"That's false. That's what the LSM would like you to believe."
I figured as much, probably just a desperate attempt to save his own skin. Of course, it only works when you trade up, and therefore Scooter Libby didn't have too many options...
There is no linkage in what Libby said about "leaks" and the plamegate story. None. It was reported by SS on FNC that there were no indications that the President "leaked" anything having to do with Plame.
If you read TSG, they don't say there is a link. Only a misleading headlien.
I believe he was authorized to leak some aspects of the intelligence estimate regarding Iraq. Plame and the CIA have nothing to do with the authorization. In any event, it seems that Plame's line of work was fairly well known in Washington.
I have just read the filings and the material is highly open to interpretation.
It appears that the NIE information is stuff that specifically contradicted the assertion in Wilson's cable. It appears to have nothing to do with releasing Plame's name (if indeed that is even remotely important anymore.) In fact, I would venture to say that if this was a Democratic president and a Republican field operative, the Democratic president would now be being praised for releasing information the public needed to know to make a decision.
If Bush/Cheney made any mistake, it was in not releasing more data and not going to the public more.
The MSM, however, will not spin it that way. And we will hear much about how the leak-stoppers were the hypocrites who were actually leaking.
I would watch Jon Stewart tonight to see what evil he will produce out of this non-story, but he does not come with own barf alert.
McVey
whose skin? Libby's?
Libby isn't charged with leaking Plame's name. no one is, no one will be, she was not covert, and most of the DC media knew who she was in any case - from her husband.