Posted on 07/05/2005 2:21:05 PM PDT by rface
A man who taught with Karl Rove, and considers him a friend, writes that in the Valerie Plame case, Rove is using journalists, and the First Amendment, "to operate without constraint, or to camouflage breaking the law." That's why neither reporters Cooper and Miller, nor their publications, should protect the behavior of Rove (or anyone else) "through an undiscerning, blanket use of the First Amendment that weaken its protections by its gross misuse."
(July 05, 2005) -- In 99.9 percent of cases I know, journalists must not break the bonds of appropriate confidentiality, to protect their ability to report, and to defend the First Amendment. I’ve testified in court to that end, and would do so again.
But the Valerie Plame-CIA case that threatens jail time for reporters from Time and The New York Times this week is the exception that shatters the rule. In this case, journalists as a community have been played for patsies by the president’s chief strategist, Karl Rove, and are enabling him to abuse the First Amendment, by their invoking it.
To understand why this case is exceptional, one must grasp the extent of Rove’s political mastery, which became clearer to me by working with him. When we taught "Politics and the Press" together at The University of Texas at Austin seven years ago, Rove showed an amazing disdain for Texas political reporters. At the same time, he actively cultivated national reporters who could help him promote a Bush presidency.
In teaching with him, I learned Rove assumes command over any political enterprise he engages. He insists on absolute discipline from staff: nothing escapes him; no one who works with him moves without his direction. In Texas, though he was called "the prime minister" to Gov. George W. Bush, it might have been "Lord," as in the divine, for when it came to politics and policy, it was Rove who gave, and Rove who took away.
Little has changed since the Bush presidency; all roads still lead to Rove.
Consequently, when former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson challenged President Bush’s lie that Saddam Hussein imported yellow-cake uranium from Niger to produce nuclear weapons, retaliation by Rove was never in doubt. While it is reporters Matthew Cooper of Time and Judith Miller of The New York Times who now face jail time, the retaliation came through Rove-uber-outlet Robert Novak, who blew the cover of Wilson’s wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame.
The problem, as always, in dealing with Rove, is establishing a clear chain of culpability. Rove once described himself as a die-hard Nixonite; he is, like the former president, both student and master of plausible deniability. (This past weekend, in confirming that Rove was indeed a source for Matthew Cooper, Rove's lawyer said his client "never knowingly disclosed classified information.") That is precisely why prosecutor Fitzgerald in this case must document the pattern of Rove’s behavior, whether journalists published, or not.
For in this case, Rove, improving on Macchiavelli, has bet that reporters won’t rat their relationship with the administration’s most important political source. How better for him to operate without constraint, or to camouflage breaking the law, than under the cover of journalists and journalism, protected by the First Amendment?
Karl Rove is in my experience with him the brightest and most affable of companions; perhaps I have been coopted, for I genuinely treasure his friendship. But neither charm nor political power should be permitted to subvert the First Amendment, which is intended to insure that reporters and citizens burrow fully and publicly into government, not insulate its players from felony, or reality.
Reporters with a gut fear of breaching confidential sources must fight like tigers to protect them. But neither reporters Cooper nor Miller, nor their publications, nor anyone in journalism should protect the behavior of Rove (or anyone else) through an undiscerning, blanket use of the First Amendment that weakens its protections by its gross misuse. Bill Israel teaches journalism at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst). He has worked for several leading newpapers.
Well, the problems with this fellow's working theory are numerous, (of course he's clearly blinded by hate hence the intellectual dishonesty), but let's start with the fact that Rove has signed a waiver releasing reporters from any confidentiality agreements meaning he has set them free to reveal what he told them.
And of course, he did not reveal Plame's role in sending her husband to Niger. He did indeed discuss it after he learned about it.
Except when they're Bob Novak's anonymous sources. Then they demand Novak spill the beans and identify the dastardly source.
Right?
You're not wrong. Even if they truly were standing on principle that they would never reveal a source whoever it may be, Rove has signed a waiver releasing reporters from any confidentiality agreement.
Besides, Rove had no way of knowing about Plame's role or even Wilson going to Niger until he saw Wilson's op-ed, so it doesn't appear possible he was in possession of the information even had he wanted to "leak it".
Also, it hasn't even been established Plame was covert at the time or for many years, so whoever disclosed her role likely did not break any laws.
I missed this. Is there a source?
Bill Israel is so delusional that this article is actually funny. Rove must get a real kick out of reading this stuff.
Absolutely NOTHING is actually TAUGHT at U Mass - Amherst (or any other campus) - remember this is the STATE University system that went ballistic over the attempt to impose a requirement that students maintain a C average to remain in good academic standing at the schools. On at least one campus, located in a large city in the eastern part of the state, the faculty publicly stated they would lose well over 50% of their students. Of course, this was before the really dramatic efforts at grade inflation of the late 90's.
I wouldn't hire any graduate of U Mass w/o really carefully examining their abilty to rationally reason.
excerpt:
He did say that Rove himself had testified before the grand jury "two or three times" and signed a waiver authorizing reporters to testify about their conversations with him.
~snip~
Jonah Goldberg of NRO seems to be in the know about who the real leaker is.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
July2: PREDICTION [Jonah Goldberg]
Rove didn't do it. But, as Glenn Reynolds notes, the possibility will cause many liberals to have a second case of whiplash (the first being their sudden disapproval of the investigation they essentially started when it became clear that the Times and Newsweek would get ensnared). Now that it seems possible Rove did it, many will suddenly re-fall in love with Patrick Fitzgerald. And if the person I *think* did it, did in fact do it, we will see even more plastic-collared liberals in the weeks to come.
Posted at 08:29 AM
July 5: ROVE ETC [Jonah Goldberg]
I've gotten a lot of email from over the weekend asking me who I think the Plame leaker was if I think it wasn't Rove. I'm sorry to say I can't say until I get a green light to say. But I'm working on it. And, it's not a just wild guess. I could be wrong but my confidence is high.
He's just guessing even if he does say it's not just a wild guess.
Using the stupid media, LOL!!! I love it. These pseudo intellects are amusing, their leftwing garbage can't handle it. The whining continues.
Using the stupid media, LOL!!! I love it. These pseudo intellects are amusing, their leftwing garbage can't handle it. The whining continues.
Was Valerie Plame ever a covert operator?
And then right afterwards "Family Guy" portrayed Dubya as an infant in the oval office.
That butt plug Seth MacFarland has seen his last dime he'll ever get from me!
What an utter tool.
Anyone know what Jonah means by "plastic-collared"?
I believe he is referring to the neck brace worn by whip-lash victims. (See old pictures of Teddy Kennedy after Chappaquidick.)
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