Miller Testifies Libby Told Her About Plame Twice

The New York Times has a story up about former reporter Judith Miller's testimony in the Scooter Libby trial today. She detailed two conversations with Libby, one on June 23 and another on July 8, 2003, in which he disclosed that Plame worked in the C.I.A. non-proliferation bureau. Libby told investigators that he didn't learn of Plame's identity until July 10.

The devastating aspect of Miller's testimony is not just the dates, but the character of the conversations. For example, in the June 23rd meeting:

Mr. Libby was “agitated and frustrated and angry” during the meeting, [Miller] testified, because he thought the Central Intelligence Agency was beginning to “back-pedal to try to distance itself” from discredited assessments of Iraq’s weapons capabilities in the buildup to the American-led military invasion of the country. The C.I.A. was waging “a perverted war of leaks,” Ms. Miller said Mr. Libby told her. ... Miller said Mr. Libby discussed how “a clandestine guy” had gone to Africa in the winter of 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from Niger to further its nuclear programs. ... “He said that his wife – referring to Wilson – worked in ‘the bureau.’”

Remember, Libby's defense is that he just "forgot" about learning of Plame's identity before July 10 because he was so busy. Miller is portraying the whole matter as something central in Libby's mind at the time of their talk. How could he forget learning a key fact like Plame's identity?

Libby's in trouble.