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You are living and dying with Novak and his confidential CIA source. The "CIA" didn't tacitly give the go-ahead to use the name. One guy at the CIA who was talking to Novak on the sly did, if you believe Novak's version. And the CIA has officially denied that "Mrs. Wilson" set up the trip - she was the conduit for contacting him after the decision to use him was made. You should use a little more caution in buying the most favorable spin. For example, I've heard Wilson (Mr.) referred to as a "Clinton appointee" several times. It is true that he worked under the Clinton admin. But we know who first appointed him to the diplomatic corps, don't we? 41.

But we know who first appointed him to the diplomatic corps, don't we? 41.

Actually, he is a Carter appointee not a Bush 41 appointee.

http://www.mideasti.org/html/bio-wilson.html

Ambassador Wilson was a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Service from 1976 until 1998. His early assignments included Niamey, Niger, 1976-1978; Lome, Togo, 1978-79; the State Department Bureau of African Affairs, 1979-1981; and Pretoria, South Africa, 1981-1982.

In 1982, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission in Bujumbura, Burundi. In 1985-1986, he served in the offices of Senator Albert Gore and the House Majority Whip, Representative Thomas Foley, as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brazzaville, Congo, 1986-88, prior to his assignment to Baghdad.

You should use a little more caution in buying the most favorable spin.

Well, I'm not sure what you are talking about here.

» That Novak has an established reputation as an honest reporter/commentator isn't spin.
»Accepting Mr. Novak's statements as they are isn't spin.

»Reading more into Mr. Novak's statements is spin.
»Accusing Mr. Novak of trying to get himself off the hook is spin.
»Stating that Mr. Wilson was appointed by Bush 41, when, in fact, was appointed by President Carter is not only spin (actually spin from Mr. Wilson himself last night on Paula Zahn), but factually incorrect.
» Not providing ample time for the facts to become clear is premature.

What a joke. YOU are the one who said the CIA "tacitly" gave the go-ahead to release her name. Not only is that silly, it is flat-out untrue. And you base it entirely upon a so-called "confidential" source. Spin, spin, spin. We'll talk about this when the facts so many want to run from are front and center.

This much can't be disputed, even if you believe Novak: The CIA didn't want her name and affiliation with them released. "Senior administration officials" told Novak that Plame worked for the CIA. If Novak didn't know it already, then "everybody in Washington" most certainly didn't - Novak would certainly know something like that if it were common knowledge. White House counsel says she was an "undercover CIA agent." Even though the CIA didn't want her named, "senior administration officials" outed her as CIA and Novak named her. Facts, not spin.