Valerie Plame Raccoon Hunt May Bag Media

Wall Street Journal ^ | 12/09/05 | DANIEL HENNINGER

[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.

[Bob from De]

In addition to all reporters in D.C., Libby's lawyers should go after members of the Kerry campaign.
Joe went to work for Kerry in May, and soon after,D.C. reporters were all abuzz about Joe and Val.
I believe Rand Beers confirmed that Joe told the campaign about his trip AND his wife before talking to reporters.
Could it be that Beers and/or Chris Lehane spread the word in the liberal reporter community?
By the way, where is Lehane.....been quiet lately!

[popdonnelly]

Oh, darn! Reporters try to dig up dirt on Rove and Libby, and now they have to testify! There's no justice.

[Bernard Marx]

there is no First Amendment protection for "the press" above and beyond that which is afforded to every American citizen.

Precisely. And that's why the notion of a federal shield law is insane -- it's like giving the media a license to lie and engage in systematic partisan warfare.

[cloud8]

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

Who was that kid--Josh something--in the impeached POS's administration, who *got off the hook* by saying he didn't really mean what he wrote in his notes....

I have the feeling that this whole can o' worms is going nowhere, unless one of these reporters sings, and what are the chances of that?

[Bernard Marx]

There should be no "unidentified source". If someone wants to blow a whistle or make an accusation, they shouldn't have their name protected.

I don't agree with you. Without some degree of protection no one would dare come forward if their job -- or life! -- was on the line.

By the same token, reporters should not have unqualified freedom to protect sources. There should be some mechanism to force them to reveal sources, at least to a judge, if there are strong indications they are misusing their positon of trust. It's a difficult issue and I'm totally against a federal shield law for reporters. There has to be some degree of accountability.

[Sam Hill]

Thanks for the ping.

One thing that I'm also amazed at, is the lack of outrage over Fitzgerald's grilling of Viveca Novak.

Apparently F is trying to learn what Luskin said to her about his client, Rove.

Whatever happened to attorney-client privilege?

I guess that doesn't matter when you're trying to bring down a GOP administration.

[Edit35]

Has Woodward been called to testify?

I guess you're right.

But didn't he somehow contact Fitzgerald with some type of testimony offer of his recollections, or did I dream that?

[OldYank1]

"I don't agree with you. Without some degree of protection no one would dare come forward if their job -- or life! -- was on the line."

But they already have a degree of protection with the laws we already have. It would be illegal to fire, or kill anyone without just cause. I could buy your argument if the "tip" were to the police but we are talking reporters here.

By giving "extra" protection to these people you are taking away the rights of those they accuse. As it is now, there is no deterrent to false accusations. Anyone with a grudge can make false accusations against a teacher, employer, co-worker, politician or whomever, ruining their lives, with no fear of being found out.

[popdonnelly]

"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."

Questioning Valerie under oath might produce the answers to a lot of things.

[Bernard Marx]

As it is now, there is no deterrent to false accusations. Anyone with a grudge can make false accusations against a teacher, employer, co-worker, politician or whomever, ruining their lives, with no fear of being found out.

I wouldn't say there's no fear. Libel law offers considerable protection and media people go far out of their way to avoid libel charges. Muckraking journalism would end without some source protection and the incidence of corruption in public life would skyrocket. I do think it's now far too hard to make libel charges stick and I think those laws need some fine-tuning. But the only way the scenario you lay out would come to pass is if there's a federal shield law. That would be incredibly dangerous.

[ricoshea]

I am still waiting to here who signed off on this trip.Not the agency but the person who said yes we will send Wilson to Niger.Who is that person.Does anyone know?

[M1Tanker]

Just FYI, CNN as of 09 Dec at 7:30pm EST is running an anti-Bush propaganda piece called "Plame's last day at the CIA". They (I don't know CNN communist party members, I mean "journalists") are using terms stating the Administration did intentionally "out" Plame. CNN is also repeating this lie, Lenin style (a lie repeated often enough become truth), throughout the anti-Bush propaganda piece, I mean "story".

It's amazing, the left still refers to the 9-11 terrorists as the "alleged hijackers" and Bin Laden as the "alleged terrorist mastermind" but automatically, and arbitrarily assign 'guilt' to President Bush's Administration even though there has not been a trial, nor is there an indictment on that charge!!!

CNN is unforgivable here, and the sad part is they will not be held accountable for this presumed guilt that they seem to state this lie as "fact".

[MNbelle]

I would be very interested in hearing "the rest of the story'.

[DougJ]

I think it may bag more than media. I think it may bag Joe Wilson! It seems to me that (1) he outted his wife himself and (2) there are rumors that he was working for foreign intelligence. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'm still hoping that eventually he ends up getting investigated in all of this. Lord knows there's plenty to investigate.

[DougJ]

There's so much in this case that we're not hearing. The role of Wilson in essentially outting his own wife is getting no play in the MSM. Surprise, surprise, I guess, since they media LOVES that lying piece of trash.

I heard somewhere there was an article about him working as a French spy, but I haven't been able to find it. Sounds about right to me.

[hgro]

Russert is a joke like his buddy Prissy Chrissy Mathews. He promotes the Dimocrat agenda fulltime.

[Sacajaweau]

My theory is that Jacqueline and Valerie were friends at one time and that's how Valerie met Joe. Joe said he left Valerie out of his lonliness. Sure would like to see those divorce papers.

My instinct tells me that Valerie got used royally by Joe....from maybe Day 3....when she outed herself.

I bet the big secret is that she never told the CIA and her legal 5 years ran from the day after their marriage. (They married April 23, 1998. Joe just HAD to mention their third date in his book.

How many other times did Valerie out herself under the covers? That's some spy! I think they had a special name for these spies during the wars.

[hgro]

The CIA is a corrupt government bureaucracy that hates President Bush. Changing that group will only come with long term replacement of the entrenched leftists that populate the organization.

[Sacajaweau]

I can't restrain myself. The week that Cooper called Rove and Libby was Cooper's first week as White House Correspondent according to Cooper himself. Imagine that!!

And so the Whitehouse gave this newbie a tidbit which would become the story of the year and result in an indictment of these Whitehouse staff members. It doesn't even make sense.

Fitz wouldn't ever think that Cooper, one of the Clinton's closest friends would lie or setup Rove and Libby??