Does Cheney Owe Libby? Big Time

I haven't posted on the Plame Game since the summer, and had been somewhat hesitant to do so until the whole thing finished playing itself out, but this post by John Dean (via Brad DeLong, Nov.7th) is so intriguing, I just had to put in my dos centavos. Make sure you read to the bottom, because though he actually contradicts himself in the middle (maybe the implications hit too close to home), but his conclusion seems right on the money.

Dean should know a thing or two about politics and the law, having been the "Mastermind" behind the cover up in the Watergate scandal and having served time for obstruction of justice for his involvement. While serving his sentence, Dean flipped on his former Nixon administration cohorts, and became the sweetheart of federal prosecutors.

Libby is no John Dean. While Dean had files of information to protect him from becoming the Watergate scapegoat (this was the Nixon White House), Libby told what everyone knows now is the biggest fishing story ever. It was so stupid, he had to have known he would get caught., so what's the point? What Patrick Fitzgerald found in investigating the whole sordid affair, is that Libby's lie basically set up a firewall to protect Big Time Cheney. Unless the prosecutor can find someone or something else to pry open Libby (and maybe Rove), investigation over, Scooter takes the fall, gets pardoned, writes more porn.

Dean writes that the only thing that might throw a spanner in the works is a Democratic Revolution in the Senate at midterm election. That would be a tall order even in today's anti-administration climate. I count 43 Dem Sens + Jeffords (an anti-war independent). That makes 7 seats needed to take over the floor and demand accountability. Why not just six and force a tie vote? Who gets to break ties? The same guy who likes to break legs and laws, Big Time Dick himself.