As I recall, Novak used the term "operative" in his original column to describe Plame. He later stated (maybe in his follow-up column) that this is a general term that he uses and it was not meant to infer that Plame was a covert, undercover agent.
In CIA-talk "operative" could infer that she was employed by the "Operations" branch and those are the real spy-guys at the Agency. Since we know (or are at least fairly certain) that Plame was not working undercover at the CIA and had not been for quite some time, the MSM ranting about "outing a CIA undercover agent" is just so much baloney. They need to be called on it and called on it hard. They are using the old Clinton trick: just keep telling a lie over and over until it becomes the truth.
Right. Novak said "operative" but he just meant she worked there.
Then Wilson came out and said that his wife was a secret agent and that the administration had leaked this information to Novak.
Doesn't that make Wilson the source of the information? And how did Wilson know his wife was a covert CIA operative -- he didn't have clearance for that......
"Since we know (or are at least fairly certain) that Plame was not working undercover at the CIA and had not been for quite some time, the MSM ranting about "outing a CIA undercover agent" is just so much baloney"
Duh...
1. The CIA asked DOJ to open a criminal investigation.
2. If Plame was not undercover, no crime was committed.
3. Presumably, the CIA would know if one of their employees was undercover.
4. Ergo, Plame was still undercover. QED
"In CIA-talk "operative" could infer that she was employed by the "Operations" branch and those are the real spy-guys at the Agency."
Except Lexis demonstrates that Novak has ONLY used the word "operative" when he is describing people he KNOWS are intelligence agents. He has NEVER used the phrase "political operative." He knew exactly who and what Plame was.
There's a reason that at least five other journalists contacted by Rove (or whoever) all DECLINED to publish the information: because publication was legally, morally, and ethically WRONG. But Novak published...
Novak burned a NOC. He also exposed her cover firm as a front - endangering any other agents who ever used that cover.
Damn traitor.