Posted on 09/02/2006 9:46:54 PM PDT by STARWISE
On July 14, 2003, a Robert Novak column in The Washington Post outed the CIA-agent wife of vociferous Bush administration critic, Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson. Thus was born the "Plame Affair" which quickly became a morality tale of how an out of control Bush Administration would do anything to justify its war in Iraq.
A mere three days later, journalist David Corn, summarized the allegations that would color reporting on the Iraq War for the next three years and eventually lead to the indictment of a top aide to the vice president for lying to a grand jury:
((((THE OLD DAVID CORN:)))"Now there is evidence the Bushies used classified information and put the nation's counterproliferation efforts at risk merely to settle a score. It is a sign that with the [Bush] gang, politics trumps national security."
Now we know the story is much more complicated.
In a book to be released next week, the same David Corn, of The Nation magazine and Michael Isikoff of Newsweek, reveal that the original leaker to Novak was actually a Bush administration insider who was opposed to the war in Iraq, but also suffered an irrepressible urge to gossip, then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
The reporting duo also reveal that when Armitage realized that he was the source of the leak, he came clean to Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Powell however, revealed the minimum amount of information possible to those outside the department. The State Department told the FBI of Armitage's role and informed the White House that they had given information to the FBI about the scandal, but nothing more.
The public learned nothing.
And as the investigation dragged on through 2004 and 2005, the Gallup Poll showed that a majority of Americans formed the opinion that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, was deliberately outed by the Bush administration as an effort to silence him and discredit his claim that intelligence was twisted to justify the war.
Reflecting that view, Wilson wrote, "The conspiracy to destroy us was most likely conceived - and carried out - within the office of the vice president."
All along, Secretary of State Colin Powell knew that the facts were more complicated, yet he said nothing. And he had rather unflattering reasons for silence.
At the time, the relatively dovish State Department and CIA were struggling with the office of the vice president and the secretary of Defense for the primary role in shaping Iraq and Middle East policy.
Every day that the vice president was smeared with the Plame allegations strengthened Powell's hand in the Bush administration's internal struggle.
None of this changes the fact that the public presentation of intelligence was shaped to fit the decision to invade Iraq.
Nor does it preclude the possibility that Bush administration officials went too far in trying to punish Wilson. However, the previously hidden role of Armitage does reveal that, in Washington, easy morality tales - where the good guys and bad guys come prepackaged and clearly labeled - are often myths.
He's not hurting for well-paid speaking engagements .. he needs to be FReeped.
http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=9932
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2006/08/21/daily39.html
THIS IS RICH FROM HIS AGENCY:
"Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust & Values
One of the 21st century's most fervent purveyors of democratic values, General Colin Powell understands the power of diplomacy and the universal human ideal of democracy to build trust and transform once-unstable regions into areas where societies and cultures prosper. As well, he understands that the power of persuasion, reason and building trust are immeasurably effective in getting governments to cooperate for the overall common good of their people and the rest of the world.
In a compelling presentation filled with humor and anecdotes from years of service at the highest levels of international affairs, Powell, former U.S. secretary of state, describes the delicate process of forging alliances, bringing people and countries together, and promoting universal human ideals of democracy and peace around the world."
http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/speakers/speaker.cfm?SpeakerID=974
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MUST WATCH: Powell will be on with CHRISSY MATTHEWS:
_ "9/11: The Day that Changed America" (Mon., Sept. 11 at 10 p.m.; MSNBC) finds Chris Matthews asking a number of prominent Americans _ including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Sen. Hillary Clinton and actor Samuel L. Jackson _ to recall the moment when they heard the dreadful news.
I'm loving this: his "authorized biography" is among some new books coming out soon. Ought to be a real interesting book tour. How could he not know that this would all come out: unless that's his plan .. his plan for grander things.
New books for fall:
NONFICTION
The Greatest Story Ever Sold, by Frank Rich (September): The New York Times columnist skewers the Bush administration's publicity campaigns, and the complacent media, up to and including Bob Woodward. And what about the Times' own Judith Miller?
Inside Bush's White House — Second Term, by Bob Woodward (October): The most baldly self-explanatory title of the season.
Soldier, by Karen de Young (October): The authorized biography of Colin Powell.
Wonder what Colin and Alma are talking about tonight.
No Republicans, I see.
Powell is obviously an elitist schemer with a penchant for betrayel. To think any us even thot of him as a presidential or VP candidate.
Oh .. you didn't get the memo? Republicans aren't good enough to be "prominent" Americans. Now you know .. Media101 concluded .. ;)
We may only hope that the Dems and MSM are held accountable.
This whole thing was about as transparent as a Dan Rather "Scoop". Wake up USA.
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I had the same reaction to this statement: "the possibility that Bush administration officials went too far in trying to punish Wilson."
The Bush admin NEVER DID ANYTHING TO WILSON - HE MADE IT ALL UP - HE'S THE LIAR LIAR LIAR - NOT BUSH!!
The drive-by are total idiots who swallowed what Wilson said because it fit their agenda of GET-Bush!
Jeesh .. this is laughable. The Slimes has to quickly change the story and resume dumping, now that they gave the perfunctory 2 mins. to the scandal that wasn't. What a disgusting lot.
Rove’s Word Is No Longer G.O.P. Gospel
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/washington/03rove.web.html?ei=5065&en=48bf4cd3aa79b4ea&ex=1157860800&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
That's news to me as well. Please ping me if you find any info that corroborates that. Thx
Forget Powell's "halo," whatever that is . . .
His carefully crafted image of integrity and honor has no remaining fig leaf to sustain the facade any longer.
C. Powell has been revealed as the disloyal charlatan that he is.
Influential conservative commentators have openly broken with the White House, calling into question the continued enthusiasm of evangelicals, economic conservatives and other groups that Mr. Rove has counted on to win elections. Some Republicans are ignoring Mr. Rove’s efforts to hold the party together on issues like immigration and Iraq.
Kind of vague, as expected from the Slimes. I missed where they cited all these "Influential conservative commentators."
Have long felt that Powell was compromised by the dark side--the globalist puppet masters.
"where the good guys and bad guys come prepackaged and clearly labeled - are often myths."More BS! There are bad guys, namely the left. I'm sick of this parity crap.
In this case the reference was to the "good guys" and "bad guys" as labelled by the DriveBy Media. That is, "Wilson good, Bush bad." Calling that a "myth" is the least you could say by way of condemnation.
Powell, the political general.
Had either man been plotting revenge on Wilson, that revenge would have been directed at HIM, not the wife, and would have been effective, not a lame comment dropped in a columnist's explanation, and not one which would have catapulted the Wilsons onto the speaking and cocktail circuit, along with book deals.
The Dems are just projecting. That's how they'd attack someone.
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