[Shermy]

Could Mr. Clarke be the guy who leaked the 'news' that Plame was a CIA operative to Novak?

I always considered the possibility that Novak was telling the truth that his first contact was not "partisan." If he lied about that, and the source came to fore, and he was partisan, Novak would look worse than he already does.

Here's Novak:

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20031001.shtml

"...During a long conversation with a senior administration official, I asked why Wilson was assigned the mission to Niger. He said Wilson had been sent by the CIA's counterproliferation section at the suggestion of one of its employees, his wife. It was an offhand revelation from this official, who is no partisan gunslinger. When I called another official for confirmation, he said: "Oh, you know about it." The published report that somebody in the White House failed to plant this story with six reporters and finally found me as a willing pawn is simply untrue. ..."

Certainly Richard Clarke could have fit the non-partisan description. At least then, maybe not anymore.

[GOPrincess]

Think you've got a very interesting theory re Clarke and Novak.

[Just mythoughts]

"...During a long conversation with a senior administration official,....."

Novak sure is an old sly fox if his intent was to out a "covered" agent, and pretend to not know that is what he did.

Why isn't he being charge with the outing since it was via his print that the name was outted????


I do not know who did the talking to Novak, but Clarke in his appearance and manner does not fit the type to quietly out someone in an offhanded manner.