I don’t really blame Novak in all this. I read his original article and it was harmless enough. This whole episode shows the power of the Democratic attack machine. Valerie, left-wing kook in the CIA, recommends her husband for a politically sensitive mission. Someone in the CIA approves. (The identity of this someone remains a state secret.) Wilson goes to Niger, provides an oral report to the CIA, and does not sign a confidentiality agreement. He falsely tells the NYT that the President lied. Democrats call for impeachment. Novak asks who the heck hired this fruitcake. The answer comes back that it was his wife who works in the CIA. Novak reports. No one cares. A few months later Joe Wilson (coaxed by David Corn of the Nation magazine) yells “Bush outed my wife,” and calls for impeachment.
Questions remain. Who hired (on Valerie’s recommendation) Joe Wilson? Why didn’t the CIA require Wilson to sign a non-disclosure agreement? How left wing is the CIA? What role did they have in setting up this political game to get Cheney and Bush?
Novak did some innocent political reporting and we can see how risky that turned out to be. My concern is that the legal system, in concert with a one party mainstream media, hamstrings anyone who wants to tell the truth.
I would like to add that Novak repeatedly during the investigation went public with his position that it was long past due for the original leaker (Armitage) to come forward.
Novak knew that Armitage was acting like a mean-spirited and cowardly jerk and stated so publicly w/o revealing his name.
Novak also knew and disclosed that none of this “scandal” had any legs.
Whoever is employing Richard Armitage, I hope they go bankrupt. He is scum.