By William Hughes, 6/17/07
Lewis “Scooter” Libby is a dark cloud hanging over the head of Dick
Cheney. The Special Prosecutor is convinced that Libby lied to protect
his boss, the V.P., re: Joe Wilson/Valeri Plame smear. This dark cloud,
coupled with the “Nightmare” of impeachment, is Cheney’s new reality.
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), et al, via H Res 333, intend to bring
Cheney to Justice. It’s time for Rep. John Conyers of the Judiciary
Committee to issue the subpoenas.
“It is an extraordinary subversion of the [U.S.] Constitution to send
people to die…on the basis of a lie.” – Elizabeth Holtzman (1)
There is a story told about a criminal defense lawyer, a colorful
kind of character at the Maryland Bar, who has since gone on to his
final reward. Supposedly, he comforted his guilty-as-hell client as the
trial date approached by repeatedly telling him: “Don’t Worry!
Everything will be all right!” Well, on the day of the trial, the trial
judge assigned to the case wasn’t who the defense lawyer expected. In
fact, he was a nightmare–“a Hanging Judge!” It was at this point, that
the defense counsel leaned over to his client and whispered: “Start
worrying!” Well, this is exactly where V. P. Dick Cheney is today. The
reason: Impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives are
picking up momentum. The American people are demanding action as the
quagmire of Iraq
deepens. Millions of them believe that Cheney lied the country into the
Iraqi War and should be impeached. (2) Some gutsy members of the U.S.
Congress are responding to that call. This is why H Res 333, “Cheney’s
Nightmare,” was introduced by Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), on April
24, 2007. On top of all that, there is the darkening cloud over
Cheney’s head–Lewis “Scooter” Libby!
On June 14, 2007, the trial judge in Libby’s federal criminal
case, the Hon. Reggie B. Walton, ordered him to jail immediately to
serve out his 2 1/2-year sentence. Libby, showing no remorse, was
convicted on perjury, lying and obstruction of justice charges. His
attorney filed a motion with the appellate court to stay the lower
court’s ruling, pending his appeal of the case. “Scooter” was Cheney’s
Chief of Staff: He ran his office. Libby got caught trying to smear
former Ambassador Joe Wilson, a critic of the Iraqi War. Wilson had
written, in the summer of 2003, that there was no evidence to suggest
that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein had attempted to secure any uranium from
Nigeria. Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, worked for the CIA as a covert
agent. Libby, a Neocon, leaked her name to the press and then lied
about it to the FBI and to the Grand Jury. The schemers put out a story
that Wilson’s trip to Africa was a “junket” arranged by his wife. Was
Libby acting on Cheney’s behalf? The Special Prosecutor thinks he was
and he has said so publicly.
On Feb. 20, 2007, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the Special Prosecutor,
told the jury, in his closing argument, in Libby’s case: “There is a
cloud over V.P. Cheney…Libby stole the truth…Don’t you think…the
American people are entitled to straight answers…It was “they” who
decided to tell reporters [Joe] Wilson’s wife was working for the
CIA…To them, she [Valerie Plame] wasn’t a person, she was argument.
What is this case about? Is it about something bigger?” Dan Froomkin,
who covered the case for the Washington Post, put it this way after
hearing Fitzgerald’s remarks: “It was pretty clear who “they” was:
Libby and his boss, Cheney.” (3) The evidence in the case showed that
Cheney was the initiator of the plot and Libby was his gofer. The jury
felt that Libby was “a fall guy.” It was Cheney who wrote the “talking
points” to get Wilson. He made notes on a newspaper article falsely
suggesting that Wilson’s wife had sent him on a “junket” to Nigeria.
The smear merchant of Wilson/Plame was Cheney! At law, Libby acting in
concert with his string puller, Cheney, to lie under oath and to
obstruct justice has a name. It is called: A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY!
There are some people on Capitol Hill, who think Libby might flip.
He was, indeed, protecting Cheney, not that he needed much
encouragement, since he was at the center of the White House cabal that
was “fixing” the intelligence to get us into the Iraqi War. The NYT
labeled him: “a principal architect of the war.” In fact, it was Libby
who helped to push Colin Powell into making that flop of a speech at
the UN
on Feb. 5, 2003. And, if no presidential pardon comes Libby’s way, will
he rat Cheney out? Who knows? Libby also had strong ties to another
prime architect of the Iraqi War–Paul Wolfowitz, who was just dumped
as CEO of the World Bank.
