INSIDE POLITICS---CNN Transcript Isikoff/Crowley

CNN ^

[hipaatwo]

CROWLEY: In the latest ease additions of Newsweek, reporter Michael Isikoff quotes attorneys who say that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove was a source for TIME magazine reporter Matt Cooper. Cooper, of course, is at the center of the grand jury investigation involving the leak of a CIA employee's identity.

So a couple of things about this story. First, what we do know at this point about Rove's relationship to this leak?

MICHAEL ISIKOFF, REPORTER, NEWSWEEK: I should say, we did more than quote attorneys. What we did is we obtained an internal TIME magazine e-mail that Matt Cooper wrote to his bureau chief, Michael Duffy, immediately after talking to Karl Rove on July 11th, that's before the Novak column, in which he says: "Double super-secret background, not to be attributed to the White House or Rove, but Rove gave me a big warning about some of what Joe Wilson has been saying. He wasn't sent to Niger by George Tenet or Vice President Cheney, it was Wilson's wife who apparently works at the agency on WMD issues who authorized the trip." That's the quote from Matt Cooper to his editor right after talking to Karl Rove.

What that tells us is that Karl Rove did indeed discuss Joe Wilson, Joe Wilson's wife, Joe Wilson's wife's employment with a reporter, Matt Cooper, prior to the Robert Novak column. That would seem to conflict with many of the White House public statements at the time, and certainly some of what Karl Rove's lawyer had been saying publicly up until we got hold of this e-mail.

It doesn't answer underlying questions here. For one thing, as many people have pointed out, and we pointed out, Karl Rove doesn't identify Valerie Plame by name, so that's an important distinction.

[Peach]

Ahem. Rove DID "admit" he spoke with the press. Publicly and presumably to the Grand Jury.

We have all known that Rove spoke with Cooper and others. What he denies and what #25 above confirms is that he named Plame by name.

[RightthinkinAmerican]

Not to mention that the reporter could have weel been ltying in the email. Just because he sent it doesn't make it so. Are we to beklieve they would be too good to do this just to porduce "evidence" against Rove. What BS.

[federal]

I'll bet on that, there is no way Karl Rove has done anything and he won't resign.

As far as admitting anything about the investigation the special prosecutor told all of them not to comment on the investigation, That's why none of them have responded to all the BS speculation.

[torchthemummy]

Thank you for your posts that put all of this in honest perspective.

Keep up the great work.

[RightthinkinAmerican]

ABC news tonight admitted it proves nothing.

[popdonnelly]

Yes, but he should have admitted it to the guy in the Oval Office. The White House has been standing behind him. Not good to hide the truth from the boss.

I don't believe Rove can be indicted or convicted.

[Pukin Dog]

The special prosecutor will turn out to be a brilliant move by Bush. Some Democrat is going to go to jail for perjury. Without the SP, the Democrats could spin this issue forever. End the end, Bush and Rove will have the last laugh. The media is at war against Bush, but it is one of their in jail, and another one will be their soon enough. Rove is probably laughing his ass off right now. The Democrats are suckers.

[Nick Danger]

I want to subpoena the Meet the Press producers. I want to subpoena Walter Pincus at the Washington Post. I want to know when they first found out they would have an opportunity to interview a former Ambassador about the Niger/Yellowcake matter. Who pitched the story to them, and when?

Here's what I think. I think the Niger trip was set up from the get-go as a press stunt designed to benefit Kerry's election prospects. It was set up by somebody with one foot in the Kerry camp and one foot in the Clinton camp... somebody who could actually arrange for this guy no one ever heard of to get his op-ed into the New York Times, be featured in an article in the Washington Post, and appear on Meet the Press, all on the same day. John McCain couldn't pull off such a trifecta, and here is some third-tier Clinton aide doing it. What's that smell?

So they think up the press stunt. It'll be great. It'll discredit Bush. How to get it done? Here's Wilson, a rabidly partisan Democrat whose wife just happens to be watching over WMD proliferation for the CIA. Well, let's have her need a trip to Africa done to go check out a tip. She recommends her husband. When he comes back, he explodes all over the news. Great idea, let's do it!

So let's find out when the "press explosion" was set up, who set it up, and whether either Wilson or Plame, or both, knew that Wilson would be a Media Darling when he got back.

[Perdogg]

The name Valerie Plame was listed as his wife on that liberal Middle eastern think-tank.

[processing please hold]

I have a story put out by the Washington Times on July 20, 2004, titled 'Yellowcake Twist'. I printed it out and hung onto it. Now, when I type in the link to the story, it's been changed, the story I mean.

What do you make of that?

It points out that he was selected to that job by his wife, Valerie Plame.

[Peach]

Huh? Admitted it to the White House? He talked about it on national television for crying out loud.

Are you seriously suggesting that Rove, a highly intelligent man, didn't tell the White House he spoke with Cooper but did tell the nation in an interview?

[F16Fighter]

"Since Isikoff knows darned well that it only appears to be what all the dadblasted 'journalists' and drooling Dims want it to be, why not just conjure up a bit of magic, sleight of words, if you will, get the verbal fog machine going and by golly, you've got Rove in handcuffs before the end of the first act! (pssst! Don't leave during intermission. The second act is called 'Impeachment' and they're taking the show on the road.)"

Hilariously creative job of exposing Isikoff's hijinks in theatric terms, arasina...

I can almost hear Elmer Fudd singing, 'Kill the Wabbit' (the "Ride of the Valkyries").

[cicero's_son]

Yep. Meanwhile, Sandy "Pants" Burger is skating by with a sweetheart plea deal after stealing classified documents during wartime.

He ought to be drawn and quartered.

[speedy]

I don't think Berger's little adventure in compromising national security ever made the pages of the NY Times. Guess it didn't fall under that "All The News That's Fit To Print" category. The Times is a joke. The only difference between now and 30 years ago is that a lot of people realize it is a joke.

[TheGeezer]

Well, what would the NYT and liberfascists do if the president did not go along with the SP?

This is Karl Rove we're speaking about, after all, and after he's finished this round with the lib crazies and the NYT, they likely will not be able to level any criticism of whoever he nominates for the court (with up to four nominees, maybe?). KR is brilliant, I tell ya! Brilliant!

[Doctor Raoul]

She was able to reveal her CIA role to him while they were dating because he held a high-level security clearance.

Other than his desire to boink her, what's his "Need To Know"? Did he "Need To Know" to boink her? Did she scream, Oh My God, I'm...I'm....I'm a covert agent..."?

At the time Wilson was married to, but separated from, his second wife Jacqueline, a former French diplomat.

Was she a spy too?

[speedy]

The sharks are in the water. They think they have something this time. Of course, they've thought that many times in the past. This would be a great one for Rove if he can in fact shove it back in their faces.

[kcvl]

They're phonies and liars. I wouldn't believe anything either of them said. They attended a state dinner with Clinton in 1999. How covert could that be?!

[marblehead17]

Do you have a link to this. I could REALLY use it. Thanks in advance.

[Americanexpat]

Was Wilson ever paid for the work he did in Niger? Was it contract work or what? If so isn't it a conflict of interest for his wife to arrange this job for him?

I was always under the impression that if I was a government employee I could not hire my relatives to work on a project.