Posted on 04/13/2005 10:49:09 AM PDT by Shermy
WASHINGTON, April 12 - Everybody in Washington knows that members of Congress cannot keep secrets. Now two of them are facing questions about whether they inadvertently blew a C.I.A. officer's cover.
John R. Bolton, President Bush's nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, delicately referred to the undercover officer as "Mr. Smith" at his confirmation hearing on Monday. Mr. Bolton, an under secretary of state, was trying to fend off accusations from Democrats that he had tried to get intelligence analysts reassigned because they disagreed with him.
One of those about whom that charge was raised now holds an undercover assignment, although at the time of the dispute he did not.
"We referred to this other analyst at the C.I.A., whom I'll try and call Mr. Smith here," Mr. Bolton said. "I hope I can keep that straight."
Mr. Bolton could. But two senators - Richard G. Lugar, the Indiana Republican and committee chairman, and John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat - apparently could not. Both identified the analyst, Fulton T. Armstrong, in the hearing.
Though Mr. Armstrong had been identified in news reports two years ago about his dispute with other officials over intelligence involving Cuba, that was when he was the national intelligence officer for Latin America, and his name was no secret. When the Bolton nomination resurrected the old accounts, however, the C.I.A. asked news organizations to withhold his name.
On Monday, Mr. Lugar announced that aides on the Foreign Relations committee had interviewed Mr. Armstrong. Later, Mr. Kerry mentioned him by name while questioning Mr. Bolton. The hearings were televised, and transcripts were widely published. On Tuesday morning, The Associated Press mentioned the disclosure and identified Mr. Armstrong.
"Did Otto Reich share his belief that Fulton Armstrong should be removed for his position?" Mr. Kerry said during the hearing on Monday, reading from committee records of interviews its staff had conducted. "The answer is yes."
Mr. Bolton was not ruffled. "As I said," he replied, sticking to the alias, "I had lost confidence in Mr. Smith, and I conveyed that."
At a time when a special prosecutor is investigating how the identity of another undercover C.I.A. officer, Valerie Plame, was leaked to the press, the disclosure of Mr. Armstrong's name did not go unnoticed by reporters on Capitol Hill. Asked about it on Tuesday, Mr. Lugar said simply, "No comment."
Mr. Kerry defended himself. "Senator Lugar had already mentioned it," he said, "and it had already been in the press."
Before I even clicked on this, I knew they'd mention Lugar before mentioning Kerry. The NYT is so predictable.
I like how the guy who supposedly lacks judgement made Kerry look like a damned fool.
Hmmmmmmm, so two wrongs make a right eh gigilo?
Kerry's explanation reminds me of his ski accident - blaming his security.
Kerry can't make that an excuse because all of the other times that he (Kerry) talked about him, it was as Mr. Smith--therefore, Mr. Kerry KNEW the name was supposed to be kept secret.
Also, when Lugar mentioned the name, it was only the last name in a long list of names at the beginning of the hearing when he was listing the people that were going to tesify or had already been interviewed. Thus, no one could, at that time, listen to any name and place it as an undercover agent....
Kerry is screwed on this one, but, as we know from the campaign, it won't matter---none of the despicable, unethical, and even unlawful things he has ever done has been punished----
This country is turning wimpy----
I bet an article in which a Republican let a name slip would not have started out with that sentence.....
Perhaps it was because Lugar said it first. Or would that be too logical?
To me, this seemed like a fair report from the Slimes.
My disgust stems from the fact that, yet again, when a Dem slips up royally, that CAN'T just be it. It's probably my imagination, but it always seems like when there's some serious "gold dirt" on a Democrat, that a Republican is right there with him getting just as glitteringly dirty.
Especially maddening is that at this time, this could've been perfect ammo to finally drive a steak into the heart of the beast known as JFKerry. Now, anytime this is brought up as criticism against Kerry, all any apologist of his has to do is say "Lugar!".
I really don't like stalemates.
< sigh >
"Also, when Lugar mentioned the name, it was only the last name in a long list of names at the beginning of the hearing when he was listing the people that were going to tesify or had already been interviewed."
If so the MSM has been careful not to explain that in order to make Kerry look not so bad.
Kerry is a damn fool....he doesn't need any help from anyone.
The NYT? They listed a Republican first to immunize the democrat.
Yeah, you would think that. But if I was the gal's editor and she mentioned the second disclosure first, I'd dang sure want to know why.
CNN was constantly referring to this as an "accident" yesterday. They must have gotten the DNC fax.
Sen. Kerry was one of the Senators that Ollie North had to lie to so that Americans supporting the Contras wouldn't get killed because he'd blab to his pal Ortega.
Nothing is EVER done unintentionally by the RATS...never!!
Nobody, neither John Kerry nor anyone else, gets to act as his own personal declassification authority. "Someone else said it first" is no excuse.
" Mr. Kerry defended himself. "Senator Lugar had already mentioned it," he said, "and it had already been in the press." "
Just passing the buck...[/rolling eyes
What a tool Kerry is...
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