[From the diaries by susanhu.]
I went into this afternoon’s press conference wanting blood. I, like many here, was like a shark, circling in the shallow water, waiting for my feeder, Fitz, to toss some red (read Republican) meat my way. But I came out of the conference with something unexpected.
I was going to blog about it, but then I read a comment by wg on k/o: politics + culture.
He said it better than I ever could:
BUT, I think I may be experiencing, Linus-like, the deeper meaning of Fitzmas. Watching and listening to Fitz, I rediscovered something I haven’t felt in a long, long time: a kind of simple, optimistic pride in the potential and promise of America. I know that sounds fatuous, but it felt like, after crawling through the desert, I was finally rewarded with a tall, clear glass of ice-cold life-sustaining water. I took such profound and unexpected pleasure in the trust I felt in this guy. And I even found a perverse satisfaction in the way he frustrated my shallow partisan craving for a brutal rhetorical smackdown. When was the last time you had the experience of seeing somebody on tv, in a political context, that you didn’t feel compelled to view through an angry ideological prism? It was such a relief to not be an analyzing and enraged critic, or even a chortling schadenfreudian. I just had a very simple, almost childlike, faith in this guy. He’ll follow the evidence where it leads and no further, but he’s not afraid of anybody, especially these smug thugs. He seemed like a walking, human rebuke to the insane political atmosphere of the last decade. I know this all sounds ridiculous and naive, but perhaps that only suggests how deeply I was craving, without even really being aware of it, somebody to believe in again. I believe in fairness, and justice, and equality, and civility. And I saw that today in Patrick Fitzgerald. And maybe that, Charlie Brown, is the true meaning of Fitzmas.
I was stuck in a cubicle all day, and just watched the press conference for the first time (downloaded it from Crooks & Liars).
I wish I could have seen it live. I’ve cried while watching news on the TV. But I honestly can’t remember the last time they were tears of joy.
But from here on out, that day was today.
Thanks for posting this over here. It sums up what I felt perfectly.
That is a perfect summation on the day.
I agree about the Fitz. I couldn’t stop watching him, and, after a certain point, once the question was asked, I just could tell that he wasn’t going to go there. The strict focus of his mind on facts, law and what he could prove was inspiring. And, that, there was no moralizing, mo unnecessary mention of names, just here to do my job, thanks.
Decency in the name of believing in America.
When was the last time that happened?
Agree absolutely with this.
This country could use more Fitzgeralds.
I slipped away from various responsibilities at work today to watch portions of the press conference live this afternoon. Given that I work in the headquarters of an enormous, soulless corporation, I was delighted to be accompanied by two individuals who had clearly sought out the TV where Mr. Fitzgerald was holding forth. We all compared some very basic notes and were all initially somewhat disappointed that the charges weren’t more obvious and explosive. But as I sit here watching the CSPAN replay at 10 to 1:00 am EST, I’m finding it difficult to figure out if I’m more pleased by the indictment against Mr. Libby or the integrity of the man who brought the indictment against him.
Integrity.
Integrity.
So many people crave integrity in their government. That’s what the Bush folks exploited in the 2000 campaign. And to me, that’s more of a crime than fudging an answer in a witch hunt over a blowjob.
I don’t expect Pat Fitzgerald to ever run for office. His performance in today’s press conference doesn’t necessarily recommend him for any other public office. But it is tremendously moving to watch someone do his job with such integrity. If only our (allegedly) elected leaders had a fraction of that integrity.
I’m still watching this and the only thing keeping me from weeping is the fact that this whole thing is so fucking depressing. Fitz should not be this remarkable. All due credit to him. But he shouldn’t.
In fact, it is an inherent insult to people such as him to compare him to the lying sacks of shit he’s investigating.
The gift I received from Fitz this morning [Pacific time] will take care of my wishes for a long time. This is the person who ,I think, has proven to us all, that character is not something you can buy. He rekindled the flame in me that was always there, but did need a little breath of air to make it flicker brighter. You definately pointed out reality when you wrote this diary. It`s ironic that the son of a doorman was the man to show the door to a much lesser man.
Let’s not go quite so softly into that good night.
This outcome is very, very fishy.
No gifts here.
Failure to presecute on the leak. Only an invitation to the powers that be to continue to sacrifice national security on the altar of partisan gain.
Fitz’s prosecutorial discretion?
Intervention by the senior judges?
Intervention by the DOJ?
Or is Fitz waiting for a hue and cry from the public. Does he need a mandate to go forward? Let’s give it too him.
Yeah, let’s get enough pitchforks and a mob and march on Washington and Fitz will cave and indict Rove.
You’re on more than kool-aid if you think Fitz will let anything other than the facts and “vindicating” the public interest sway him.
Didn’t you read this thread?
Integrity.
Bringing indictments in a highly charged political environment like Washington is not done on the basis of popularity. Nor should it be.
I think your analysis is wishful thinking. It’s over and it didn’t work out. Denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance. You’ll get through it.
The man is in the middle of working to find the truth.
He made that perfectly clear. He’s rented MORE office space in DC.
Did you even watch the event?
.
