Posted on 08/18/2009 12:55:46 PM PDT by InvisibleChurch
>> IIRC, Novak was under order from prosecutor Fitzgerald to say nothing until the trial was over.
A few minutes’ research shows only conjecture to that effect — no proof (or even evidence).
Do you know of any?
You’ll not find the word ‘victim’ in my post.
The villains in this case are:
1) Armitage
2) Powell
3) Fitzgerald
4) Tie: Wilson & Plame
The rest were just doing their jobs. Libby stupidly lied to the FBI (but I’m not sure whether it was intentional or sloppy.)
IMO.
Here is his story published at the end of the Plame investigation.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15988
He did not reveal his source or talk about the case because of Fitzgerald. Also, that POS Armitage refused to let Novak identify him.
They both were responsible for having it published Vanity Fair, they bragged about her employment, then said some one outed’’ her. What creeps.
Post 4
I don’t think that was Novak’s doing, you can (IMO)lay that on Judith Miller (who probably knew who Plame was because Plame was her source), Matthew Cooper and possibly Tim Russert. The episode was manufactured by the press and the justice department aided and abetted them.
No, Valerie Plame wasn’t hurt by it. Neither was Richard Armitage [the source], nor his boss, Colon Powell [the grey eminence]. But “W” was, and I wonder if Noak thought at all of ‘Scooter’ Libby when he said that. I doubt it.
What Novak should have done is call Armitage and say "This thing is all out of hand and a false image is being put out by the dims, the lackey press and the lackey prosecutor. I'm going to straighten out the facts."
If Armitage objected, the response should have been "Screw you, Dick" and write the column the next day.
As for Bush, he bungled it from the start. He should have labeled Joe Wilson as an incompetent liar and made it clear that the "exposure" of Valerie Plame - from whatever source - didn't amount to a bucket of warm pee.
Instead, the dims and their lackeys were allowed to write the script and a totally innocent person was convicted of a crime over nothing.
Bob, maybe you didn’t hurt Plame but you left the Bush Administration hanging in the breeze for many months, knowing damned well what your colleagues were reporting were fabrications if not outright lies. You knew the political hay being made but stood mute. You did the country a great disservice and let a good man take your fall. I’m sure you are too busy explaining yourself right now to worry about what I write but your legacy is ashes with me.
I agree wth you and thats my opinion also
>> Here is his story published at the end of the Plame investigation.
Thanks for providing the link. I read it when it first came out, and I just read it again, start to finish.
Novak never claims Fitzgerald put a “gag order” or an official order on him of any kind. He says (more than once) that he decided ON HIS OWN that it was a personal hazard to talk, so he didn’t.
What I see from his explanation is a man who had no compunction about using confidential sources and leaks to write juicy columns to line his own pockets, but didn’t have the integrity and courage to call a halt to it when it got out of hand, because it might have been expensive and risky to HIMSELF. That’s in his OWN WORDS.
I stopped respecting Robert Novak during and after this affair. I can’t say I paid a whole lot of attention to him after all this came out, because he disgusted me. Kind of how I feel about Peggy Noonan and some of the other Beltway and New York conservative pundits.
But as another poster aptly put it, there’s more to life than politics. Rest in peace, Mr. Novak.
The entire Fitzgerald investigation was fraudulent.
Fitz knew the identity of the leaker from the very first day of his investigation. Armitage called him immediately and confessed it. He ordered Armitage and Powell to remain silent until he had completed his “investigation” (what exactly was he investigating if he already had the answer to the question?)
A year and a half later he jailed Libbey. He had tried to get Rove but settled for Libbey.
Armitage and Powell dishonored themselves by remaining quiet when it was obvious that they were going to bankrupt, crucify, and imprison an innocent man.
Novak also owed it to Libbey and his own honor to speak up while there was still time to help the man.
GW Bush owed it to him to set it right after the fact, and did not.
There is plenty of dishonor to go around, starting with Fitz and finishing with Powell and Armitage. What a disappointment Powell turned out to be.
Novak should have spoken out, whether Fitzgerald threatened him or not. But far more than that, Armitage should have spoken out immediately when Fitzgerald did not stop the investigation.
Fitzgerald knew from day one that the WH had not been involved in “outing” Plame, and that indeed, no law had been broken. The only reason was to further his career, making him the largest turd in the whole mess.
The media used this to distract from Wilson’s obvious lies in his Op-ed, and smear GWB. While it was under investigation, the WH couldn’t defend themselves.
RussP has this overview, it is a good read.
If you go to work every day at Langley, you are and have been self "outed".
>>> he left Scooter Libby out to dry and didn’t even have the decency to absolve him on the way out of town, <<<
Ain’t that the truth.
Thanks for the link; I skimmed it, and I might go back later and read more. To tell the truth, I’m sick of the whole Plame thing and just as soon see it laid to rest.
The whole thing is a grad-school course in how to botch an unfolding situation. I tend to agree with those that hold George Bush ultimately responsible — he could have fixed it pronto. The most generous thing I could say in his defense is that at that moment he was hoarding political capital for a greater purpose, which would be protecting our troops and winning in Iraq. But I honestly don’t know how a group of adults could screw something up so bad for so long.
IMHO, Bush had no way of ending it quickly. The screams of coverup would never have ended. I think he had no choice but to let it play out.
I am pleased that he commuted Libby’s sentence, and that the Supreme Court finally told Plame to take a hike.
Regardless, I’m with you, I’m glad its history.
My (totally unsupported by any facts) take was that he was having an affair with Judith Miller.
Think of The Band's "Long Black Veil".
I lost all respect for Novak after this thing played out but was sorry to learn of his brain cancer, announced last year. He'll be missed but not half as much as Tony Snow, another cancer victim who was an asset to the Bush administration in a way few other Bush insiders ever were.
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