Thanks for the ping. I'm glad you are still pursuing many angles and not letting up. The giant squid analogy is very true. I hope we eventually find out who picked him, and why, considering his credentials as well as his connection to Plame were suspect. I still believe it was a setup meant to embarrass the WH/viceP, into butting out of CIA affairs that didn't "concern" them, and silencing the discussion about WMD.
It seems to have been pretty effective, if you notice.
Wilson calls Novak and more or less threatens him and says - Shut up about my wife. Novak remembers "the friend"....does a little research (Dem Contribution List) and publishes his article. He used the words "CIA Operative" to smoke Wilson out...and he did just that. What Novak meant by "Operative" was Dem Operative. Wilson took it to be CIA "Undercover Agent".
My best guess is that Novak knew Valerie from his DC social contacts...before she married Wilson...when she was just Plame old Valerie. It was hardly a "secret" marriage.