Envoy had been a target [CIA Plame probe]

New York Newsday ^ | 3/6/04 | Tom Brune

[Gothmog]

"A transcript subpoenaed in the CIA leak probe reveals the White House press operation began efforts to personally discredit former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV days before a columnist blew the cover of his CIA-officer wife."

Excerpt

"In the subpoenaed July 12 transcript of a briefing in Nigeria, then-press secretary Ari Fleischer called Wilson a 'lower-level official' and said Wilson had made flawed and incomplete statements."

Excerpt

NBC's Andrea Mitchell "Andrea Mitchell, appears to have several connections of interest.

"On July 6, she interviewed Wilson about his trip to Niger, and two days later she reported officials tried to cast Wilson as a Democratic 'partisan.'"

"And on July 16, her husband, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, was honored at a White House reception held to celebrate former President Gerald Ford's 90th birthday."

Excerpted

[Gothmog]

Somewhat intriguing article for those intererested in this fiasco. But, the article is somewhat misleading for the general public who might not be following this.

Brune claims that efforts to discredit Wilson began before Novak's column -- but -- he cites no evidence any of those efforts by the WH included information that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.

"

[Gothmog]

This might answer some of you questions about the Plame probe subpoenas better than I can

[Gothmog]

The New York Times (3/6) repeats many of the details from yesterday's Newsday article, but also includes this:

"Some lawyers involved in the case said on Friday that the request for additional documents may also indicate that, at least as of late January, prosecutors had not obtained concrete evidence that clearly identified who provided Ms. Plame's name to Mr. Novak. Otherwise, the lawyers said, prosecutors might not have needed to summon witnesses who were known to have testified before the grand jury in February."

Excerpted

"But the precise significance of the subpoenas remains unclear. Of five lawyers interviewed this week about the case, none said that they understood the overall status of the investigation or whether the prosecutors had a working theory of how Mr. Novak had obtained Ms. Plame's name.

"The lawyers said that they believed, however, that the prosecutors were nearing a turning point when they would decide whether to charge anyone with a crime or drop the case."

[NutmegDevil]

Well - certainly no bias in that Andrea Mitchell as we Imus in the Morning fans know - Crazy Al's wife is a real straight shooting journalist - NOT!

[Montfort]

She is martied to the most powerful man in America, perhaps in the world.

His recent statements about social security could easily be twisted and used against Bush to defeat him.

[NutmegDevil]

Crazy Al's remarks on reducing Social Security benefits to allow continuation of the Bush Tax Cuts made Paul Krugman (the New York Times normally thoughtful, former consultant to Enron, commentator on anti-Bush social & economics issues) go ballistic against Andrea Mitchell's bathed & puckered better half.

John F'ing Larry voted for reducing SS benefits through increasing the "normal" full retirement age from 65 to 67, so he could be relied on to either be for or against another reduction in benefits.

I don't believe Al's comments will cause any actions in a bi-enniel political season.

[cyncooper]

Thank you. I read the article.

I see they are mixing up two issues and trying to make them interchangeable.

It is no surprise the WH would point out Wilson's obvious animous to the administration once he wrote his piece in the NY Times. After all, he wrote an anti-war column on the eve of war in The Nation, for God's sake. It is not criminal to point out Wilson's sympathies, and they would be idiots not to direct reporters' attention to it.

Then Newsday tries to insinuate that since they pointed out Wilson made flawed and incomplete public statements (and there can be no dispute about that, although sympathetic press tries to ignore it), ergo they are the ones to "leak" Plame's name in order to undermine Wilson. Stuff and nonsense. Mitchell and the other journalist contacts, as even this article documents (though they try to imply something sinister) with the WH commenting on Plame came AFTER the Novak and original Newsday pieces revealing the relationship.

I see Andrea Mitchell also says after she interviewed Wilson on July 6 the administration tried to paint Wilson as a democratic partisan. Well, he IS a democratic partisan. That is not the same as "leaking" Plame's name, but Newsday is stirring stirring stirring and hoping we mix it all up in one big mish mash and make one the same as the other. It's not.

