Mark Steyn: How a serial liar suckered Dems and the media

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 07/18/04 | Mark Steyn

[Bernard]

In a little-known aside, it was actually Pierre Salinger who first discovered Joe Wilson and made him a hero.

[gargoyle]

..."An ambassador is a good man sent abroad to spy for his country. An ambassador that comes home to spy on his country is a traitor"...TFTP!!!

[GretchenM]

Thanks for pinging me. =)

of Friday, Wilson's Web site, restorehonesty.com, was still wholly paid for by Kerry's presidential campaign.

I first read that as "Wilson's web site, RETROhonesty". Sounds like it could be a dem slogan: "We stand for retrohonesty. When it suits us."

[aruanan]

...all the other media bigwigs Joseph C. Wilson IV suckered have fallen silent on the subject of the white knight of integrity they've previously given....

I also thought the tense of "they've previously" was strained; I thought the past perfect would be better.

You're right. "they'd previously" would be better since there was, indeed, a point after which they ceased to give Wilson the "hold-the-front-page treatment," that point being when it became painfully evident to even his most firmly attached sycophants that he had lied and was continuing to do so. Their response was merely to fall silent.

[hattend]

BTTT

[auboy]

"He is a deeply evil human being willing to lie and obfuscate for temporary political gain"

Change to, "they are deeply evil human beings willing to lie and obfuscate for temporary political gain", and we have the essence of the Democrat Party and MSM.

[Rockpile]

In my humble opinion that I venture from out here in the sticks, Mark Steyn and everyone else are overlooking one possibility----that Wilson was bought by Saddam Hussein.

Iraq's connections in Niger may have put the Baathist's together with Wilson and KA-CHINGG!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Remember that Saddam had access to literally HUNDREDS of millions of dollars in CASH.

But perhaps Wilson has just too much integrity to be bribed.

[satchmodog9]

bump

[speekinout]

Turns out HE, himself, was the one who told Novak his wife was in the CIA.

That rumor has been around since the beginning. The story was that Wilson was fond of telling people at parties and other gatherings that his wife was a CIA operative.
Novak could have been at one of those gatherings, or almost anyone in DC could have told Novak about her job, and he might have pursued the story from that side. Novak might not be telling because he's protecting a source that he uses for entirely unrelated stories.

Anyway, her job was not a secret any more than is the fact that the Press is anti-Bush.

[Fintan]

I hope Mark Steyn is on President Bush's ping list.

 

Heck, I hope I'm on Dubya's ping list.

[okie01]

But perhaps Wilson has just too much integrity to be bribed.

You jest, of course.

But it is nonetheless worthwhile to speculate as to just whose payroll Wilson was actually on.

The DNC and Kerry Campaign are only the most obvious nominees.

You've suggested Saddam Hussein as another possibility.

Then, there are the Saudis -- with whom Wilson has very close fiduciary relations. He is on the board of their Middle East Institute (a common sinecure for the more corruptible State Dept retirees) and runs a "consulting service" out of the offices of the Rock Creek Corporation, which is a Saudi front.

Perhaps, we shouldn't discount al-Qaeda itself as a possible Wilson paymaster -- veiled by his Saudi contacts.

In any event, there is no reason to believe that Wilson has been pursuing the national interest of the United States at any time during the past two years. The only question is whose interest is he, in fact, most concerned with (aside from his own, of course).

[neverdem]

BTTT

[okie01]

Steyn on Joe Wilson ping.

[AmishDude]

I highly doubt Wilson himself was the leak. I do not believe that has been confirmed at all.

That is one source that Novak would not protect. It is much more likely that a low-level functionary in the administration -- maybe even a non-political appointee let Washington's worst-kept secret slip.

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks for the ping! I especially like Steyn's use of the word "incurious" (regarding Kerry), since that is one of the charges so often leveled against President Bush. Seems like a nice, pollite way to mash the faces of the left into their own excrement. And given Steyn's genius with the written word, the selection of that one was purely inspired!

[alwaysconservative]

Make that "uncurious", rather than "incurious". (Must...read...more...carefully.)

[Rockpile]

It would be nice to think that some competent fiduciary investigators are taking a hard look at Mr. Wilson but I would not want to bet on it.

Is it known who exactly sent him on to the Yellowcake Road? Not that he couldn't have bamboozled some otherwise honest superior who would have had no reason to distrust him.

An Al Qaeda connection could be possible I reckon but it just seems to me that his actions would have had more benefit to Saddam in trying to eliminate reasons for an American invasion. Didn't Wilson start to sing a new tune before the US attack on Saddam?

[Rummyfan]

Thanks Pokey for an excellent Steyn!

[MHGinTN]

If Wilson actually goes on Wolfie's show, Wolfie will shmooz him into greyout ... Blitzer loves his democrats too much to expose the deceits of Joe Wilson and his service to the democrat party lie campaign.

[No Longer Free State]

According to C-SPAN this morning, Yellowcake Joe is scheduled to be on Wolf Blitzer's Late Edition tomorrow (Sunday). Should/could be interesting.

Well, then, shouldn't we be stuffing Wolfy's inbox with copies of the report?