The Insanity Defense...

Clarice Feldman’s "live blogging" is certifiable.

A small sampling of clips/highlights from our favorite American Thunker holding court yesterday at JustOneMinute.

Were you at the trial today?
No--there was a spot available but I figured it would be boring today and I still have to figure out what keeps knocking out my wireless connection.

Dishing on fellow bloggers and NPR:
Jeralyn Merritt has been hands-down the most conflicted person covering this case, since she is both a Bush-bashing progressive and a defense lawyer with no natural affinity to prosecutors.
Jeralyn is a very pleasant, good natured person used to hearing 2 sides of things.

EW has to me the determined mien of an old time prohibitionist. I appreciate her stenography..the rest not so much.

On my cab ride home from the court last night I heard Nina's report. I couldn't believe we'd sat in the same trial.

You do understand these "names" run in and out--grab a quickie snippet and go on the air. Impossible to do justice to such a complex trial that way. NPR's coverage of the case generally is appalling though.

(Nina is an old friend. Decades ago when we were all young and foolish I fixed her up with Elliott Abrams. LOL I have a pic of them together which I sometimes threaten to make public.)

On Matt Cooper:
It is illogical to say that telling someone "you heard that too" constitutes confirmation. When Cooper said he took Libby's off the record "I heard that, too" as confirmation, the press room guffawed and Cooper was sheepish about that concession. Indicating in response to a question as to whether that was his normal practice, that it was what he did in this case.

It is obvious that on a lovely summer weekend running over deadline on this story, Cooper would have taken a fart as confirmation.

On the FBI and Deborah Bond:
Bond is there to introduce portions of Libby's gj testimony about what his conversation with Russert was. Then Russert will take the stand and be questioned about this.

If this transcript is going in as an exhibit, it should be online tonight and we can study it over the weekend with more than fdl's stenography to guide us.

"I heard that, too" could have been on something as unreliable as the Chris Matthews show or a David Shuster acoount. When azaghal returns ask him about this and about how the FBI deals with the various witnesses in a conspiray case.

Their notes stink.
They are half assed and self-serving
They try to get witnesses to turn by suggesting others have pointed the finger at them

And, as a capper, her memory stinks and as we've seen was utterly selective.

It is a bad move on her part, because Wells is not an asshole in questioning and it makes her look bad.

And she doesn't remember why she didn't put in his statement that he needed to read his notes to be sure of his recollection.

Let me offer a suggestion--Because it suited this case to leave out of those notes exculpatory material.

Just as it suited the govt to print only portions of the gj testimony and prior statements. Just like it suited the govt to give that outrageous presser.

Wells is establishing the investigators nibbled off chunks of the jigsaw puzzle to get the desired picture. Bond 's demeanor (and failings) are making the case for him.

We already have Miller and others saying w/o their noted they have very little to help them recall the specifics of immemorable bits of long ago conversations.

I could be wrong but I believe Swartz started out as a Ted Kennedy staffer. He was one of those who heard Armitage's confession. He and Dion handled the Berger case.

Looking at the whole picture, you know about Hillary wanting Bush to tidy up Iraq before the next President takes office? -- That's so yesterday. If she REALLY wanted Bush to do the next President a favor, after Libby is found not guilty (or pardoned) he'd clean out the DOJ, State, CIA, and, as now seems the case, the FBI. Incompetence, on top of venality, on top of political lust, on top of loose lips, on top of CYA, on top of hubris, on top of brain cramps.

But I maintain this was a different sort of investigation..one were the normal procedures weren't be followed.

I also note that normally when the FBI is dealing with political figures who can't invoke the Fifth, more care is taken to be fair--I know for a fact, less care was taken here.

And I feel certain we just got a peek of that with Bond today--

I think my old friend Szady had a role in directing this and we know Swartz and Dion and Comey did..I think a toxic stew of animue against the administration and political ambition guided this whole thing.

About Prosecutors:
Should do what the Romans did, have the Prosecutor of the Month ride thru the streets with a flunky standing behind him in the chariot, whispering "fame is fleeting" because his fame has flamed.

On my blog:
That is a spoof site by some demented Fitz groupie.

That last one hurt. ;)

I might have to charge Clarice with a BUI. A laptop, a bed, blogging, Kool-aid and Stoli = a very dangerous combination.

Have a great weekend and...Go Bears!