we're being manipulated toward another war

* jeff@largely:

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're being manipulated toward another war. The run-up to an attack on Iran is in full swing, and the justification for it is shifting as fast as the justification for invading Iraq did. And it appears that the media is being as compliant in echoing the Bush administration's message on Iran as it was in supporting their Iraq propaganda.
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Were irony alive and with us, it would roll its eyes at the mainstream media's willingness to echo the administration's pro-Iranian war propaganda even as Judith Miller, the former New York Times reporter now testifying in the I. Lewis Libby trial, tries to defend her role in the Bush administration's media manipulation that led to the Iraq invasion. "

* froomkin, live:

Richmond, Va.: The Libby trial reveals the frenzied efforts of the office of the VP to respond to a critic who charged they manipulated intelligence to get us to go to war. At the same time, we learn from Sen. Rockefeller that Cheney exerted constant pressure on the Senate Intelligence committee to stall the investigation on that flawed intelligence. Is it me or are these the actions of people who don't have something to hide?

Dan Froomkin: You know, it does sort of sound that way sometimes, doesn't it?

* jeralyn & EW vblogging trial-day.

* AP (via calipendence):

" Federal prosecutors are preparing to seek indictments against a former top CIA official and a San Diego defense contractor at the center of the bribery scandal that sent former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to prison.

Two government officials familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press on Wednesday that prosecutors plan to ask a San Diego grand jury to return charges of honest services fraud and conspiracy against Kyle "Dusty" Foggo and his close friend Brent Wilkes, whose lawyers have said he is one of four unidentified co-conspirators described in the 2005 plea agreement for Cunningham, a San Diego Republican.
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The officials said a second indictment is being prepared that would charge Wilkes and two of the other Cunningham co-conspirators — New York businessman Thomas Kontogiannis and his nephew John T. Michael — with bribery and several conspiracy counts.

The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because grand jury proceedings are secret and the charges have not been finalized. Indictments could be returned as early as Thursday, though it's more likely to occur within the next several weeks."

sweet!

* jerlayn:

"It's a good thing for Fitzgerald that reasonable doubt doesn't mean 100% certainty. But I have a queasy feeling that unless Libby takes the stand and is not credible in his denials, neither Miller nor Cooper's testimony will bring it home for Fitz.

That leaves Ari Fleischer and Tim Russert. Former Time reporter John Dickerson disputes Ari's version. although the jury may not hear from him, unless he's the mystery witness discussed at the end of court today — see's Marcy's live-blogging for more on the mystery witness.

In my mind, this is all going to hang on Libby's testimony. But, will we hear from him? Ted Wells was smart enough in opening not to promise the jury he would testify. If every witness has holes in their memory, does he need to put Libby on the stand, or is his better move to rest without Libby's testimony, telling the jury there's no need to put on a defense because the Government hasn't proved its case? Does he need to call Cheney? Does he need to call any witnesses at all?

The jails are filled with people who thought if they could only tell their story to the jury, the jury would see it their way. Ask Bernie Ebbers in the WorldComm case, who is now serving a 25 year sentence or Enron's Jeff Skilling, also doing a double digit sentence.

If Libby testifies, he is most likely to be the witness that delivers for Fitz, not Ari, Miller or Cooper."

* Noise:

"We don't know exactly what Plame and BJ did but many articles written in the past few years suggest that Plame (and a division of BJ) worked on WMD proliferation issues concerning Iran. It doesn't get more on point than that if the POTUS (and VP) outed a CIA operative trying to prevent Iran from getting nukes.

The word is treason."