If spouses are fair game, as she seemed to assert, then it’s up to Tweety to ask her about hubby Jim, chief hirer for the CPA in Iraq. As for Bobo, the $20 bill anecdote suggests that he can’t get off the Bobo thing re: no entree over a twenty in red-state-land.

In pragmatic terms, the ‘no underlying crime’ blather is irrelevant: Fitzgerald prosecuted a case he knew wouldn’t be buried in CIPA or executive privilege. Poor Tom’s a-cold.

As far as the law is concerned, as it stands Jones had no case, and Clinton is innocent of the charge.

But if we’re going to argue whether there is or is not an “underlying crime” that was lied about in Libby’s case, the fact remains that, according to Fitzgerald’s statements when he filed the indictment, Libby’s obstructions were the reason he couldn’t build a case.

In his press conference announcing the indictment, Fitzgerald compared Libby’s obstruction to sand thrown in his eyes. Because of the sand, he couldn’t see if there was a crime.

There’s been a lot of blather on television that Plame-Wilson didn’t fit the definition of “covert” in the Intelligence Identities Protection Act because she hadn’t been working outside the country, and since she wasn’t “covert” there was no crime. But if you read the actual indictment, Fitzgerald was talking about leaking classified information as covered by various statutes and regulations, such as Title 18, United States Code, Section 793. And, the indictment said, “At all relevant times from January 1, 2002 through July 2003, Valerie Wilson was employed by the CIA, and her employment status was classified.”

That’s why “she wasn’t covert, so there was no crime” isn’t an argument. Whenever right-wing hacks get on television and make this argument, they are just trying to throw sand in the eyes of the public. It’s a variation of the Big Lie, IMO. (My reading of the IIPA tells me she might have fit the definition of “covert” under B ii, but that’s neither here nor there.)

That’s why it’s way ignorant to go around claiming that there was “no underlying crime” in the Libby case. In this case we don’t know if there was a crime or not, and Libby’s obstruction is one reason we don’t know.

I’m fairly certain I don’t want the cigar on offer.

I agree that Clinton had plenty of money from friends her were happy to shut Ms. Jones up.

However, per the WaPo:

In a ruling that shocked both sides, U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright rejected all of Jones’s claims stemming from her 1991 encounter with Clinton in a hotel suite.

or

The settlement foreclosed the possibility that Clinton’s personal life would be reopened for public inspection at a sensational trial had the lawsuit dismissed in April been reinstated, as many lawyers involved believed it would be.

but then again:

While many legal experts said Jones faces an uphill battle, the case could make its way again to the Supreme Court,

As to the payment, Ithought it was from Clinton’s buddies - my bad:

President Clinton sent an $850,000 check to Paula Jones yesterday, finally closing out the sexual harassment lawsuit that continues to imperil his presidency, and in a surprise move, financed nearly half the settlement with his own money.

To come up with the funds he agreed to pay two months ago, the president had to take $375,000 out of a blind trust containing investments for him and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The other $475,000 came from a separate deal with an insurance company that funded part of his legal defense and agreed to buy out the president’s personal liability policy.

I thijnk it was a fact that she had suffered a legal setback, but the case was clearly far from over and had uncertain (but not hopeless!) prospects.

Sorry for the no-links - this WaPo Special Report is helpful.

Great post, Maha. It reminds us that the Bush regime isn’t a stand alone problem. It’s a symptom of a polity that can accord respectability to clowns like Brooks.

I know this is pickayunish, but given who’s friends with whom, don’t you mean to say Bob Newhart to her Don Rickles? Or do you not with to imply that Bobo wants to be friends with Coulter but rather a foil on a professional (rather than also personal) basis only?

Anyway, since Bobo brought it up, being Bob Newhart to her Don Rickles would be an interesting reversal of ethno-religious roles and stereotypes, nu?

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