Media Figures May Be Reluctant Defense Witnesses in Libby Case

Defense attorneys also are eager to question Mitchell about the memory and credibility of Russert, her NBC colleague. Mitchell professed on CNBC's "Capital Report" in October 2003 that it was "widely known" among intelligence reporters such as herself that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. Her network issued a statement saying that was inaccurate, and she said in an interview with Imus that she didn't know "what the heck I was talking about."

Libby's defense argued that Mitchell may have told Russert -- who testified for two days last week -- about the CIA operative but later wanted to back away from her assertion of knowledge. If she did know the information, they said, it would bolster Libby's contention that he learned about Plame's identity in a July 10, 2003, telephone call with Russert.

Russert said that was not possible because he did not hear of Plame until several days later.

"Now it turns out his right-hand person, Andrea Mitchell, in October 2003 has said something that totally blows up his core statement that he didn't know about the wife," defense attorney Theodore Wells Jr. told U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton in arguing to play the Mitchell tape for the jury. "He has admitted that if she knew, he knew, and the whole team would have known."

Walton said he will rule today on whether Mitchell's testimony is relevant.

The defense also has said it may call Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward. He learned about Plame from then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage in June 2003 but said he did not disclose that information because he wanted to avoid being subpoenaed. Woodward told prosecutors what he knew after Libby was indicted in 2005, and he apologized to Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. for not sharing information on a major story.

Woodward's testimony could help bolster Libby's contention that there was no White House campaign to discredit Wilson and that other reporters knew about Plame before the time that prosecutors say Libby began to discuss her.

Also on the defense witness list are Post reporters Walter Pincus and Glenn Kessler, Newsweek's Evan Thomas, and the Times' David E. Sanger. All are expected to testify that they talked with Libby during that time but that he never mentioned Plame to them.

The defense is expected to use their testimony to raise doubts about the credibility of other key prosecution witnesses.