From the New York Times:

    The prosecution in the perjury trial of I. Lewis Libby Jr. neared the end of its case Wednesday with a final dramatic flourish — putting Tim Russert of NBC News on the witness stand to deliver what could be a serious blow to Mr. Libby’s defense.

    Nevertheless, Mr. Russert, who is accustomed to asking tough questions of his guests on “Meet the Press,” found himself in the clearly uncomfortable role of being the subject of tough questions during a cross-examination by Mr. Libby’s defense lawyer.

    Mr. Russert, whose signature technique in interrogating officials on his television program includes confronting them with documents and texts of previous quotes, found the technique used on him. A defense lawyer displayed documents on a large television screen in the courtroom as he challenged Mr. Russert’s recollection of events.

    On Wednesday, Mr. Russert testified under a prosecutor’s questioning that, contrary to Mr. Libby’s testimony, he never spoke with him about Valerie Wilson, the C.I.A. officer.

    Mr. Russert, the moderator of “Meet the Press,” was unequivocal in his testimony that no such conversation with Mr. Libby occurred. But when Mr. Libby’s chief defense lawyer, Theodore V. Wells Jr., began his efforts to disparage Mr. Russert’s reliability in cross-examination, Mr. Russert’s confident demeanor changed abruptly.

    Mr. Russert... stopped speaking in the confident, complete sentences in which he had answered the prosecutor in his direct testimony. Instead, he became more deliberate and halting in his responses, frequently asking Mr. Wells to repeat the question or asking for time to examine the document about which he was being asked. “Say again?” he said frequently.


And, as noted in the Washington Post:

    Testifying for a second day at Libby's perjury trial, Russert said he took no joy in Libby's fate ...But Russert sounded giddy in an audiotape played in court this afternoon of his on-air interview with radio personality Don Imus on the morning of Oct. 28, when charges were expected against Libby.

    "It was like Christmas Eve here last night," Russert chortled, as he told Imus about the much-anticipated results of a CIA leak investigation that Fitzgerald was expected to announce later that afternoon. "Santa Claus is coming tomorrow. Surprises! What's going to be under the tree?"