Posted on 08/17/2004 8:57:33 AM PDT by piasa
"I wonder if Novak's source was a liberal though. I can't imagine people being fined or going to jail to protect a Republican."
Don't know for sure. I hate to say this, but the press just might be operating on principle here (gag) and would protect their own turf no matter who the 'source' was.
When the writer, is a political coverage operative, every word has meaning, regardless of your refusal to see exactly what is written before you.
However, given Gertz's column, it appears that this investigation is no longer about prosecuting someone for leaking Plames identity, but about trying to Frame someone, for leaking Plames id.
In the end you will see some manner of malfeasence charge.
Makes sense to me. Wouldn't be surprised if that's the direction the investigation is going--as opposed to another theory I've seen that they're trying to frame someone.
Wilson might have blabbed about his wife's identity in the past - and that might be why her identity was so well-known - but he clearly is not the one who leaked to Novak. However, it's quite possible that he got in on the act somewhere early on after Novak's story broke and - perhaps in cahoots with other reporters - tried to fabricate a scandal.
Related threads:
Court Holds Reporter in Contempt in Leak Case (WILSON/PLAME) 8/9/04
Russert (sic) Held in Contempt in CIA Leak Case 8/9/04
Reporter Held in Contempt in CIA Leak Case (Plame) 8/9/04
Judge Upholds Media Subpoenas in CIA Leak Case (PLAME/WILSON) 8/9/04
Also, regarding the TIME mag reporter, Matt Cooper. He is married to clintonista Mandy Grunewald.
Hardly the person a Republican would go leaking to.
Not that I ever bought the "leak" story in the first place, as represented by the LSM and the odious Wilson.
No. There has been no official statement as to her status. It is not a dumb question.
Evidence points to her not being undercover for many years (there is evidence she was at one time, years ago, well before the law in question would cover).
No, it is not just the fine. The order is on hold while TIME appeals. From the above link:
The judge's opinion, reached July 20 but not released until yesterday, will be immediately appealed, Time executives said. Hogan also issued an Aug. 6 order confining Cooper "at a suitable place until such time as he is willing to comply with the grand jury subpoena," and ordered Time to be fined $1,000 a day. The fine was also stayed while the magazine's expedited appeal is considered.
Or as our gal Val likes to call it, the "crazy" (her charming and professional word) yellowcake story.
But the CIA front company was revealed when her name went public as a rumored CIA operative... because once her name was associated with the CIA as a spook, there was incentive to look into her background to find any links to other people or entities which would then be considered to have connections to the CIA. Anyone looking up her name could find she worked for the company because she listed it when she made campaign donations to Hillary - what was it- Brewster Jennings? Now it would be assumed that Brewster was a front- hence the real damage wasn't done to her but to others who may have 'worked' for Brewster.
The way lefties, Dem'Rats, and other psychos operate, this makes as much sense as anything else. Besides, Novak apparently wasn't the first journalist to mention this publicly. Outing her wouldn't jeopardize her career, since she wasn't really so deeply-covered that nobody knew, plus she would be given another assignment to continue her career in. But, more importantly, it would give the psycho Wilson and the shameless Dem'Rats something else to attack Bush with. Sort of along the same lines as the theory that Kerry's people leaked the Berger investigation to the AP reporter who broke it.
is Abu Ghraib or Gitmo available for him?
Not neccessarily.... it was the claim that she was CIA that triggered the investigation, not her name that is of interest to investogators. There must be an investigation even if she wasn't undercover or even if she had no involvement with the CIA at all.
The reason?
Well, if there are only investigations when a real operative is named, then it would be to a hostile power's or nosy presstitute's interests to name virtually anyone and EVERYONE in press reports, and then by a process of elimination find out who is a CIA operative simply be noting which people's "outing' triggers investigations.
It's not Plame's ID which is the problem- she was considered outed when a spy was nailed some years ago- which is why she worked at Langley and not int the field. The problem is that a front company has been [allegedly] exposed, and with it, everyone who ever used it as their cover.
One was Greg Thielman, who came out against Powell. Whether he would know Plame's status or not I don't know, since he was State Dept.
Another was Ray McGovern, former intel guy and head of a group of "former intel people" which has been playing a role in the anti-war rants we've all heard. It's probable he would be one who would know Plame's status.
Another was Beers...
And still another was Richard Clarke.
They all have John Kerry in common.
Not to mention there was a simultaneous attack on Tony Blair in the UK, and Howard in Australia by similar "whistleblowers." On Berlusconi, too, I think.
I wonder if we'd find Soros behind all this?
He's the one name that comes to mind, in this era (Previously I would have suspected the Dirty Tricks Department of the KGB).
Who do you think is behind this ?
White House Intelligence Leak?
Austin, Tex.: Mr. Pincus,
The story in the Post said that it was high-level White House officials that leaked to the media. Based on folks you have spoken with, do you have any thoughts as to who they might be? Also, any insights as to why they thought they could get away with this.
Thank you.
Walter Pincus: I would not speculate as to who may be involved.
I can say the reason for putting out the story out about Wilson's wife working at the CIA was to undermine the credibility of his mission for the agency in Niger. Wilson, as the last top diplomat in Iraq at the time of the Gulf War, had credibility beyond his knowledge of Africa, which was his specialty. SO his going to Niger to check the allegation that Iraq had sought uranium there and returning to say that he could find no confirmation was consdered very credible. WIth Richard Leiby, I had written a story about Wilson, icnluding quites [quotes] from him that was published in The Post on July 6, the same day his own op-ed appeared in the New York Times.
He was then being interviewed having come forward by name, I and others had published his story without naming him weeks earlier. Whoever leaked his name was attempting to say that his trip was not really officially, just generated by his wife.
Ironically, there was no reason in leaking that story to give out her name or to publish it.
Do you (or anyone on the thread) have a source for that information?--very interesting.
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