Author: Martin Longman

Today has been a tragic day. I received a phone call at 7 AM this morning from my friend, Wolverine Writer. WW was my college roommate, I was the best man at his wedding, and he runs the BooTrib store for us. Last night, at around 8:30 PM, his 20 year old daughter and her friend were broadsided by an 18-wheel truck. WW’s daughter died instantly. The last we heard, her friend was in critical condition.

I’ve known his daughter since she was seven years old. I have fond memories of taking her around New York City, showing her the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, Greenwich Village, Central Park.

She was a beautiful girl, smart, sweet, inquisitive, with a good heart. She will be badly missed.

I don’t have much to say about this. Sometimes our loved ones die for no discernible reason. There is no moral component to it. It just is. And then we want to grab the world by the throat and insist it abide by some moral code, that it supply us with some reason or justification for the misfortune we encounter. And the world stares back, offering no defense.

Nicole meant the world to her father. She was one of the nicest people I have ever been fortunate enough to know. She was 20-years old and headed to a haunted house celebration.

WW wanted her to grow up to be an outstanding adult. I wanted that too.

Lying scoundrel and war profiteer, Clifford May, is an enormous ass. In a September 29, 2003 deceitful and scurrilous editorial for the National Review Online, May said the following:

Here is what Fitzgerald said today:

Clifford May is on CNN right now accusing Wilson of lying. What about his own lies?

Okay geniuses. What’s your theory of what’s gonna happen next?

Update [2005-10-28 18:12:29 by BooMan]: I think Susan and Catnip are wiped out and napping. This whole thing is exhausting.

Update [2005-10-28 19:48:6 by susanhu]: The cubicle people were worried about not hearing Fitzgerald. C-SPAN has the video up, in the middle of the home page. Also, C-SPAN TV will reair Fitzgerald’s press conference at 8:46pm PT. The case will be the subject of call-in shows Sat. morning.

What can I say about Patrick Fitzgerald other than “DO NOT EVER PLAY POKER WITH THAT MAN.”

The man displayed no tea leaves whatsoever. The only hint he gave about anything was that he was anxious to get home and was annoyed the investigation took two years. You can read that as an indication that he is not interested in keeping this investigation going, or you can read that as a threat that he going to really resent any further stonewalling.

I have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. But Scooter Libby has about zero chance of beating this case. He is facing a possible 30 years sentence (although I doubt he would get anywhere near that).

Either Bush plans to pardon him, or Libby is almost going to HAVE to make a deal. And I don’t think agreeing to plead to lesser charges is likely to do much for him. He needs to give up Cheney to have any hope of avoiding jail.

I see a pardon coming.

Fitz said the following (paraphrased):

He did not charge Libby for breaking the Espionage Act or the Secret Identities NOT because he did not break those laws. He didn’t charge him with those crimes for two reasons:

1) the false statements, perjury, and obstruction prevented Fitz from establishing crucial facts that he needed, to prove Libby’s intentions, knowledge, etc. that are elements of the statutes.

2) that the penalties under the 5 charges are severe enough to vindicate the violation of public trust that might have occurred if it were established that Libby violated the Espionage Act or the Secret Identities Law.

And that is true. Libby is facing a maximum charge of 30 years in prison.