a beast like Cheney deserves to be allowed to. And it's typical of the gross incompetence of all Bush White House staff from top to bottom that he would believe he could use the most honest newsman in the business as the tool for his lie...

[candojj1]

What is so special about this case? Isn't everything in D.C. fraught with lies and deceit? Do the men and women who are supposed to serve this country in the Congress, in the Senate and the Executive offices serve anyone other than themselves? When we look at businesses, or market segments, like the beverage industry, or the oil sector, or the food sector, and we ask what benefit do they do our humanity? Do we have an answer? Sure we do. We look at the same pocket as the corrupt politician. And that's what's wrong with our society. Not "Scooter" the scape goat. If we truly cared for our kids, we'd stop the beverage industry from selling sugar in America. We'd stop the food industry from poisoning the lunch room through the processed foods of the USDA. We'd stop the oil companies from killing our planets. And most of all we would look with a microscope at every industry and see the harm before the dollar sign.

[clemenhagen1]

BBBBFan: One cannot argue with your greater point, the amoral philosophy of money vs. conscience in the corporate world. Money possesses no conscience and profit margins typically allow no room for a "What is best for our children or humanity" debate. Nonetheless, the correctness of your point regarding corporate / American greed does not justify the assertion that this case has no merit or meaning. When the highest offices in our political system, corrupt though they may be, sell out covert CIA operatives in a clear act of treason, a court case dealing with this issue cannot be labeled superfluous or "Much Ado About Nothing."

[wogerwabbit]

Can anyone say "Impeachment"?

Nixon was impeached for far less than this.

Clinton was impeached for pure BS.

Although Nixon resigned before being impeached and Clinton survived the partisan poop slinging, here we have actual verifiable crimes (not to mention war crimes and crimes against humanity).

If this doesn't result in Bush and Cheney's impeachment, nothing will. We will know for sure there in no democracy left in America.

[wogerwabbit]

I might add that if those two goons are impeached, we are left with the first woman president, the devil herself, Condi Rice. Oh joy!

[wogerwabbit]

and... if Bush had an ounce of brains left in his head, he'd oust Cheney and install McCain as VP, thus giving the Repugs a semi-electable candidate in '08 (that's only if Bush doesn't declare martial law before the elections, cancel them for 'national security reasons' and remain president for life).

Should I kill myself now? (Neocon cyborgs need not answer).

[clemenhagen1]

Woger Wabbit: The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 establishes the Speaker of the House as the third in line, followed by the President Pro Temp in the Senate. Starting at number five would be the Sec. of State, then Sec. Defense, followed in order from there those secretaries in the order of precedence (whichever dept. was created first).

With this order our current reign of command goes as such: Bush, Cheney, Pelosi, ? (I don't know who currently holds the largely ceremonial position of Pro Temp), then our girl Condi. Could you imagine the up-roar on the right about President Pelosi? At least they wouldn't be able to *** about her choice of a jet for travel purposes.

[antoniof123]

Do not worry about it things will get sorted out in the end.

[bm6005]

Bush have an ounce of brains left? What did he have to start...zero. He's a prime example of ivy league college edumication in America.

[frankly6]

It's nice to see a story that so perfectly exposes the true character of the Bush administration. I hope that this story is the thread that, when pulled, unravels the whole curtain exposing for the whole world what many already know.

[karlimhof]

You can read in the world section an article about Iraki women ( many 15 yrs old) being forced into prostitution to survive as refugees. The BUSH WAR has created over 1 million Iraki refugees. All these lives ruined! Our reputation as a good, God-fearing and respectful country HAS ALSO BEEN RUINED FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.

Can you conceive of the horror as a father having to watch your daughter or wife sell her body to put food on the table???

THIS IS WHAT BUSH HAS GIVEN US. AND WE SHALL CARRY THIS LEGACY - DOWN WITH THE TRAITORS !!!!

[skyk-2009]

Well Robertson/Falwell fans it looks like this is headed for some REAL big time Treason! What do you think of Choosen One NOW? ROFLMAO

[skyk-2009]

Libby's practically home free. There's no way he'll get more than five years. And with Judy Miller's twice monthly visits, the time will fly by.
Posted by hobbs5718 at 06:27 PM : Feb 07, 2007

LOL You haven't been in a prison have you Sparky? LOL Well rest assured 5 years with the folks in there will teach the Boy not to lie and his loyality to the Gestapo will certainly be tested after lights are out!! LMAO

[luvny-2009]

Ok 1 down and several to go! When are they going to charge that a$$hole Cheney!

[dallison7]

Sandy Berger and the stolen documents kept from the 9/11 Commission, what were they and why isn't CBS covering that story? It still is a story. We need to know exactly what was stolen for his boss and why?
Posted by janem4

Jane! What have I told you about butting into an adult conversation and trying to change the subject!! Go to your room!!

[dallison7]

C'MON FITZGERALD, CUT A DEAL WITH LIBBY!! BRING DOWN THE FAT GUY!!

[zbob95]

Russert was the last nail in the coffin for Libby. The jury will not buy the memory lapses. The question is now what will Libby's defense be? Some are speculating they will try to portray Scooter as being put through the "meat grinder" and "scapegoated" by Cheney to protect someone, perhaps Rove. It should get very interesting when *** takes the stand!

[golfkt]

hey idiot boy Clemenhagen; Plame was not a covered CIA analyst...it was known in washington that she was CIA employed...she wasn't outed by anyone...but...the person that brought her fully out ( she was not covered in the first place) was Rich Armitage...A life long State dept official...and not a Bushie....so your teason statemnets are wrong..

[frankly6]

janem4

Changing the subject again I see. What do you think about the article above.

[huskerarmy]

"hey idiot boy Clemenhagen; Plame was not a covered CIA analyst...it was known in washington that she was CIA employed..."

golfkt,
You are merely regurgitating Limbaugh lies. If it was so "well known," why did the CIA ask for an investigation into who leaked it to the media? The CIA says she was covered. Are you saying you knew more than the CIA? Stop being such a pathetic example of the right wing echo chamber..

[huskerarmy]

"janem4
Changing the subject again I see. What do you think about the article above."

You know frankly, Jane gives a free pass to all GOPer transgressions. As long as the rich get richer... She might as well be a paid lobbyist for the plutocrats. The end justifies the means.

[frankly6]

golfkt

You are the one that looks like an idiot paroting other peoples lies. I don't know where you got your information but here are the facts of the case.

The CIA demanded that a criminal investigation be done because not only was a covert agent outed but one of their front companies (Brewster Jennings) was exposed. They considered this a very serious threat to their ability to protect the security of the U.S.

Ironicly Plame, through Brewster Jennings, was collecting intelligence on WMD proliferation in the Middle East. When she and the front company were exposed, the whole operation had to be rolled up overnight. Anyone who worked with or cooperated with this company had to either go into hiding or risk arrest and worse.

You shame yourself and your country by spreading lies and attempting to justify treasonous acts. The facts of this case are readily available to everyone. You are either willingly ignorant or intentionaly lying.

[rafterman1]

"Plame was not a covered CIA analyst...it was known in washington that she was CIA employed...she wasn't outed by anyone"

Well, no. When Plame was outed, so was the company Brewster Jenninigs, a CIA cover for collecting intelligence in the Middle East. And by association, other agents were also outed. An intelligence asset was lost due to petty political concerns.

[rafterman1]

frankly6 beat me to the Brewster Jennings angle :)

[huskerarmy]

"The facts of this case are readily available to everyone. You are either willingly ignorant or intentionaly lying."

And to be frank, I don't know which is worse...