Libby: Leftly Leaning - Friday, January 19th

19 Jan
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Trial blogger Pachacutec examines the voir dire process through a tale of two potential jurors noting that although the process will likely result in a fair trial, “watching a jury be selected feels quite a lot like viewing the production of sausage.” Pachacutec also muses on his role in blazing a new “Crashing the Gate” trail, the contrast between bloggers and journalists, and the blogosphere’s historical inevitability as a significant element of modern media. Finally, don’t forget to check out some of his live coverage from the past few days.

Also from firedoglake, Christy Hardin Smith recaps Libby news from the last few days and cautions witnesses that “any attempt to lie stands out like a sore thumb — every bead of sweat, every twitch, every blink, every smirky mouth movement … everything … the jury will see all of it.”

TPM has a sampling (courtesy of the AP) of some questions that Libby’s legal team would like put to potential jurors. Shorter version – “Cheney: Prince or Player?”

Digby describes the blogger coverage of the Libby trial as the “internet equivalent of all those OJ shows on the cablers, except smart and literate” and offers suggestions for getting yourself edu-ma-cated on the Libby trial.

John Amato of Crooks and Liars posits that not only was Plame’s outing Cheney’s idea from the beginning, but that it seems Fitzgerald is also starting to believe it.

Truthout reports on the continuing travails of Libby’s defense team, in a city where Democrats hold an 8:1 majority, to locate someone, anyone, anywhere who trusts Team Cheney enough to serve on the jury. Also, looking for the Plamegate timeline in 4,000 words or less? How about a preview of Fitzgerald’s case?

Feel like a good giggle? Over at the Huffington Post, Mary Kaplan imagines the sort of forthright responses that might get you booted from the jury pool.

Jeralyn at Talkleft asks the question apparently forgotten within the mainstream media – Who got immunity in the Libby trial?

Michigan Liberal reflects on the interaction between bloggers and journalists as “a wariness and a grudging respect, like that between professional and amateur athletes.”

And finally, Juan Cole explores Libby’s connection to the wider argument for impeaching Dick Cheney.

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Seeker (not verified)Sat, 2007-01-20 23:56

Re: Libby: Leftly Leaning - Friday, January 19th

I have been made aware that Robert Cox of the Media Bloggers Association is planning to arrange a seat at the Libby trial for one of his bloggers - Lance Dutson of HTTP://mainewebreport.com Mr Dutson owns the now understandably client-less web company - "Maine Coast Design". He has ingratiated himself with Bob Cox by offering his services for free, and Mr Cox experienced his 15 minutes of fame while rising to the defense of Dutson - who was (accidentally) sued by Maine's ad agency. Cox admits that Dutson was his "Cause Celèbre", and it would seem that nothing has changed. I have been following Mr Dutson's blog for some time, and have come to learn that most or all of his accusations are brazenly untrue .... untruths about which he has repeatedly been made aware. He has even admitted to knowing that some are inaccurate, but these admissions eventually disappear... and off he goes again, on another rant. Lance Dutson came out of the gate swinging, and has consistently and pugilistically ignored any invitation to reasonable discourse. Yet Robert Cox informs me that he has never even read Dutson's blog. I find this, if true, to be an act of extreme negligience. If you did read Dutson's blog, you would see that the headlines are never corroborated by fact, but rather, link only to more of his own accusations, or even to documents which actually CONTRADICT these accusations. Apparently, people only read the headlines, and nothing else. And they believe them. Dutson appears to get the most gratification out of making searingly vicious personal attacks on total strangers whom he somehow perceives as enemies. And this list grows longer every day. If anyone disagrees with him in a comment, he turns his hatred on that commenter, with even more vicious lies about him/her. Or he deletes the comment entirely. His behavior is that of a web troll, and nothing more. I find it unfathomable that anyone would assign a seat at the Libby trial, and its resultant journalistic credibility, to someone without ever having checked his credentials. Web trolls should be eliminated - not elevated.