Donald Rumsfeld, another Neocon, just got his walking papers at
Defense. It’s hasn’t been a good summer for the Neocons. Libby was also
one of the attorneys for fugitive billionaire financier, Marc Rich, a
reported Mossad asset. (4) Libby helped to manipulate a presidential
pardon for him from “Bubba Bill” Clinton, who made $10 million last
year giving speeches! What a surprise! Meanwhile, who is going to help
Libby get his pardon? Cheney? Rich? Hillary?
Back to the Congressional front. Rep. Kucinich, at a press
conference, on Capitol Hill, on June 13, 2007, renewed his call, via H
Res 333, for the House of Representatives to impeach Cheney for
committing “high crimes and misdemeanors.” He was joined by Rep. Maxine
Waters (D-CA), an indefatigable fighter for justice. At that press
conference, when the question of the relevance of the Libby case to the
impeachment proceeding came up, and, in particular, Mr. Fitzgerald’s
comment about a “cloud” over V.P. Cheney, Rep. Kucinich responded this
way: “I think that all Americans are “concerned” about the Libby case,
in as much as the relationship between his [felonious] actions and what
it says about the Vice-President. But, even without the evidence in the
Libby case, we have enough on record to go forward with
impeachment…The other concern I would express is…whether this
administration is “lining things up to pardon Libby.”” (5)
When Rep. Kucinich introduced his Articles of Impeachment in the House,
he made this cogent charge: “Cheney has purposely manipulated the
intelligence process to deceive the citizens and the Congress of the
U.S. by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to
justify the use of the U.S. forces against the nation of Iraq in a
manner damaging to our national security.” (2) In his three Articles of
Impeachment, Rep. Kucinich detailed the dates, the times and the
places, where Cheney chose to “deceive the citizens” about the alleged
threats of Iraqi WMD.
He added: “In the last three years, the V.P. has repeatedly threatened
Iran.” This is the same Iran which Sen. Joe Lieberman (IND-CT), also a
Neocon, recently urged the U.S. to launch a pre-emptive attack against.
Rep. Kucinich also underscored in H Res 333, the lethal
consequences of Cheney’s warmongering: namely, U.S. service members
killed in Iraq (now at 3,521); the death toll of Iraqis (estimated by
the “Lancet Study” at 655,000, as of July, 2006); 4.2 million Iraqis
forced from their homes; and the cost of the war to U.S. taxpayers,
(now $435.4 billion). There are currently six cosponsors of H Res 333,
in the House of Representatives. In addition to Reps. Kucinich and
Waters, they are: Lynn Woolsey (D-CA); Barbara Lee (D-CA); Yyette Clark
(D-NY); Jan Schakowsky (D-IL); William Lacy Clay (D-M0) and Al Wynn
(D-MD).
The charges in the Articles of Impeachment, raised by Rep.
Kucinich, if proven, are clearly impeachable offenses under the U.S.
Constitution. Keep in mind, that under Article 1, Section 2 (5), of our
National Charter, the role of the House in any impeachment inquiry is
to “only” act as a Grand Jury. If it finds that there is probable
cause, that is reasonable grounds, to believe the truth of the charges
against Cheney, in H. Res 333, then it would have a duty under the law
to impeach him. The U.S. Senate, then, would sit in judgment on the
V.P. and decide his guilt or innocence. See, Art. 1, Sec. 3 (6).
The House Judiciary Committee, headed by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI),
should let those subpoenas fly. Mr. Fitzgerald, the Special Prosecutor,
should be called as a witness. Others connected to Cheney, like Karl
Rove in the White House, and officials in U.S. State Department and at
the Pentagon, whose names surfaced in the Libby case, also should be
summoned before the Committee. It looks like Mr. Fitzgerald isn’t going
to open a criminal inquiry into Cheney’s role in the Wilson/Plame
matter. Congress then has a solemn duty, a Constitutional
responsibility, to get to the bottom of Cheney’s egregious wrongdoing.
Finally, America was lied into the Iraqi War by a Cheney-dominated
clique. One of the liars, Libby, made the mistake of lying under oath.
Now, he is going to prison. It is time now for Libby’s Svengali, V.P.
Dick Cheney, to be brought to the Bar of Justice. Congress do your
duty! Uphold the Republic! Remember our dead heroes in Iraq, who died
for a lie! Investigate and impeach Cheney!
Notes:
1. www.youtube.com/watch
2. www.afterdowningstreet.org/
impeachpac.org/node/976
3. “The Cloud over Cheney,” Dan Froomkin, 02/21/17.
4. www.antiwar.com/justin/j030501.html
5. www.youtube.com/watch
William Hughes is an author and commentator. His videos can be found at: www.youtube.com/profile.
Email Contact: liamhughes (at) comcast.net.