Freeper Thoughts on the Plame Kerfuffle

Vanity | 07/12/2005 | RightFighter

[RightFighter]

I'm wondering who everyone thinks the actual leaker is. Remember that Novak stated that it's not who we think it is and that it's a highly placed government official who is "no partisan gunslinger".

My gut tells me this is what happened:

Cooper calls Rove about welfare reform. At the end of the conversation, he asks Rove about Wilson. Rove tries to warn him off the story, mentioning that Wilson's wife, who apparently works at CIA, arranged for Wilson to go to Niger.

Miller catches wind of this conversation, perhaps through a conversation with Cooper or perhaps she asked Rove a similar question. Anyway, Miller wants to confirm this portion of the story, so she does some digging to find out the NAME of Wilson's wife.

The key question then, is, who does Miller call to get the name?

My guess is George Tenet. He would have certainly known the name. He was definitely a highly placed government official, and he certainly would not be considered a partisan gunslinger, having worked as CIA Director under both Presidents Clinton and Bush. Plame had been working in Washington during Tenet's entire tenure at CIA I think, so it's certainly possible that he didn't think that she could possibly be considered covert, so he didn't think he was doing any harm by revealing her name.

This would also explain the NYT stance on this whole matter. They would rather see Rove twist in the wind while their reporter-ette sits in a country club saying nothing than they would like to see the truth come out. The truth in this case would totally exonerate the administration and cast the blame on a CLINTON appointee!!!

There may be nothing to this, but take note of this post, because it may be one that you go looking for in a couple of months to say "didn't that guy RightFighter post Tenet's name on FR a while back?"

This is from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Plame:

21 July 2003: Newsday article "Columnist Names CIA Iraq Operative" by Timothy M. Phelps and Knut Royce attributes intelligence information independently leaked to them about Plame as coming from "intelligence officials" and a "senior intelligence official." . Both have been subpoenaed in the Plame investigation.

Interestingly, I noticed this on Wikipedia too. I didn't realize that Wiki was biased, but I guess this proves it:

July 11, 2005: Rove's lawyer/paid liar says, "Rove did not mention her name to Cooper." This one might actually be true, in its lie-y way.

[SERKIT]

It was the Vanity Fair photographer that caught her in full-blown spy attire (sunglasses and Jacqueline Kennedy-esque headscarf) being driven to work (a CIA-Langley desk job) by her husband (a confirmed doofus).

[newconhere]

lol

[mikenash]

I dont think you can say without a doubt it was Wilson, unless you have some knowledge, we dont.

Im just waiting till the prosecutor has finished with the case and then we will know.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

I can't be bothered until the press gets excited about Sandy Berger. ;)

[okie01]

The key question then, is, who does Miller call to get the name?

Judith Miller reported on WMD issues. Plame worked in a CIA department that specialized in WMD issues. Chances are pretty good that they knew each other.

At the very least, she would have known Plame's boss -- Alan Foley (who retired without warning a month after the balloon went up and ranks high on the list of suspects as one of Novak's two sources).

[agincourt1415]

Nobody but RABID DEMO LIBERAL JOURNALISTS care who the leaker is for a CIA File Clerk.

[wizardoz]

Novak cooperated with the investigators to avoid big doo-doo, but he's keeping mum 'til the investigation's over and all the cards are on the table (probably a condition of his grand jury testimony)

No, but what I mean was... I thought NOVAK'S article was the first one to "out" Plame. Am I wrong? I just can't remember anymore.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

I am just wondering who photographed the Kerfuffle, and can anyone identify it as Plame's.

[Popman]

The only person Miller is worth sitting in jail for is Wilson

Anybody else could be "spun" by the media. It has to be Wilson

How stupid would the NYT look if it was revealed Wilson was the leak.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I think the real question that needs to be asked is WHO PAID FOR WILSON'S YELLOW CAKE JUNKET TO NIGER so he could do his "research" for his "book" and his NYT op-ed hit piece.

Was it the New York Times? His publisher? The American taxpayer? THAT IS THE QUESTION I'D LIKE TO SEE ANSWERED.

[Made In The USA]

The only people buying into this non-story are the libs that so desperately want to believe they have a smoking gun.

The right wages a war on terrorism to earn a safer world, the left wages a war on futility to gain political power.

Thank GOD the Gore and Kerry lost.

[Pukin Dog]

Novak's leaker is another person. Don't forget that those in high positions within the State Department and the CIA are both considered to be members of the Bush Administration.

[federal]

I think the entire concept of a "leaker" is flawed. It is the media and the Wilson's which have sold this smoke screen to cover the real breach of federal regulations nepotism.

The fact is that revealing who sponsored Joe Wilson for the Africa trip was only relevant because it was a violation of the law. The fact that Joe had gone public with lies about classified CIA reports is not only against the law it is treason.

The rest is a carefully constructed smoke screen to cover for the real criminals ( The Wilson's) and to use as a political club against the Bush Administration.

And I think we need to write letters and call the Congress and the media and demand accountability.

[par4]

I'd venture that it was Valerie Plame herself. Her husband is getting all the press; writing the NYT best seller, while she is slowly toiling in anonymity.

What better way to get "outed" than let a very poorly guarded secret slip by talking to a Times reporter? After all, she does qualify as a "high administration official", if you stretch the administration tie.

Now that the whole world knows who she is, she can write a best seller describing her exploits when she was really a covert agent.

Of course, if she's revealed as the leaker, the house of cards comes tumbling down, crushing the Times under the rubble.

Remember, you heard it here first....

[armymarinemom]

Could it be the big mouth in the car?

[concerned about politics]

Without a doubt it was Wilson. What I can't figure out is why anyone would think Karl Rove would give Cooper permission to disclose that he was the leaker?

Rove gave Cooper the OK to say anything he wanted. Rove knew he didn't do anything wrong. Cooper never claimed Rove was a "leaker," just that he talked to him about "Joe's wife" via an e-mail. Rove never gave her name, but people already knew it anyway. Wilson had it on his website - complete with her CIA status. It was there for the world to see!

[lame_internet_name]

Assuming it is in fact Cooper's conversation with Rove from which Cooper learned Plame's identity, then that means that Cooper had to do additional research of his own to determine Plame's identity and subsequently reveal her identity to the world. That would mean that there is no leaker inside the government and that it is Cooper himself who is to blame for revealing Plame's identity and he (Cooper) is the one who should be prosecuted. If that is not the case, then it means Cooper learned Plame's identity from some other source than the Rove conversation, there is a leaker, and the leaker is not Rove.

The whole thing makes me so mad I could spit. Of course the dumocrats know it's all a farce. They started it as a distraction from the fact that Wilson's report was totally discredited and are now using it as the distraction of the moment to divert attention from Senator Dick's foul words and to try to weaken the President in advance of the SCOTUS battle. BTW, where were all these folks who are so concerned about protecting government agents involved in the GWOT a couple weeks ago when Senator Dick was calling those same government agents Nazis & worse?!

[Doug2464]

it was CIA-sponsored. They're te ones that called for the trip in the first place

[Texas Songwriter]

I agree with you. Additionally, I think Ms.Miller is trying to stall to try to find out what the special prosecutor and grand jury knows. But this just is not leaking, so she is in a world of hurt. If she lies in the grand jury the SP will know and prosecute her for perjury and obstruction. If she tell the truth that the sequence is from Plame (or Wilson) to Miller to another media person, then she is guilty of what the NYT alledged against Rove and the White House. Either way, Bush/Rove wins. The only crime to be prosecuted is the one Miller is about to commit.