CLEARING THE FOG. With jury selection just about complete and opening statements in the trial of Scooter Libby set for tomorrow, it is worth briefly correcting a few central misconceptions about the case against Libby that have been seized on by some conservatives, including the editors of the Wall Street Journal (practically the official organ of the Office of the Vice President) to try to discredit the prosecution.
The main misconception is a very simple one: that Scooter Libby was not a real leaker of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA officer, and that therefore Libby had nothing to lie about when questioned in the investigation.
