Posted on 08/31/2006 10:08:00 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Edited on 09/01/2006 5:56:51 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years. But all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame's cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.
Mr. Armitage was one of the Bush administration officials who supported the invasion of Iraq only reluctantly. He was a political rival of the White House and Pentagon officials who championed the war and whom Mr. Wilson accused of twisting intelligence about Iraq and then plotting to destroy him. Unaware that Ms. Plame's identity was classified information, Mr. Armitage reportedly passed it along to columnist Robert D. Novak "in an offhand manner, virtually as gossip," according to a story this week by the Post's R. Jeffrey
Smith, who quoted a former colleague of Mr. Armitage.
It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue......
Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.
I have a hunch it is. This was hot stuff when it was thought it could damage the President. Now that even the Post admits the whole thing is pretty much horse-hockey, I can't see any publisher drooling to pony up the bucks for Val's proposed tell-all.
very true. the "cooperate fully" albatross around his neck, hurt him.
in retrospect, Libby should have resigned before it all came down, and thus been a private citizen when the GJ was convened.
It is a setup.
The President will have to pardon Libby.
If there is going to be a blatant miscarriage of justice, Libby should easily win in appeals court.
If justice were to truly prevail, Fitzpatrick should be disbarred.
Wistful thinking: When Joe steps outside to get his WP this morning, reporters will be all over his lawn like they laid siege to Rove's home.
Either here or Fitzpatrick, himself.
Other than that, you're experiencing what we all are: PHTS (Progessive Homocidal Turncoat Syndrome).
65mph ... 20m n nw of Wilmington
moving n ne at 15 mph
The QUESTION becomes, when does Wilsons arrest For PERJURY come???
LOL - best post!
You know what, you have a great point!
Let Scooter go to trial; put everybody under oath! Let's get to the REAL bottom of this.
What does he have to lose?
And for myself, there's nothing that would make me happier than to see that fat bastard Russert and the jerk Matthews under oath.
That's the new MSM buzzword re Armitage:"Gossipy." Sounds so harmless -- kind of warm-and-fuzzy, doesn't it.
Remember how Sandy Berger was not criminal -- just "sloppy"?
It's the same technique being used to excuse Armitage: He's just a gossip.
It's windy and rainy............see, I did figure it out!
And see them sweat when under cross. :-)
You are so right. What will be their excuse for the Black warrior Colin Powell I wonder.
"Could you tell us in your own words why you breathlessly reported EVERY SINGLE Liberal-Democrat LIE, yes, that's right, LIE fed to you about Mr. Rove???"
Yes.
I'd suggest Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing as defense counsel.
Hang in there.
At the risk of giving reporters reading this thread any ideas, I can envision one of them writing that wife Thelma didn't want Colin to get involved...to remain above the fray, etc.
Sadly, the ONLY folks in America who will let the American Voter know this is US....
We MUST shout this from the rooftops, to anyone that will listen...
EVERY SINGLE LIE the left has told about this President has become part of popular culture thanks to willing sycophants like Matthews, and they MUST be held accountable for it......
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