There’s really no excuse for Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff, outing the name of a CIA agent to our enemies and the world at large, but as I have indicated, these people do not care about the war – only their political fortunes. They are both sick and twisted.
For two years, a federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, has been investigating the leak of Plame’s identity as an undercover CIA agent. The leak was first reported by columnist Robert Novak on July 14, 2003. Novak apparently made some arrangement with the prosecutor, but Fitzgerald continued to press other reporters for their sources, possibly to show a pattern (to prove intent) or to make a perjury case. (It is illegal to knowingly identify an undercover CIA officer.) Rove’s words on the Plame case have always been carefully chosen. “I didn’t know her name. I didn’t leak her name,” Rove told CNN last year when asked if he had anything to do with the Plame leak. Rove has never publicly acknowledged talking to any reporter about former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife. But last week, his lawyer, Robert Luskin, confirmed to NEWSWEEK that Rove did and that Rove was the secret source who, at the request of both Cooper’s lawyer and the prosecutor, gave Cooper permission to testify.
This case really points out the rightwing could care less about patriotism; their ultimate loyalty is to AWOL George.
Even if no crimes were committed (an unlikely outcome)–this administration attacked a CIA agent. Not because she spoke out against them or she did something wrong or she didn’t do her job; they attacked her because her husband reported something–the truth–they didn’t like.
The Laptop Pattons like to pretend we’re in this all-important death struggle with terrorism. Fine. How does attacking a CIA agent further this cause? Will someone considering becoming an asset to US intelligence–at great personal risk–think twice because he/she sees their confidentiality being exposed for purely partisan reasons?
I realize that nearly everything AWOL George says comes from Karl Rove. I am sure that Bush would have been a better President without Rove. All the people around Bush are masters of dirty tricks and deception for anyone who is stupid enough to believe them. Apparently, there are millions of people who fit in that category.
Treason is no big deal to Rove. It’s all about staying in power, fuck the country!
Take care here. My understanding is that he didn’t give out her actual name at all. A much different thing than you are saying.
Dugger
Re: Dugger Spinning
Rove has said he didn’t “leak her name.” Luskin says the same thing. Now the tone of Mr. Cooper’s email implies that Karl told either said “Wilson’s wife” or some other “non-naming term” since Cooper uses the following phrase in his email: “it was, KR said, wilson’s wife, who apparently works at the agency on wmd [weapons of mass destruction] issues who authorized the trip.”
Dugger’s defense regarding KR using an actual “name” or not sounds allot like the “definition of ‘is’” argument to me. I think “Wilson’s wife”, or “the person Joe Wilson sleeps with” or “the prostrate-less person that married Joe Wilson” meets the definition of “naming” someone.
Do you disagree, Dugger?
Oh dugger, how hard does one have to work to be as ignorant as you claim to be? Did you actually read Oliver’s link or are you just pretending that you haven’t read it?
My understanding is that he didn t give out her actual name at all. A much different thing than you are saying.
How is it a “much different thing”? Rove did in fact disclose that Wilson’s wife was a CIA operative:
Rove told Cooper that Wilson’s trip had not been authorized by “DCIA” CIA Director George Tenet or Vice President Dick Cheney. Rather, “it was, KR said, wilson’s wife, who apparently works at the agency on wmd [weapons of mass destruction] issues who authorized the trip.
Wilson was a well-known diplomat; how difficult do you think it would be for any reporter to figure out his wife’s name?
Here’s a suggestion: from now on, whenever a Republican is exposed for lies, treason and fraud, pretend for moment that the Republican is a Democrat before you hit the “submit comment” button: you might find that your position may be an entirely different one.
Dugger,
Unless Joseph Wilson is a polygamist, I don’t think that defense is going to fly in court.
somebody leaked the woman’s name and whoever did should go to jail for doing it. It does not matter if they are democrat or republican. Does anyone disagree?
Re: Dugger’s Weak Argument
I quoteth: “have you personally vouch-safed the Newsweek memo?”
Translation: “Newsweek was wrong once (which is REALLY wasn’t – but I digress) so Newsweek is ALWAYS wrong.”
Parsing words and relying on “exact” definitions – Dugger did you work in the Clinton Administration?
I agree. I have to tip my hat in a disgusting way to the Bush admin. They are setting a new bar for spin and dishonesty. I think Clinton, Reagan would blush at some of these shuck and jive menuvers
OYE and Mouse,
Take off your hate-Bush-blinders for a second, look around and THINK. Our gal Val was not known at Valerie Wilson – but Valerie Plame. And Mouse, not only does the above point apply, but have you personally vouch-safed the Newsweek memo? Talked to Rove, have we? How is Karl? Still having that backache? Kinda surprised he would tell you, an obscure poster, everything, but I know you wouldn’t let politically driven hate cloud your judgement.
