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Valerie Plame Raccoon Hunt May Bag Media
Wall Street Journal ^ | 12/09/05 | DANIEL HENNINGER

Posted on 12/09/2005 4:52:40 AM PST by harpu

-BIG Snip-

If the Libby case goes to trial, Mr. Libby himself will be a sideshow compared to what his lawyers are likely to display to the public about the practice of journalism. It has been reported that his lawyers plan to make wide demands for reporters' notes. One can imagine them issuing subpoenas for the pen-and-pencil reporting notebooks of Matt Cooper, Judith Miller and others, having a hand-writing expert transcribe the notes, and then asking the reporters to read -- or try to read -- their notes on the stand against a transcript onscreen. That won't be pretty. Unless these reporters have the handwriting of nuns and recall of Garry Kasparov, they will look like fumbling fools. Any of us would.

The press requires the protections of the First Amendment because it could never survive legal challenge without it. But the reporting on the Plame case more resembles the Singapore press model, with its penchant for placing absurdist legal fastidiousness above knowing anything useful. In the Plame affair ideological animosity overwhelmed clear-sighted journalistic aggression.

Reporting the news is an informal, imperfect exercise. Journalism was never meant to have the unforgiving, precise exactitude of the law's needs imposed upon it. But because of Plame, it's about to be. Last month an appeals court in a civil suit ruled for nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee that reporters for the Washington Post, AP, New York Times, L.A. Times and CNN had to testify about confidential government sources who leaked information about Mr. Lee.

Someone in authority should have called off the Plame dogs. But it's too late for that. Now everyone's blood is in the water.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cialeak; plamecia
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To: Alberta's Child

And there shouldn't be.


21 posted on 12/09/2005 6:37:04 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: harpu

BTW...I see you're a RedRaider! My grand daughter went over there yesterday and today is doing a selection visit. She really likes the campus but is not too keen on Lubbock. 50/50 at this point. She's got fantastic grades, gpa, and SAT so her choices are bountiful - hell it's just money.


22 posted on 12/09/2005 6:45:45 AM PST by harpu
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To: upcountry miss

I only caught the last 5-6 callers, but what I heard just confirms my contempt for our leftist ant-American media

Let us all give thanks for the advent of the internet, without which SOB's like Rather & Co, may have gotten away with their BS.

And Mappes is still singing the same tune with her book and TV appearances. Unbelievable!


23 posted on 12/09/2005 6:45:50 AM PST by Marxbites (A citizenry of sheep must in time beget a Govt of wolves)
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To: harpu

Well personally speaking I would think that Joe Wilson and his wife Val gal would be just as entertaining to have on the witness stand as any of the 'infamous' reporters.


24 posted on 12/09/2005 6:48:48 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: harpu

ping


25 posted on 12/09/2005 7:04:17 AM PST by p23185 (Why isn't attempting to take down a sitting Pres & his Admin considered Sedition?)
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To: harpu

As we speak, shredders are chewing up reporter notebooks inside newsrooms at the NYTimes, TimeMag, and WashPost -- I am certain.

And with no notes, reporters can simply paint their (summer of 2003) conversations with Administration officials any way they want.

This is basically what happened in regards to Russert, Cooper, and other so-called journalists who, ah-em..., contradicted Mr. Libby's testimony.

In fact, that's why Bob Woodward's "new" testimony is so fascinating. It apparantly contradicts some reporters reccollection of WHEN and WHERE they first learned of and spoke about Valerie Plame's identity. (Not that Plame has been truthful about her relationship with the CIA.


26 posted on 12/09/2005 7:09:50 AM PST by Edit35
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To: Sam Hill; Mo1; kcvl; McGavin999; A Citizen Reporter; onyx

Ping....


27 posted on 12/09/2005 7:13:28 AM PST by Howlin
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To: MojoWire

Has Woodward been called to testify? I don't believe he has, which makes this whole case a sham. Furthermore, there are more people claiming that they openly knew Plame worked for the agency, since Joe Wilson told everybody.


28 posted on 12/09/2005 7:15:57 AM PST by KC_Conspirator (This space outsourced to India)
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To: harpu

I could use the rest of the story

Thanks for this service


29 posted on 12/09/2005 7:16:57 AM PST by woofie (John Wilkes Booth thought he was a patriot too)
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To: Howlin

This looks interesting


30 posted on 12/09/2005 7:18:09 AM PST by woofie (John Wilkes Booth thought he was a patriot too)
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To: MortMan
When so-called "journalists" become partisans, they should lose any "shield".

That'd be nice, but just try proving partisanship.

31 posted on 12/09/2005 7:20:26 AM PST by arasina (So there.)
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To: Howlin

I wonder if Wilson will threaten to sue the Judge for allowing this case to proceed .. LOL!


32 posted on 12/09/2005 7:34:42 AM PST by Mo1 (Message to Democrats .... We do not surrender and run from a fight !!)
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To: harpu

Heh heh heh. Fetch the comfy (La-Z-Boy) chair!


33 posted on 12/09/2005 7:39:39 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: woofie

We're going to have some fun with this trial, sports fans!


34 posted on 12/09/2005 7:40:04 AM PST by Howlin
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To: harpu

Reporters will make unbelievably bad witnesses. They ask questions but cannot answer them. Their arrogance will kill them.


35 posted on 12/09/2005 7:42:49 AM PST by FreedomSurge
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To: geezerwheezer

Agreed. Judy Miller should not be the only one to spend some time behind bars. In fact, this MAY be OUR Fitzmas. Many of us have wanted to see some members of the partisan hack media in jail.


36 posted on 12/09/2005 7:43:18 AM PST by Great Caesars Ghost (History says our political structure and weak stomach will cause us to lose this war.)
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To: Gumlegs
But I'm not holding my breath.

This is a little different from these justice department cases we've seen in the past, like Sandy the Burglar, where somebody high up was obviously covering for the schmuck. In this case, the somebody is on trial for thier life, it's a criminal trial, and nobody has any right to conceal anything from the defense. If they do, they go to jail. Simple enough.

37 posted on 12/09/2005 7:46:59 AM PST by Great Caesars Ghost (History says our political structure and weak stomach will cause us to lose this war.)
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To: harpu

I'll take you up on your offer to provide the rest of the story.


38 posted on 12/09/2005 7:49:12 AM PST by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington (How long do we have to pretend that the vast majority of Democrats are patriots?)
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To: cloud8
That would mean that either they are burning their notes or re-writing them....leaving out those little things. Miller's notes were a perfect example. She couldn't explain why she wrote Valerie FLAME or VICTORIA Wilson in her notes.

Sounds like they use their own little code, doesn't it.

Cooper, in reference to his notes, couldn't figure out whether it was something he said or the second party said.

Robert Novak, in a 2005 article, said that Harlow (CIA) did not tell the truth when Harlow testified.

39 posted on 12/09/2005 7:52:23 AM PST by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: Baynative

You can bet the Valerie wasn't too selective about who she jumped in the sack with - best example, Joe Wilson.


40 posted on 12/09/2005 7:57:33 AM PST by hgro (A)
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