from public embarrassment or ridicule

* "New details emerged yesterday of Rove's version of how and when he came to remember the Cooper conversation. Shortly before his client's second appearance before the grand jury in October, Luskin personally conducted a review of thousands of e-mails Rove had sent during the crucial weeks in 2003, including those from accounts reserved for personal and political correspondence, a source familiar with the situation said." (link)
i call bullshit

* in the case of the 8 redacted pages, fitzgerald says: "However, the Special Counsel has concluded that secrecy continues to be necessary with respect to the remainder of the redacted pages, in order to protect from public embarrassment or ridicule individuals whose status as grand jury witnesses or subjects has not been publicly disclosed, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation."" (link)

i wonder if that is a standard legal term/justification for witholding material. it seems to be a phrase that fitzgerald created for this specific purpose - its odd turn of phrase for him to use, and very specific. (on a related note, the english language is astonishing in that words never seem to be used in the exact same sequence - e.g. google only picks up exactly one circumstance (fitz) where these words were used in this order "from public embarrassment or ridicule". remarkable, for small minds like mine )

* meanwhile, ron asks whether fitz is giving the blogosphere a shoutout