If it looks like a duck.....

Tell me again how the US Attorney thing is all a political witchhunt.

Monica Goodling, a senior Justice Department official involved in the firings of federal prosecutors, will refuse to answer questions at upcoming Senate hearings, citing Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, her lawyer said Monday.

"The potential for legal jeopardy for Ms. Goodling from even her most truthful and accurate testimony under these circumstances is very real," said the lawyer, John Dowd.

"One need look no further than the recent circumstances and proceedings involving Lewis Libby," he said.

Notice the odd use of Libby as precedent, that testifying truthfully (with the bizarre implication that Libby did so) automatically attaches a risk of perjury because "the environment can be described as legally perilous for Ms. Goodling."

This is particularly ironic since the main charge that brings her before Congress is that Republicans were trying to manipulate the "legal environment" against Democrats.

I guess it's a better excuse than the truth.

Later: Reading that lawyer's comment again, isn't he saying that any truthful testimony given now would contradict earlier testimony? Isn't he saying that she's already perjured herself?

(There is no "perjury trap" if you aren't trying to cover past lies.)