memeorandum: More reporters embrace an advocacy role (USA Today)

4:25 PM ET, March 6, 2007

Top Items:

Libby found guilty in CIA leak trial — WASHINGTON - Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted Tuesday of obstruction, perjury and lying to the FBI in an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity. — Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Taylor Marsh, A Blog For All, Flopping Aces, The Carpetbagger Report, Blue Crab Boulevard, NO QUARTER, The Sundries Shack, Don Surber, PunditGuy, NewsHog, The Glittering Eye, Blogs for Bush, JammieWearingFool and GINA COBB

CNN:

'Scooter' Libby guilty on four of five counts … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been found guilty on four of five counts in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial. — Libby was convicted of: — obstruction of justice when he intentionally deceived …

Discussion: The Reaction, Outside The Beltway, Rook's Rant, skippy the bush kangaroo, Law Librarian Blog, Shakespeare's Sister, PoliBlog (TM), QandO, TBogg, American Footprints and News Hounds

Washington Post:

Libby Found Guilty in CIA Leak Case — A federal jury today convicted I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby of lying about his role in the leak of an undercover CIA officer's identity, finding the vice president's former chief of staff guilty of two counts of perjury, one count of making false statements …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Right Wing Nut House, Kesher Talk, All Spin Zone, Gay Orbit, Obsidian Wings, Abovethelaw.com, CorrenteWire, liberal catnip, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, The Carpetbagger Report, The Daily Dish and The Democratic Daily

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

After Libby — Something is rotten in the heart of Washington; and it lies in the vice-president's office. The salience of this case is obvious. What it is really about - what it has always been about - is whether this administration deliberately misled the American people about WMD intelligence before the war.

Discussion: Political Animal, Angry Bear, Democrats.com and Ezra Klein

Speaker Pelosi / The Gavel:

Libby Guilty Verdicts Not Solely About Acts of One Individual — Today's guilty verdicts are not solely about the acts of one individual. — This trial provided a troubling picture of the inner workings of the Bush Administration. The testimony unmistakably revealed …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post and Decision '08

New York Times:

Libby Guilty of Lying in C.I.A. Leak Case — I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted today of lying to F.B.I. agents and grand jurors investigating the unmasking of a C.I.A. operative amid a burning dispute over the war in Iraq.

Discussion: FP Passport, Once Upon a Time and Wonkette

Associated Press:

Jurors Reach Verdict in CIA Leak Case — WASHINGTON (AP) — Jurors reached a verdict Tuesday in the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former White House aide accused of lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity. — The verdict will be read …

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ, Macsmind, Wizbang, Ankle Biting Pundits, The Populist and Confederate Yankee

Ian / Hot Air:

Breaking: Verdict reached in Libby Trial, will be read at noon, AP: Libby found guilty on 4 of 5 counts, Update: Video of Attorney's statement — 3:30PM: Juror Denis Collins, who wrote a book about SPYING and is a former reporter for the Washington Post: "Tremendous amount of sympathy for Mr. Libby on the jury."

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, Wizbang, Say Anything, The Political Pit Bull and Suitably Flip

Media Matters for America:

Libby's guilty verdict: Media myths and falsehoods to watch for — On March 6, a federal jury found former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby guilty on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and lying to federal investigators. In the wake of this decision …

Discussion: Think Progress, DownWithTyranny! and The Mahablog

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

Libby Verdict : Guilty of Four Counts — Guilty on count 2 - False Statement, Russert — Not Guilty on count 3 - False Statement, Cooper — Update: The transcript of my Washington Post live-chat on the verdict is here. I've also done a bunch of radio interviews today.

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:
Juror Explains Libby Verdict: They Felt He Was 'Fall Guy'

Discussion: Firedoglake, CBS News and Donklephant

Think Progress:
BREAKING: Libby Guilty On Four Of Five Counts

Discussion: The Huffington Post and At-Largely

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
We Can Be Heroes.... It was cold as hell outside the Prettyman …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Emptywheel / Firedoglake:
The Verdict Three — The Libby verdict is in: — Count I: GUILTY

Discussion: INSTAPUTZ

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Verdict from the Courtroom

Discussion: PSoTD

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
The Deep Breath Before The Icy Plunge

Discussion: Decision '08 and Classical Values

Fox News:

ANN COULTER FIRES BACK AT CRITICS OVER JOHN EDWARDS 'FAGGOT' BARB — Ann Coulter fired back at critics who demanded the conservative columnist apologize for comments she made during a speech in which she referred to Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards as a "faggot."

Discussion: Right Wing News, Outside The Beltway, Pam's House Blend, Blogometer and Crooks and Liars

Jack Shafer / Slate:
Our Ann Coulter Problem

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, protein wisdom, The Absurd Report, culturekitchen, The Indepundit, Attytood, The Moderate Voice, Ace of Spades HQ, Daily. Gay. News. Towleroad and Daimnation!

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
The Long Fuse on Ann Coulter's Bomb

Discussion: CNN, Simianbrain, CorrenteWire, Riehl World View, Nitpicker, AMERICAblog, The Sundries Shack, PostWatch and Wizblog

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:

Purged Prosecutors: First, The Senate — Act I of today's congressional hearing marathon on the administration's firing of federal prosecutors takes place in the Senate. Four of the prosecutors will be testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee: San Diego's Carol Lam, Seattle's John McKay …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Sunlight Foundation blogs, ACSBlog, The Impolitic, New Mexico Politics … and Talking Points Memo

Evan Perez / Wall Street Journal:
Gonzales Defends Move to Fire Attorneys, Denies Political Role

Discussion: New York Times, Political Animal, Real Cities, TPMmuckraker, DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, The Heretik, Macsmind, Heath Haussamen …, The Democratic Daily, All Spin Zone and Balloon Juice

Nico / Think Progress:

VIDEO: Iglesias Details 'Unprecedented' Pressure Calls From Domenici and Wilson — The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding hearings today on the Bush administration's purge of at least eight U.S. Attorneys. For the first time, U.S. Attorney David Iglesias publicly detailed how he was pressured …

Discussion: Citizens Blogging … and New Mexico Politics …

RADAR:

MCCAIN STAFFERS BAIL OFF THE CRAZY TRAIN — John McCain's Obama- esque remarks about our "wasted" resources in Iraq weren't the only comments that landed him in hot water after a recent appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Many of his staff were blindsided by his campaign announcement.

Discussion: Political Animal, Brainster's Blog, Donklephant and Wonkette

USA Today:

More reporters embrace an advocacy role — The "social journalism" that made Oprah Winfrey an international fairy godmother is the new rage in network and cable news, and it's expanding to other media. — Increasingly, journalists and talk-show hosts want to "own" a niche issue or problem …

Discussion: Hot Air, Sister Toldjah and Media Blog

Roger Simon / The Politico:

The Romney Rehab Plan — Mitt Romney may be low in the polls right now, but he is a man with a plan, a plan to make him the Republican nominee for president. — Though he is at only 4 percent in national polls, The Politico has learned that in the coming weeks and months, he will: