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Woodward Apologizes to Post for Withholding Knowledge of Plame
Washington Post ^ | November 16, 2005; 1:18 PM | Howard Kurtz

Posted on 11/16/2005 12:27:27 PM PST by NewMediaFan

Bob Woodward apologized today to The Washington Post's executive editor for failing to tell him for more than two years that a senior Bush administration official had told him about CIA operative Valerie Plame, even as an investigation of those leaks mushroomed into a national scandal.

Woodward, an assistant managing editor and best-selling author, said he told Leonard Downie Jr. that he held back the information because he was worried about being subpoenaed by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the special counsel in the case.

"I apologized because I should have told him about this much sooner," Woodward said in an interview. "I explained in detail that I was trying to protect my sources. That's Job No. 1 in a case like this. . . .

"I hunkered down. I'm in the habit of keeping secrets. I didn't want anything out there that was going to get me subpoenaed."

Downie, who was informed by Woodward late last month, said in a separate interview that his most famous employee had "made a mistake." Despite Woodward's concerns about his confidential sources, Downie said, "he still should have come forward, which he now admits. We should have had that conversation . . . I'm concerned that people will get a misimpression about Bob's value to the newspaper and our readers because of this one instance in which he should have told us sooner."...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: apology; bobwoodward; cialeak; leonarddownie; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; patrickjfitzgerald; plame; valerieplame; woodward; wp
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1 posted on 11/16/2005 12:27:28 PM PST by NewMediaFan
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To: NewMediaFan

Something smells funny here


2 posted on 11/16/2005 12:29:37 PM PST by txroadhawg ("Stuck on stupid? I invented stupid! " Al Gore)
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To: NewMediaFan

I'm sorry - that's it? What about Scooter?


3 posted on 11/16/2005 12:29:57 PM PST by LYSandra
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To: NewMediaFan

he was worried about being subpoenaed by Patrick J. Fitzgerald-- how nice.

Is this the dude that speaks about 10 words per minute?


4 posted on 11/16/2005 12:31:51 PM PST by petercooper (I was misled. I actually voted for war, before I wanted to vote against it with 20/20 hindsight.)
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To: All

Will someone please take a minute to enlighten me?

With all the facts, and accusations and contradictory information out there, color me confused.

Is this revelation a good, or bad thing?


5 posted on 11/16/2005 12:32:16 PM PST by Armedanddangerous (Big people are harder to kidnap!)
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To: LYSandra

damage has been done, that was the real agenda


6 posted on 11/16/2005 12:33:49 PM PST by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: NewMediaFan

Maybe Woodward should apologize to the various people who went through the Grand Jury investigation. His timely testimony might have saved people some grief. Maybe even an indictment or two.


7 posted on 11/16/2005 12:36:32 PM PST by popdonnelly
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To: NewMediaFan

Clarification needed. Wash Post requires all reporters to declare all sources to superiors?


8 posted on 11/16/2005 12:37:05 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Armedanddangerous
Will someone please take a minute to enlighten me? With all the facts, and accusations and contradictory information out there, color me confused. Is this revelation a good, or bad thing?

Me too, it is so confusing. BUT one thing that comes to my mind - Woodward would like a re-run of WATERGATE!!

9 posted on 11/16/2005 12:37:32 PM PST by p23185 (Why isn't attempting to take down a sitting Pres & his Admin considered Sedition?)
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To: Armedanddangerous

all you need to know is this - the media people involved in this can say anything they want to the GJ and investigators, get the prosecutor to accept whater confidentiality agreements they dream up, without fear. and Libby is the guy holding an indictment.


10 posted on 11/16/2005 12:38:04 PM PST by oceanview
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To: Shermy

I believe in this case, the editor specifically asked the reporters to reveal if anyone knew anything about Plame.


11 posted on 11/16/2005 12:39:01 PM PST by oceanview
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To: NewMediaFan
Rove's attorney has stated that Rove never spoke to Woodward so it appears that Rove is still just "under investigation". Powell?
12 posted on 11/16/2005 12:39:23 PM PST by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: NewMediaFan

"He said he had "pushed" his other administration source, without success, to allow him to discuss that person's identity, but that the source has insisted that the waiver applies only to Woodward's testimony."

So did Woodward testify about this source? Is it the same as Novak's?


13 posted on 11/16/2005 12:39:33 PM PST by Shermy
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To: txroadhawg
Something smells funny here

That's just his 'source', Deep S#!t.

14 posted on 11/16/2005 12:39:58 PM PST by michigander (The Constitution only guarantees the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.)
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To: NewMediaFan

Sounds like Woodward will soon be joining Judy Miller in exile.


15 posted on 11/16/2005 12:40:00 PM PST by Wild Irish Rogue
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To: petercooper

He was worried about being subpoenaed but then ended up getting subpoenaed anyway? Why now and not before? Did he get religion in the meantime and decide he better talk to the SP?


16 posted on 11/16/2005 12:40:19 PM PST by babaloo
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To: oceanview

Bump. The MSM has a license to lie and the Republicans are about to give them a get out of jail free card to keep it up with impunity.


17 posted on 11/16/2005 12:40:27 PM PST by Cautor
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To: txroadhawg
Where's Bob Woodward been?

Planet Mars?

18 posted on 11/16/2005 12:40:55 PM PST by pointsal
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To: oceanview
Yep, that's what they said a while back ... they asked all WaPo people to reveal what they knew. Deep dodo for ex-star reporter. I suspect we don't know the half of it about the MSM involvement in this trumped up phony affair.
19 posted on 11/16/2005 12:41:37 PM PST by Tarpon
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To: oceanview

"I believe in this case, the editor specifically asked the reporters to reveal if anyone knew anything about Plame."

The chances Pincus' wife didn't tell him about Plame are about as good as Wilson's wife not telling him about the Niger docs.


20 posted on 11/16/2005 12:42:28 PM PST by Shermy
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