Home > Perspective

Schadenfreude to Hubris to Embarassment

by John F. Tamburo, Editor in Chief, Publisher
Originally Posted: 10/28/2005 12:00:59 PM
Last Updated: 10/28/2005 2:12:50 PM

UPDATED AT 2:09PM CDT ON OCTOBER 28:  For the last two weeks, the press has been scrambling with gossipy reports about Karl Rove being indicted for outing a covert CIA agent as revenge for her husband’s op-ed in the New York Times.  Today’s the last day for the Grand Jury that special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has been working with for the last two years.  As I write this: (11:41AM CDT on October 28), it appears that Karl Rove is not to be indicted at all, although it’s unclear that the investigation of Mr. Rove is over.  This article is a progression of thought as I await the press releases from Mr. Fitzgerald’s offices.  I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Dick Cheney’s Chief of staff, has been rumored to be indicted for false statements to either the Grand Jury and / or Mr. Fitzgerald’s investigators.

"Earlier this week, I wrote a piece entitled When Schadenfreude Turns to Hubris.  Amplifying this piece, it looks as if the Left is increasingly trying to frame the entire Iraq war on a conspiracy to lie to the people."

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece entitled When Schadenfreude Turns to Hubris.  Amplifying this piece, it looks as if the Left is increasingly trying to frame the entire Iraq war on a conspiracy to lie to the people.  For example, see how Anna Quindlen linked these two concepts.  There’s a wrinkle, however.  In so doing, the Left placed all of its chips on Karl Rove’s being hauled off for outing Valerie Plame as revenge for Joe Wilson’s op-ed disputing whether Iraq tried to buy yellow-cake uranium from Niger.

"And now comes the embarassment!  As I write this, the press release has been let out:  I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been indicted.  The counts:  One count obstruction of justice, two counts of lying to investigators, two counts of perjury to the grand jury.  Did you notice that no indictments have issued over the outing of Valerie Plame?"

And now comes the embarassment!  As I write this, the press release has been let out:  I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been indicted.  The counts:  One count obstruction of justice, two counts of lying to investigators, two counts of perjury to the grand jury.  Did you notice that no indictments have issued over the outing of Valerie Plame?  Did you notice that Karl Rove was not indicted for any offense?  This is the Left’s most embarassing moment.  After two years of diligent investigation, Patrick Fitzgerald gets one person, whose name I did not know three weeks ago, who apparently told some lies.

Don’t get me wrong.  Scooter Libby has to be fired if he does not instantly resign.  Perjury is illegal.  But this news gives the extreme Leftists nothing on which to hang their hats.  I have not read the indictment yet -- it’s not public yet.  All I have to go on is the press release from the independent counsel.  I need to see the entire charge list, but I think that none of it proves that anyone in the White House attempted to avenge Joe Wilson’s op-ed.

"So now, the Left will be quite busy.  First, they will try to spin this one peripheral indictment into a ’Culture of Corruption™’ -- I officially claim the trademark to this term and use it commercially here, in order to keep the Left from using it to libel the President or any of his staffers."

After all of this leadup to Karl Rove’s demise, and all of the extremist socialist leftist finger-crossing and wishful thinking stories predicting the implosion of the White House, Karl Rove has not committed any crime.  The Iraq war was not orchestrated as a vast criminal conspiracy to destroy any and every person who disputed the administration.  So now, the Left will be quite busy.  First, they will try to spin this one peripheral indictment into a "Culture of Corruption™" -- I officially claim the trademark to this term and use it commercially here, in order to keep the Left from using it to libel the President or any of his staffers.  And, after this gambit fails, the Left will be busy again -- scraping the egg off of its face.

UPDATE:  Indictment is very specific.  Karl Rove is not named, but there is one anonymous person named "Official A."  Patrick Fitzgerald has been grilled for 55 minutes as of now in his press conference.  He won’t reveal who Official A is.  Some notable quotes:

"This indictment is not about the war. Not about the propriety of the war. This is stripped of that debate and focused on a narrow transaction...they will be frustrated and not good for process and fairness of trial."

"One day I read I was a Republican hack. The next, I read I was a Democratic hack. The only thing I did between the two days was sleep.  I am not registered with either party, and I’ll leave it there."

"I’m not making allegations about anyone not charged indictment. We make no allegation that VP engaged in any criminal act or any other people who discussed info with Libby..."