Posted on 07/31/2005 8:49:58 AM PDT by Republican Red
THE STATE DEPARTMENT PLOT THICKENS [John Podhoretz] Time Magazine has a new story about the revelation of Valerie Plame's name -- a story that, despite Time's own bizarre spin, reinforces the claim that Karl Rove and others learned that Joseph Wilson was married to a CIA operative from the media.
"As the investigation tightens into the leak of the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, sources tell TIME some White House officials may have learned she was married to former ambassador Joseph Wilson weeks before his July 6, 2003, Op-Ed piece criticizing the Administration," writes Massimo Calabresi.
Later, he writes: "The previously undisclosed fact gathering began in the first week of June 2003 at the CIA, when its public-affairs office received an inquiry about Wilson's trip to Africa from veteran Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus....The same week, Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman asked for and received a memo on the Wilson trip...Sources familiar with the memo, which disclosed Plame's relationship to Wilson, say Secretary of State Colin Powell read it in mid-June. Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage may have received a copy then too."
According to Calabresi, "A source familiar with the memo says neither Powell nor Armitage spoke to the White House about it until after July 6."
So what does this tell you?
It tells you that the State Department, which leaks like a sieve, knew about Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame in June. It also tells you that neither Powell nor Armitage talked to anybody in the White House about it until after Joseph Wilson published his New York Times op-ed on July 6 -- though he had clearly been the anonymous source for a piece by Pincus and an op-ed by the Times' own Nick Kristof back in early June.
So for those who think something very bad happened here, why isn't attention now circling around the State Department, whose two top guys at the time -- Colin Powell and Richard Armitage -- leaked like sieves to the media?
Instead of asking that question, Time's Calabresi instead suggests that this "increases the chances that White House official Karl Rove and others learned about Plame from within the Administration rather than from media contacts. Rove has told investigators he believes he learned of her directly or indirectly from reporters, according to his lawyer."
That doesn't follow at all. Doesn't this tale "increase the chances" that Rove and others are simply telling the truth? It seems a bunch of people knew a bunch about this in June, and their names are Walter Pincus of the WaPo, Kristof and evidently Judith Miller of the Times, not to mention Colin Powell and Rich Armitage at State (not to mention State's Marc Grossman and Carl Ford, who generated the memo). Their names are not Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.
Reporters and State Department people were in the know here. Which makes the idea that White House people found out about Wilson's marriage to a CIA operative who got him the gig in Niger from reporters even more plausible
I saw that too. Kate O'Bierne (sp) was real funny. She insinuated that the leak was not from the White House but from another part of the administration. I was hoping she would say "CIA", because that's what I thought until I read about State.
Russert was beside himself, like it was the first time anyone could have thought that it was not the White House.
One of the Kalbs (Marvin?) was on Fox this morning spouting the Time mag spin. (What's going on with Fox? They're becoming as bad as MSM.) Wish they'd put Podhoretz on to comment on this story, so it could, indeed, be "fair and balanced."
I think so, since he shared many of the liberal views, and was a prolific leaker according to most.
Oh, I'm actually kind of happy to see the media try to keep this alive. There will be a lot more egg on their faces when some of them, or some of their leaky buddies in State are indicted.
Fow is just helping Kalb supplement his Social Security.
He'd be better as a Walmart greeter.
Has Powell or Armitage been interviewed by the prosecutor/grand jury? Anybody know?
There are only two people on earth I can see our current media going to jail to protect...Bill and Hillary Clinton. And they're not connected to this "story", are they?
I don't know if the Clintons have been connected yet. I do know that Powell has been the media darling for awhile now, and when the President didn't keep him on as SOS, there was a fair amount of wailing and hand wringing among the media.
"I am not and have never been a member of the Communist Party," Alger Hiss said under oath on Aug. 5, 1948, and calmly refuted the accusation of former Soviet agent Whittaker Chambers. The House Un-American Activities Committee had subpoenaed Chambers two days before. Then a senior editor at Time magazine, Chambers had testified reluctantly.
Time Magazinr has been a tool of the communists, and the Democrat Party, for at least 60 years. Of course, so has the State Department.
Remember that Bill and Hill's people were working for (or sabatoging) the Kerry Kampaign. Wilson was worth nothing to Kerry without the possibility of a scandal out of this.
It just didn't pan out in time. Now they have to muddy the water to confuse everyone when the truth comes out.
There are two others whom it is absolutely vital for the MSM to protect: Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame.
Powell testified last July. I don't know about Armitage. I would think if Powell testified that he would have been called too
Somebody wake me up when the media see the giant billboard outside the Plame/Wilson house that proclaims "CIA employee lives HERE with her husband, Joe Wilson!!"
Plame and Wilson, themselves, are at the center of this alleged "Leak" in this non-story.
Colin Powell, former head of ythe Joint Chiefs of Staff and SecDef, a LEAKER!!?? It is to laugh, if not outright guffaw!!
I said that weeks ago and got my head handed to me on the proverbial platter.
IMO, he is the ONLY person who has been in this administration that they WOULD go to jail for.
We don't want hear your suggestions, Calabresi; we want you to answer the question, truthfully that is.
Hmmmmm, what does that say about the two top guys at state?
Really? Powell's been on my short list of possibles for quite awhile now. I guess I just assumed he was on everyone's.
"Colin Powell, former head of ythe Joint Chiefs of Staff and SecDef, a LEAKER!!?? It is to laugh, if not outright guffaw!!"
Why is this outright guffaw? Look what we got with Bubba and Hitlery when they were in the White House? Guggaw, I think not.
COLINOSCOPY: THE REAL COLIN POWELL
The American Thinker ^ | April 26, 2005 | Ed Lasky
Posted on 04/27/2005 1:30:18 AM EDT by sinanju
While President Reagan enjoyed a reputation as the “Teflon President,” able to prevail against critics determined to besmirch his reputation, one figure handily eclipses him in his ability to avert any criticism by the mainstream media: Colin Powell.
Knowledgeable insiders have long characterized Powell’s meteoric rise from colonel to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as based on exceptional skills at bureaucratic infighting and deft wielding of the press leak stiletto. But the general public sees only the picture of high-minded public servant. In the wake of the disclosure that he is attempting to use his wiles to torpedo the nomination of John Bolton as the US Ambassador to the United Nations, it is high time to break out the kryptonite and honestly appraise the record and actions of Colin Powell...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Also Click Here
He's got the biggest mouth in D.C.; and he's a self-serving smug politico, if you ask me.
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