MSM V. LIBBY. Tim Russert is set to testify for the prosecution in the Libby trial today. Russert is expected to testify, contrary to the central part of the story Libby told the FBI and the grand jury, that Libby did not learn from him that Joe Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. Even if Russert did tell Libby, the prosecution's contention is that Libby lied in testifying that he was learning about Plame as if for the first time. However, there is no question that if Russert were to get up on the stand and admit that he did indeed tell Libby, it would be damaging for the prosecution. That has long been a fantasy of some right-wing observers of the case. Nothing would please them better than to discover that the MSM did it, and lied about it. Today we will find out if their fantasy will be fulfilled. If not, the defense will have to settle for the contention that Russert has simply innocently forgotten that he told Libby about Plame -- whom Russert may have learned about from colleagues like Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory, who were both covering the case at the time. Gregory has even been identified as a reporter who received the Plame leak from Ari Fleischer. But in order to suggest that Gregory might have conveyed the information to Russert, who in turn conveyed it to Libby, the defense will have to counter the prosecution's anticipated argument that Libby's conversation with Russert happened before Gregory's conversation with Fleischer. Presumably the defense accepts that time-travel is beyond even the omnipotence many on the right frequently attribute to the MSM.
--Jeff Lomonaco
