One Leak and a Flood of Silliness (David Broder/Flying Pig Alert)

The Washington Post ^ | September 7, 2006 | David Broder

[abb]

onspiracy theories flourish in politics, and most of them have no more basis than spring training hopes for the Chicago Cubs.

Whenever things turn dicey for Republicans, they complain about the "liberal media" sabotaging them. And when Democrats get in a jam, they take up Hillary Clinton's warnings about a "vast right-wing conspiracy."

For much of the past five years, dark suspicions have been voiced about the Bush White House undermining its critics, and Karl Rove has been fingered as the chief culprit in this supposed plot to suppress the opposition.

Now at least one count in that indictment has been substantially weakened -- the charge that Rove masterminded a conspiracy to discredit Iraq intelligence critic Joseph Wilson by "outing" his CIA-operative wife, Valerie Plame.

- snip -

These and other publications owe Karl Rove an apology. And all of journalism needs to relearn the lesson: Can the conspiracy theories and stick to the facts.

[abb]

A day late and a dollar short, David...

[OldFriend]

Since it seems everyone in the media knew it was Richard Armitage why didn't they write about that from day one.

They wanted to use this lie to harm the President.

Writing now will not enhance our already low opinion of the MSM.

[boomop1]

Broder is a left wing hack pretending to be an intelligent moderate, an opportunist in fear of being ostracized.

[Suzy Quzy]

Newsweek called Rove the "one-man epicenter of evil"....that is one sick publication!!

[wouldntbprudent]

Broder, you will never get off the Doo-Doo List. Too late, too much harm to our country in a time of war. All over a POS like Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame.

You should be ashamed of your profession and realize nothing can restore its reputation.

[wouldntbprudent]

True, but if he's accurate that he declined to join in on the feeding frenzy, I have to give him minor points for that.

Also it's delicious that Blumenthal just came out with a book, right in time for it to get smackdowned by some Inconvenient Facts.

[Senator Goldwater]

"Whenever things turn dicey for Republicans, they complain about the "liberal media" sabotaging them"

If Broder believes the content of this own column, then he needs to drop the quotation marks around liberal media.

[Roberts]

Ah, the scramble begins to NOT be lumped in with the hysterical, loony left.

[Anti-Bubba182]

"A day late and a dollar short, David..."

You said it! He did not want to:

"I have written almost nothing about the Wilson-Plame case, because it seemed overblown to me from the start. "

Broder is one of the most famous and respected columnists in the country. One reason for this is that he does not jump into hot issues but holds himself above the fray to offer some high sounding bloviations at a later time. I would like to see him write with a smoking pen and a bit of passion. I might believe him then.

[aculeus]

And in the American Prospect's cover story for August 2005, Joe Conason wrote that Rove "is a powerful bully. Fear of retribution has stifled those who might have revealed his secrets. He has enjoyed the impunity of a malefactor who could always claim, however implausibly, deniability -- until now."

These and other publications owe Karl Rove an apology. And all of journalism needs to relearn the lesson: Can the conspiracy theories and stick to the facts.

Broder claims not to have gotten on the Bash Bush-Rove train. Why doubt him?

[Stingray51]

Ah, but Broder and the Libs' real agenda here is to support Powell, Armitage and the anti-Bush / McCain / Democrat-accomdationist wing of the GOP. Personally, I really doubt that a guy as smart as Armitage leaked a classified memorandum to at least three people (Novak, Woodward and another, unnamed reporter) by mistake. I believe he did it very intentionally in order to bolster Powell's decision to rely on the Niger-Yellowcake story to UN Security Council. If what Wilson was claiming was true (ironically, it turned out not to be), then Powell made a big mistake. So Powell's boys simultaneously went after Wilson and Tenet (who had told him the intelligence was a lock or no-brainer or something to that effect).

[gogeo]

If Broder believes the content of this own column, then he needs to drop the quotation marks around liberal media.

Exactly. I don't consider Sid Vicious or Joe "The Clown" Conason as "media;" Broder says they are. How, then, does he not recognize that there's bias?

[misterrob]

I say, "good for him". He's pointing out the bogus journalism and lack of professional standards shown by reporters and columnists alike. That Karl Rove is deserving of an apology is nothing new to us but perhaps the clueless middle of the road people out there need to hear it from a source they don't consider to be in the Republican's back pocket.

[Hildy]

The person I most blame is Robert Novak. He watched this whole thing play out, innocent people getting hurt and did NOTHING. SAID NOTHING. Why? 100 to 1 there's a book coming out soon. Are there any good people left?

[hipaatwo]

Does this editorial count as a Scooter Ping? If so Ping! LOL

[TChad]

So Powell's boys simultaneously went after Wilson and Tenet (who had told him the intelligence was a lock or no-brainer or something to that effect).

It was "slam dunk".