[cyncooper]

Brune claims that efforts to discredit Wilson began before Novak's column -- but -- he cites no evidence any of those efforts by the WH included information that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.

Exactly. The Bush administration be fools not to point out that Wilson is not credible and was misrepresenting his trip, who knew what, what they "did" with what they "knew" (which in reality was nothing) and so on. Brune tries to equate that with the Plame name leak. Deceitful "reporting" to say the least.

[cyncooper]

PING and if you have a list of others following the Wilson/Plame intrigue you may want to alert them to the latest.

[cyncooper]

"The Bush administration be fools"

LOL

Should read: "The Bush administration WOULD be fools"

[Shermy]

I sense Newsday is in disinformation mode. Check out the subpoena list Newsday and Pincus are on it!!!

No where does this article say anyone leaked Plame's name. They want to say so, this is the best they can do...

"For example, Time Magazine reported three days after Novak's column that unnamed administration officials had described Plame's relationship to Wilson and suggested she had gotten him the mission.

This is meaningless. Three days after? One day after Newsday itself reported it!

As for being "partisan", well naturally, he's a Kerry operative>

Here's the most specious Newsday statement:

The efforts to discredit Wilson came after he went public July 6 with criticism of President George W. Bush for mentioning the uranium rumor in January 2003 in his State of the Union address which helped make a case for the Iraq war.

What Uranium rumor? Bush said British intel from "Africa" explicitly avoiding that Niger memo issue. The famous "sixteen words." Wilson deftly spun around this inferring some previous State Department memo mentioned "Niger", therefore it had to be the famous fake memo. This writer knows well what he's spinning, and he's deft, avoiding the "Africa" word.

[Shermy]

Ping.

[Shermy]

Meanwhile, many of the journalists on the subpoena's list have reported various attempts by the Bush administration last year to discredit Wilson by suggesting his wife arranged for the CIA to send him to Niger.

For example, Time Magazine reported three days after Novak's column that unnamed administration officials had described Plame's relationship to Wilson and suggested she had gotten him the mission.

BTW, cutting through the rhetoric, how is anything said here "discrediting" Wilson?

Hey, a Freeper is on the subpoena list!!!

"Jeff Gannon, Talon News"

[Dog]

Walter Pincus is on the subpoena list?

Get the hell out.....for real?

[Just mythoughts]

"Exactly. The Bush administration be fools not to point out that Wilson is not credible and was misrepresenting his trip, who knew what, what they "did" with what they "knew" (which in reality was nothing) and so on. Brune tries to equate that with the Plame name leak. Deceitful "reporting" to say the least."

Who sent him to Africa is left totally out of this story.

Looks like they plan to leave nothing to chance that this was a plot to out. Surely old Joe and his wife have been questioned about what they know.

Somebody sure wants this story to stay alive, even though there is really nothing to report. That being the case is it in "CODE"?

[Shermy]

Yes, on the list. I'm hoping they aren't just going after "administration" contacts, but "intel" ones too. The extreme spinning of this Newsday article could be a fearful response. Notice the absence of discussion about the target Newsday article, for one.

BTW, How come this was leaked to the CIA leak preferred paper Newsday???

List:

Robert Novak, "Crossfire," "Capital Gang" and the Chicago Sun-Times

Knut Royce and Timothy M. Phelps, Newsday

Walter Pincus, Richard Leiby, Mike Allen, Dana Priest and Glenn Kessler, The Washington Post

Matthew Cooper, John Dickerson, Massimo Calabresi, Michael Duffy and James Carney, Time magazine

Evan Thomas, Newsweek

Andrea Mitchell, "Meet the Press," NBC

Chris Matthews, "Hardball,"

MSNBC

Tim Russert, Campbell Brown, NBC

Nicholas D. Kristof, David E. Sanger and Judith Miller, The New York Times

Greg Hitt and Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journal

John Solomon, The Associated Press

Jeff Gannon, Talon News

[Jeff Gannon]

Imagine that!

[cyncooper]

I so want to ask you what you know and think about this, but don't want you to compromise anything.

[Jeff Gannon]

On the advice of counsel, I cannot comment on this matter. But thanks for asking!

[mrustow]

Congrats on your subpoena! You're in the big-time now!