Was Valerie Plame Walter Pincus' Senior CIA Analyst Source?

Washington Post ^ | August 3, 2005 | Walter Pincus

[lugsoul]

As I've said at least fifty times before, I doubt there will be a prosecution. But, if he actually publishes his findings, they will be that - the information on Plame's employment was (a) classified and (b) was provided to Novak, Cooper and possibly others by persons within the Administration.

[lugsoul]

Thanks for the time management advice. I'm still pretty mystified that, on this story, everyone wants to believe everyone cryptic utterance from the MSM.

Guess it is just like a knife. Handle and a blade.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Why shuold he (the special prosecutor) present those "findings" (your pre-done, media-inspired, democrat-desired conclusions!) ?

Neither (a) nor (b) is anywhere close tot he truth: Wilson was the source, the leak, and the lies - telling many people whose combined knowledge went FROM the Washington media as he tried to sell his story, his influence, and (his future) jobs in a democrat White House to ANYBODY in DC who was willing to listen.

There is ONLY a democrat exaggeration and Hillary-Soros-ABBCCNNBCBS witchhunt going on. No WH involvement or crimes

[Steve_Seattle]

"In response to your other comments about Fitz, I have a hard time understanding how people could crow to high heaven that 'she wasn't covert' or 'she outed herself' without at least implying that he is an putz. Because, if there is a grain of truth to what they are saying, then he has spent time and resources on a two-year investigation of absolutely nothing."

This wouldn't be the first time that an investigation led to nothing that would support a criminal indictment or a successful prosecution, even if there remained unanswered questions. (For example, the special prosecutor who followed Kenneth Starr - I forget his name - thought he had a pretty good perjury case against Hillary Clinton, but declined to prosecute because he thought the public wanted to move on and he'd have trouble getting an unbiased jury because of the vicious and highly effective public campaign mounted against the prosecutor's office by the Clinton people.)

Fitzgerald was just accepting an assignment without prejudging the results; if he can't find convincing evidence of criminal conduct, that doesn't make him a putz. One reason that so many people here are getting on your case is that you seem absolutely convinced that a crime was committed, which in my opinion goes as much beyond the known evidence as a lot of the things you've criticized coming from others.

[STARWISE]

How impatiently do you think Porter Goss is pacing and looking at the ceiling, anticipating the end of Fitzgerald's investigation before he can sweep her out the door? Of what use could she be to the CIA with all this press and speculation, except that he has to remain neutral and not act until the investigation concludes? But, he must be grinding his teeth to fangs ..

And on another note about WMD in Iraq: if we had been 1000% certain there were no WMD, the command structure would NOT have ordered our poor troops to be outfitted in chemical suits and gas masks .. as was the case. You just don't do that in horrendous desert conditions for show.

[TheOtherOne]

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[Sam Hill]

"Of what use could she be to the CIA with all this press and speculation, except that he has to remain neutral and not act until the investigation concludes? But, he must be grinding his teeth to fangs .."

I wish that were so. But it's hard and rare to fire someone from any government job--let alone a sensitive one like at the CIA.

Of course if she turns out to have spoken to the media, etc., that's another story. hehe

"And on another note about WMD in Iraq: if we had been 1000% certain there were no WMD, the command structure would NOT have ordered our poor troops to be outfitted in chemical suits and gas masks .. as was the case. You just don't do that in horrendous desert conditions for show."

Wilson was certain. Valerie must have been certain. Nobody (in the MSM) ever notes that.

[lugsoul]

New York Post

July 29, 2004 -- DEMOCRAT John Kerry's campaign yesterday gave a ringing endorsement to Bush-bashing Ambassador Joe Wilson — even though a bipartisan Senate committee just found so many holes in his story that even his own wife won't back it up.

Wilson claimed President Bush lied about whether Saddam Hussein was seeking yellowcake uranium from Niger, and Wilson knew it because the CIA sent him there. The Senate report says, if anything, the truth is the opposite of what Wilson claimed.

But that doesn't seems to bother the Kerryites, who yesterday hailed Wilson's "integrity" and said he's still very much a part of the team that Kerry hopes will make him commander in chief. "Joe Wilson has served for many months as an informal adviser to the Kerry campaign and continues to do so," said Kerry foreign policy adviser Susan Rice.

[lugsoul]

Dang. You should just call up the SP and tell him what you know, so he can shut the whole thing down.

[nuffsenuff]

That's exactly what some liberals on another message board say over and over again.

[nuffsenuff]

lug...

What's your take on this?

Who do you think outed Valerie Plame and what do you think Fitzgerald is investigating?

[lugsoul]

You are deliberately missing a pretty basic point.

Whether her status is classified is a threshold inquiry. You don't conduct an arson investigation if there was never a fire.

Most folks here are saying there was never a fire.

[nuffsenuff]

Did you ever stop to consider that maybe Fitzgerald is investigating whether or not OTHER classified information was revealed during these conversations?

HMMM?

[Sam Hill]

So, still no cite for him campaigning for Kerry, huh? LOL

They pulled down his SITE! (At the same time they were giving him a ringing endoresement.)

[lugsoul]

Yep. Though probably different from whatever you have in mind.

[nuffsenuff]

So why do you use that tired old "If Plame wasn't covert, you should call up Fitzgerald and tell him to close up the investigation" crap?

[lugsoul]

http://www.azgop.org/press/releases.php/458

What's next?

[Montfort]

"Again, I truly doubt that many CIA analysts would risk their careers to talk to a reporter."

You are right that this narrows down the pool, because Plame might well be willing to take the "chance." Her hubby did not have to sign any nondisclosure agreement, which strongly suggests that this whole trip was set up by Plame's booses to undermine Bush. Under those circumstances, she could do pretty much whatever the hell she wants, and did.

[Montfort]

"Again, I truly doubt that many CIA analysts would risk their careers to talk to a reporter."

You are right that this narrows down the pool, because Plame might well be willing to take the "chance." Her hubby did not have to sign any nondisclosure agreement, which strongly suggests that this whole trip was set up by Plame's booses to undermine Bush. Under those circumstances, she could do pretty much whatever the hell she wants, and did.

[cyncooper]

Many of us feel that Miller was the conduit between those pushing the Plame/Wilson scam and the editors/publisher of the NY Slimes.

I just want to make it clear I am not one of that number. I do not think she played that role. I don't think Miller played a malicious role against the administration here. And obviously neither do some dems and lefty colleagues.