Dugger
Rove didn’t leak the name. We should all appologize to him. How could we ever has suspected such an upstanding guy.
http://spaces.msn.com/members/NotCentered/
Real men admit when they are wrong. If Klandestined Krony Karl can say sorry, starting for graffing milk money in 2nd grade, then he can get a pat on the back.
“Dugger Says:
July 11th, 2005 at 2:16 pm
Here s the deal….”
Translation: But what about Clinton? Whhhhhaaaaa…..
YAY! Lets not degrade people who are just out to twist and manipulate peoples emotions and intellegence in order to “win” office for a figure head. I should have went to business school, because then I would be a master of fu#$ing:)
If leakers go to jail, why ain’t Leahy in the slammer.
Here’s the deal. If he broke the law, fine – pay the price. If he didn’t , his being the successful architect of two presdiential elections is not a crime. It sure as h*ll is a viable defense if not naming the name makes the difference between legal and illegal. And spare me the moral posturing. Theres not a single poster here who does not hero-ize the likes of Ellsberg , Deep Throat, and Sen Leahy and Rockefeller-Durbin-Wyden- Levin (spy satellite leakers).
Dugger, It Only Counts When Their Side Does It
Dugger
Dugger, it’s always been apparent that you lean towards right-wing hackery, and are a pretty good source for the right-wing talking points of the day, but I have assumed that under the surface there was a thinking human being. Maybe I was wrong, and underneath the surface there just chipped paint.
So let’s see if I understand your argument:
1) Because Valerie Plame was only known as Valerie Wilson, her identity was safe.
The problem with this of course is that Rove specifically identified her as Wilson’s wife, and specifically mentioned that she was a CIA operative working in WMD issues. How much more specific could he be without actually giving an address to her house? So, back to your original claim that this is different from actually naming her: that’s just parsing at its most ridiculous.
2) The Newsweek memo hasn’t been vouchsafed by…me? Well, I am flattered by your confidence in my abilities; as it turns out, my own contribution to the authenticity of the email is unnecessary as the email was already authenticated (if you had read the article, you would know this).
And contrary to your fervent belief, I have no feelings for Bush or his administration one way or the other. I most certainly feel no hatred. I believe Bush and his administration to be dissembling and dishonest in many of their endeavours, in much the same way that you believe them to be truthful. And if you think that this means hatred on my part, then it must equally mean a disturbing kind of love on yours.
Whatever you do, I strongly urge you not to dabble in Condi fan fiction; we already have one of those.
White Whale,
Was this a clever little slam at Sen Byrd: “Klandestined Krony Karl “?
Mouse squeaked: “I have assumed” and “Lets see if I understand your argument”
The first quote is your own responsibility and on the second, you don’t.
My ‘argument’ is that Rove did not mention her name and she was not known as the wife of Wilson – publicly. My guess would be that, legally, my saying Joe Blow’s wife works for the CIA but she uses an assumed name is not a crime. And I don’t claim her identity was safe, because as I understand the situation, it was already common knowledge in many Wash INSIDE circles that she was a DC civil servant working for the CIA. Perhaps she had not been very careful about her own identity (see the swanky national magazine picture of her and perp walk). Nevertheless, I don’t know the full legal arguments either way. One side says Rove is clear; the other that he may violated certain security rules. Hey, if he is convicted of a crime – he should have to pay the appropriate price.
But as to harm done to national security, knowing what I do about where she worked and my own past associations, I don’t believe that for a second.
And as to the left’s new found concern with national security, I believe that about as much as I believe they are really worried about Congress disobeying travel rules instead of having an unprincipled vendetta against Delay.
BTW, I might be a hack (but I might not also) but I have never received anybody’s talking points. Do you? Is that why you guys make that charge so much?
Dugger
Well if it was Mr. Rove and he did give the name then it is a shame – we lose someone who is looking at WMD’s for the CIA – real WMD’s something that we all should be concerned with – those dirty bombs make high explosives look like a fire cracker. If it is Karl, then the only reason would be a pay-back for an Op/Ed written by Mr. Wilson – there can’t be another reason can there?
“the left s new found concern with national security”
Crock!
The left has merely resisted the right’s age-old propensity to hide it’s rapacious looting behind our country’s flag.
THere is a guy at the Federal facility at Marion, Illinois that really hopes Karl and not Novak, is his new roommate.
Watch Scotty dancing around the truth today was worth turning on the TV. Somehow, though, the GOP will successfully show that it was Joe Wilson who outed his wife just to be mean to President Bush.
But Karl….be sure to pack your shaving kit.
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
These are the questions that presidential spokesman Scott McClellan was asked at his daily press briefing this afternoon in the order in which they occurred: