Posted on 07/31/2005 8:49:58 AM PDT by Republican Red
THE STATE DEPARTMENT PLOT THICKENS [John Podhoretz] Time Magazine has a new story about the revelation of Valerie Plame's name -- a story that, despite Time's own bizarre spin, reinforces the claim that Karl Rove and others learned that Joseph Wilson was married to a CIA operative from the media.
"As the investigation tightens into the leak of the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, sources tell TIME some White House officials may have learned she was married to former ambassador Joseph Wilson weeks before his July 6, 2003, Op-Ed piece criticizing the Administration," writes Massimo Calabresi.
Later, he writes: "The previously undisclosed fact gathering began in the first week of June 2003 at the CIA, when its public-affairs office received an inquiry about Wilson's trip to Africa from veteran Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus....The same week, Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman asked for and received a memo on the Wilson trip...Sources familiar with the memo, which disclosed Plame's relationship to Wilson, say Secretary of State Colin Powell read it in mid-June. Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage may have received a copy then too."
According to Calabresi, "A source familiar with the memo says neither Powell nor Armitage spoke to the White House about it until after July 6."
So what does this tell you?
It tells you that the State Department, which leaks like a sieve, knew about Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame in June. It also tells you that neither Powell nor Armitage talked to anybody in the White House about it until after Joseph Wilson published his New York Times op-ed on July 6 -- though he had clearly been the anonymous source for a piece by Pincus and an op-ed by the Times' own Nick Kristof back in early June.
So for those who think something very bad happened here, why isn't attention now circling around the State Department, whose two top guys at the time -- Colin Powell and Richard Armitage -- leaked like sieves to the media?
Instead of asking that question, Time's Calabresi instead suggests that this "increases the chances that White House official Karl Rove and others learned about Plame from within the Administration rather than from media contacts. Rove has told investigators he believes he learned of her directly or indirectly from reporters, according to his lawyer."
That doesn't follow at all. Doesn't this tale "increase the chances" that Rove and others are simply telling the truth? It seems a bunch of people knew a bunch about this in June, and their names are Walter Pincus of the WaPo, Kristof and evidently Judith Miller of the Times, not to mention Colin Powell and Rich Armitage at State (not to mention State's Marc Grossman and Carl Ford, who generated the memo). Their names are not Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.
Reporters and State Department people were in the know here. Which makes the idea that White House people found out about Wilson's marriage to a CIA operative who got him the gig in Niger from reporters even more plausible
This entire tact is just more smokescreen by the left. Every investigation og "Plamegate" has led full circle back to Joe Wilson; NOT Karl Rove, NOT GWB and most definitely NOT Colin Powell.
But, the left has never allowed facts to get in the way of a good smear campaign.
You are right. But their "smear campaign" sure puts the MSM in the crosshairs if they carry water for the Dems on this. Could be another "rathergate" moment for them.
I wonder if Time Magazine's Massimo Calabresi is related to Judge Guido Calabresi. The snooty judge is one of a long line of folks who have compared Bush to Hitler.
Ann Pincus, wife of the Washington Post's Walter Pincus, was and maybe still is on the staff of the Center for Public Integrity.
Knut Royce was a senior fellow at the Center for Public Integrity, I believe.
I think Royce had a role in drumming up controversy on the Harkin Oil stock deals regarding Bush.
Absolutely! The MSM is doing everything it can to destroy its own credibility.
And, they wonder why we aren't reading/watching anymore.
I'm wondering.. however, how much the MSM-global/liberal-network is counting upon the newer "direct-TV" broadcasts globally to carry water for 'em. Al Jazeera seems to be all over the map these days, interviewing and covering their favorite "marxist" issue/person of the day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.