The Adventures of Dick and Scooter

Countdown 11 months until Scootie goes to trial...

AP: Judge Sets Trial for Libby in CIA Leak

A federal judge on Friday set former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's trial date in the CIA leak case for January 2007, two months after the midterm congressional elections.

The trial for Libby, who faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges, will begin with jury selection Jan. 8, said U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. The judge said he had hoped to start the trial in September but one of Libby's lawyers had a scheduling conflict that made that impractical.

Libby's lawyer said he was "very happy" with the date because it "will permit us the time we need to prepare Mr. Libby's defense"... And keep the trial out of the press until after the elections, natch.

This after new reports that, before Joseph Wilson spoke out, Mr. Libby and his boss, Vice President Cheney, were informed that the Iraq-Niger uranium claims were false (in addition to previous CIA warnings prior to Bush's '03 State of the Union). When Wilson spoke out, the Vice President's office began their smearing of him anyway.

From the National Journal: Iraq, Niger, And The CIA

Vice President Cheney and his then-Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were personally informed in June 2003 that the CIA no longer considered credible the allegations that Saddam Hussein had attempted to procure uranium from the African nation of Niger, according to government records and interviews with current and former officials. The new CIA assessment came just as Libby and other senior administration officials were embarking on an effort to discredit an administration critic who had also been saying that the allegations were untrue...

Read the full article for a detailed history of this and how it lead to the Plame leak.

Think Progress notes this now proves untrue statements made by the Vice President.

The Left-Coaster also explores these revelations in-depth: Treasongate: Libby and Uranium from Africa

And don't forget (though the media's failed to mention it)... the deleted White House emails.

Patrick Fitzgerald's got his hands full on this one.

[PS- The Plame Page is a great resource for materials on this case.]