To use the words of NyBri, I could elaborate to give you my answer on Patrick Fitzgerald, however on kid-oakland just read the perfect comment ::
I am neither someone with a background in journalism, nor am I savvy or privy to beltway politics, nor am I a lawyer, nor do I know the ins and out of intelligence matters…(those links are all worthwhile)
but these things strike me from today’s events, take ’em worth a grain of salt:
Patrick Fitzgerald made a no-nonsense, straightforward case for one thing today: Lewis Libby lied to the FBI and the grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA employee’s identity, and his perjury and false statements noted in the indictment amount to an obstruction of justice.
Read on »»
Fitzgerald Leads Legion of Lawyers to Libby Indictment
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼▼▼ READ MY DIARY
I hope you are correct. But i think not. Between WH compartmentalisation, stonewalling, pardon possibilities, and Fitz’s reluctance to push the envelope, it’s over and we need to quickly accept that and move on to the next battle.
Unless someone is going to fight for it. The meek may inherit the earth but it won’t be soon.
The investigation isn’t finished yet. There would be no knowledge of any indictments that exist if they are sealed. Further indictments can still be obtained by work of another grand jury while closing this investigation. The idea of publicly announcing one multi-count indictment in order to increase pressure on others pending is an effective one.
Congressional hearings are in the works too.
It’s over.
(Although our house too was similarly moved by the presentation.)
Dawn looks just like sunset. It’s not at all clear whether we were seeing the beginnings of a revival of rationality or the end of its swan song.
We should take this as a reminder of what we’re fighting for–and a measure of how far we’ve sunk into this bad dream, and how far we need to climb out of it to wake up.
if you don’t know what direction you’re heading 🙂
You’re right; we have to remember what we’re fighting for. And while this is a measure of how far we’ve sunk, it’s also that spark, that glimmer of hope that maybe it’s not all for…uh, naught.
Damn homonyms.
I agree strongly. I was late to work today after a long errand, and Fitzgerald’s press conference started just as I pulled into my office parking lot. I sat there in the car for an hour to listen to it all. I thought he sounded a little nervous, because God knows he is under unimaginable pressure. But I was overjoyed again and again by his quick intelligence and crystal-clear focus. I kept thinking: this is the anti-Ken Starr.
I don’t think Fitzgerald is going to go deep into all the related scandals we want to see unearthed. That’s not his mandate. But I think he has already completely changed the atmosphere in Washington. I have a little bit of hope again. I have a little bit of hope that maybe the grand ideal of the Rule of Law is going to still be standing after this current crop of criminals is long gone. Today’s the first day I really felt that way in more than two years.
of a “New Year” for me. And not a day too soon as we approach the Nov 3, 1 year, anniversary of the Great Election Disaster.
Precisely. I had no idea anyone else felt that way.
I actually felt renewed in some way, on a both a political and personal level. No, not poltical, on a civic level. What a concept.
Questions remain but.. well, the post said it perfectly, I can only second it.
Thanks for finding it and sharing it with us.
I would just add to it that Fitzgerald’s scrupulous behavior throughout the last two years has also been inspiring, especially in retrospect. It would be natural to suppose that he was sorely tempted to leak all sorts of nasty rumors in an attempt to intimidate people into either cooperating or simply telling his investigators what they wanted to hear irregardless of whether or not it was true, but I really don’t think he ever was so tempted. His mind simply doesn’t work that way. The fact that it was wrong, unethical, and illegal, meant that he would never even consider it even at the most frustrating moments.
It is good to know that there are still honest, upright people going into public service.
I had the same impression and reaction. It’s good to see others did too.
After all of the worldwide bad press the US has earned for this administration’s actions, his presentation was a more accurate image of who we are. We are a society based on respect for the law with each individual possessing the same rights and liabilities in that respect.
To accept that ideal is to accept the silence that comes with the proceedings as the laws are written. It gives me hope that the final results of this investigation will be authentic.
This also enables a better perspective for doubts I’ve had about his history. I’m one who believes that the entire GWoT has some roots in the governmental agencies of several countries. It’s been aggravated and controlled by their actions. Fitzgerald’s role as a successful prosecutor of many cases caused me to doubt his distance from any complicity. His presentation helped ease those doubts.
I believe that he sincerely follows the facts and applies the law in determining whether or not a crime was committed. He doesn’t start with the goal of trying to prove guilt, which is what I wanted in this case even if I didn’t realize that’s what I wanted. In the case of the GWoT cases, this would explain the convictions, deals and dismissals. It would also help explain the larger part the ‘blown cover’ played in threat to national security.
One element missing that I wished for was for a reporter to ask any question as to his opinion of the situation as a citizen. I did get the impression that in defining his duties in respect to the law he also strongly implied that others who have the authority to pursue this, should. I think that was a subtle message to Congress to live up to their potential as well.
It was the first time I’ve experienced a sense of peace in quite a while.
Let me add my appreciation for this diary and join the others who are heartened over Fitz. To the nay sayers, the case is not closed but I do feel it would be beneficial at this time to press Congress to have an investigation of the “build up to war” which is what we really want, I think, a full investigation by independant group.
Patrick Fitzgerald, October 28, 2005
is what my friend said who watched the event on TV with me.
You know? He opened with a generic discussion of what it is that people like himself do for a living. What makes it tick. What the PROCESS is.
And went from there. Generalities and specifics.
It was beyond awesome. He clearly had character and integrity, which has been all too rare these days.