So where is Scooter’s defense trying to go? This could give us some insight:

A federal judge dealt a setback to I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s defense in the CIA leak case yesterday, telling the former vice presidential aide’s attorneys that he is likely to deny their request for a vast trove of government documents.

At a hearing, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton did not formally deny Libby’s request for all records related to a 2002 trip by former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV to Niger. But he said the material is not directly relevant to the case and could only distract the jury.

“I’m just not going to let this case turn into a judicial resolution of the legitimacy of the war or the accuracy of the president’s State of the Union address,” Walton said.

Yup it is looking like Scooter wants to try and get a defense going on the actual legitimacy of the Iraq war. The thing is that has nothing to do with the crimes he is facing. Even if they would have found 10,000 tons of WMD’s and even nukes aimed at the U.S., that does not change the fact that Scooter allegedly lied to prosecutors in a federal investigation. Sorry Scooter – the judge saw through your attempt at a smoke screen and called you on it.