Wednesday's Libby Trial live-blog

This is the second day of the Libby trial, and Marcie Wheeler (Emptywheel) continues to live-blog the activities. Once again I am providing links the reports on FireDogLake, as I did yesterday. Again, the last blog is shown first in the list below. Numbered items are actual trial reporting. The rest are summaries or discussions.

To see all my posts indexing the Liveblog of the Libby trial from Firedoglake, click on the Label "Liveblog" (below.)

• Wednesday trial summary by Christie Hardin Smith
• Reflecting on What We’ve Learned (1/24)… by SWOPA
• 4. Craig Schmall is questioned
• 3. Robert Grenier, Two
• Understanding the Libby-Rove Head Fake by SWOPA
• 2. Robert Grenier Testimony, One
• 1. Wells Cross examines Grossman
• Morning Cuppa - Intro to today

This is a different view.

• David Corn offers a different perspective.

Mark Grossman is the former number three at the Department of State. Since INR is the Intelligence arm of the Departmemt of State, this is why he was familiar with the INR [Intellignece and Research] report that he testified about. See Item #1 above.

Robert Grenier was a Deputy Director at the CIA during this time frame, working under John McLaughlin. See Items #2 and #3 above.

William (Bill)Jeffress the Defense Lawyer cross examining Robert Grenier. See Items #2 and #3 above.

Ted Wells is an attorney for "Scooter" Libby.

Craig Schmall is a CIA manager in the Directorate of Intelligence. He was the morning intelligence briefer for Libby from Summer 2002 until Fall 2003, then became Cheney's morning intelligence briefer until May 2004, see item #4.

Patrick Fitzgerald The special prosecutor did the direct examination of Schmall. See item #4.

John Cline did the Cross examination of Schmall for the Defense. See item #4.

Cross Examination the opportunity for the attorney for one party to ask questions in court of a witness who has testified in a trial on behalf of the opposing party. The questions on cross-examination are limited to the subjects covered in the direct examination of the witness, but the attorney may ask leading questions, in which he or she is allowed to suggest answers or put words in the witness's mouth.

Direct examination The initial questioning of a party or witness by the side that called him or her to testify. The major purpose of direct examination is to explain your version of events to the judge or jury and to undercut your adversary's version. Good direct examination seeks to prove all facts necessary to satisfy the prosecution's legal claims or causes of action.

David Corn provides an excellant summation for the day.

There were no bombshells today. It was hours of tough legal slogging. Fitzgerald is trying to create a chronology using witnesses who have--as most witnesses do--imperfect memories. Put enough of them together--and he's not done yet--and he could have a case. Libby's lawyers are doing what all defense attorneys do: raise doubts about the memories and motives of the prosecution witnesses. They landed a few blows. But Fitzgerald has more witnesses coming. After Schmall, the next scheduled witness is Cathie Martin, who was a spokesperson for Cheney. She was, in a way, a witness to the Grenier-Libby conversation and also spoke with Libby and Cheney several times about the Wilson affair. She was involved in the damage-control operation mounted in response to Joseph Wilson's revelations. Might she have a better memory than the initial witnesses?

More tomorrow.