[lugsoul]

I agree that the exchange was disjointed, but I was focusing on the 'clarified' statement - I put that in quotes because I kind of thought that was what he was saying yesterday. Wolf is asking him to respond to various allegations of 'wrongdoing' - trying to make book money, etc., and specifically mentions the 'photo shoot' with his 'clandestine officer' wife. In response, Wilson says she wasn't a 'clandestine officer' on the day Novak published. IF he is responding to the question, it reads to me like he is saying, "There was nothing wrong with doing that photo shoot because my wife wasn't clandestine - she'd already been outed by Novak." Then, when Wolf asks the follow-up, he declined to answer.

Now, clearly there was a point in the day - after the Trib hit the street? - when Plame was no longer clandestine. Her name was in the paper as a CIA 'operative'. The question that didn't get asked is whether she was clandestine on that day BEFORE Novak's column hit the street.

Of course, given web publishing, the column was probably available the night before or early that morning. ;-)

So, IF he was saying what is being construed here, i.e. "My wife was NO LONGER covert when Novak wrote his column," then he was not responding even a little bit to the question that was asked - you see my point? If he was saying, "She was covert any more because Novak published," he is responding, somewhat, to the question.

[bjc]

Okay, I understand and I agree with your interpretation of what he said.

However, I will assert that once Valerie Plame married Joseph Wilson, career diplomat, she could no longer be of value as a covert agent... period. Therefore, Wilson was playing word games and denying the obvious. She was no longer a cladestine officer.