Okay, I'm getting tired of the personal attacks, and irrelevant issues brought up in here. I want a REAL discussion. Granted, I haven't been continously staying on this case from day one, when Plame was first outed. However, given what I've read so far, here is the UNOFFICIAL timeline of events.
Jan 2003 - President Bush said that Saddam Hussein obtained uranium from Africa
June 2003 - C. Rice lies on Russert's "Meet the Press" about who "knew" this information
July 2003 - Ambassador Wilson (Plame's husband) writes an op-ed in NYT calling out the administration
Then, as we all know, Plame's name is leaked. The current trial is investigating whether this administration ordered the leak to retaliate against Wilson and to prevent other people from coming forward as he did and calling them out. Bush admin. welcomed the case, and said that whoever was found responsible for leaking Plame would be fired.
Libby has lied in response to the key question here, who ordered the leak. Fitzgerald said that a cloud rests over Cheney. In what I've read, it is clear that Cheney is involved, and Libby is lying to protect that. I wouldn't be surprised if Bush is implicated too. But clearly Cheney. If the special prosecutor in this case says, based on his information gathered, that it is clear Cheney is involved, then why wouldn't that be plausible?
Bush orders Libby's commutation, thus A) allowing him to maintain his 5th amendment rights and B) allowing him to get away with, and continue to lie to protect their involvement. Thompson & Matalin have been pushing hard to raise money for his defense fund. Libby himself has not had to pay the $250,000 out of pocket.
Okay. There you go. It is a rough sketch, but I have laid it out. Hopefully we can move forward with this. If ANYBODY has anything to offer to support/critique this timeline, I am all ears. This is what I've read thus far. I'm up for a meaningful discussion with valid points rather than us spinning in circles with attacks and irrelevant topics.
diamond, you said "the left" have laid out their points for argument. THESE RIGHT HERE are my points.