The Ginkgo Biloba Defense: Will Russert's Memory Take the Fifth?

New court filings by Scooter Libby's defense team show just how major a Plamegate player Tim Russert is, despite his attempts to act like he's a neutral, disinterested party. Patrick Fitzgerald -- and a host of bloggers, including yours truly -- have been saying this for a while now. And these court filings buttress the case.

Tom Maguire at justoneminute gives us chapter and verse on the MSM's takedown of the Libby defense strategy, including the tantalizing suggestion that the case may come down to which man -- Libby or Russert -- has the shakier memory.

According to the AP story, the defense might argue that "Russert did make the statement that Libby allegedly attributed to him, but that Russert had forgotten about it." On the other hand, they might also argue that "Libby 'is simply confused about whether Mr. Russert is the source of the statement'."

Quick, get those guys some Ginkgo biloba!

Whichever tack Libby's lawyers take, one thing is clear: Russert's testimony is going to be a central focus in the Scooter trial -- if he's not pardoned first.