Woodward Was Told of Plame More Than Two Years Ago

Washington Post ^ | November 15, 20005 | Jim VandeHei and Carol D. Leonnig

[atomicweeder]

Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward testified under oath Monday in the CIA leak case that a senior administration official told him about CIA operative Valerie Plame and her position at the agency nearly a month before her identity was disclosed . . .

[dk/coro]

Sir, I need a bit of help here.

Please tell me who Valarie Plame is.

And, should I care?

[stylin19a]

If you can believe Wilson, Wilson said Novak called him before Novak's article came out.

Novak was looking to verify the story, as it was told to him by a CIA official.

Wilson said he was surprised when Novak's article mentioned "senior admin. officials", and didn't mention the CIA.

Wilson supposedly called Novak about the discrepancy and Novak said, "I misspoke".
Novak has refused to even acknowledge one way or the other, whether the conversations with Wilson took place.

If there is a shred of truth to this story, and it IS CIA ( active)then a WAG it's Tenet or John E. McLaughlin.
If inactive\retired, then goofy Larry Johnson.

[BurbankErnie]

Pincus was "interviewed" but did not appear. This shatters whatever he said. No memory my Ass, this dissolves the case. I knew the MSM would be the weakest link in this non story. I feel bad for Libby.

[Lancey Howard]

Woodward, who is preparing a third book on the Bush administration, has called Fitzgerald "a junkyard-dog prosecutor" who turns over every rock looking for evidence. The night before Fitzgerald announced Libby's indictment, Woodward said he did not see evidence of criminal intent or of a substantial crime behind the leak.

"When the story comes out, I'm quite confident we're going to find out that it started kind of as gossip, as chatter," he told CNN's Larry King.

Woodward also said in interviews this summer and fall that the damage done by Plame's name being revealed in the media was "quite minimal."

"When I think all of the facts come out in this case, it's going to be laughable because the consequences are not that great," he told National Public Radio this summer.

[Verginius Rufus]

Fitzgerald's mission was not to find the truth about the Plame leak (which was "much ado about nothing") but rather to create political trouble for the administration. He succeeded in that.

[Lancey Howard]

Speaking of Novak, that guy said early on that he was chomping at the bit to tell all.
I wonder what his problem is now? Let's have it, Bob.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

Why did Mr. Fitzgerald indict Mr. Libby before fully investigating what other reporters knew about Wilson's wife?"

An excellent question. Because journalists have special rights, which other citizens do not enjoy, limiting the manner in which the U.S. justice system can obtain evidence they possess. DOJ guidelines limit the ability of prosecutors to get evidence from journalists as easily as other citizens, and this has a chilling effect on prosecutors' investigations when it comes to journalists. The resulting distortion in the legal system represents a fundamental unfairness to others, such as Libby in this case, for whom the free access to reporters' evidence is critical.

[MinuteGal]

Now, according to Pinko Pincus, Maestro Woodward has had a lapse in memory. Which I guess is okey dokey for Woodward, but not for Libby.

Libby's lawyers must be popping the champagne corks again tonight.

And all the President's men must be laughing it up, also.

It's beginning to look a lot like Fitzmess, ho, ho, ho.

Leni

[Siena Dreaming]

I believe Woodward's source is probably Colin Powell.

[gov_bean_ counter]

It may be instructive to know who was working for Fitz this.

[Petronski]

You know.. Pincus keeps popping up in the most interesting of places.

Yeah, like between Wilson's thighs.

[unsycophant]

<< It would also make Woodward, who has been publicly critical of the investigation, the first reporter known to have learned about Plame from a government source.>>


Woodward likely was not the first reporter to hear about Plame, since her husband was supposedly the primary source for many of the rumors that circulated about her CIA status.

[isom35]

I was thinking Edward Woodward, The Equalizer...

[BurbankErnie]

I was incorrect in a previous post, Pincus testified via a deposition. According to this Article:

Sep. 16, 2004 -- Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus testified Wednesday by deposition in the Valerie Plame leak investigation about conversations with a source but still did not reveal the source's identity. Pincus testified after the source revealed his or her identity to the special prosecutor. His testimony came one day after Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper received another subpoena in the grand jury investigation. Cooper previously gave limited testimony under threat of being jailed for contempt.

Pincus, in a statement, said: "I understand that my source has already spoken to the special prosecutor about our conversation on July 12 [2003], and that the special prosecutor has dropped his demand that I reveal my source. Even so, I will not testify about his or her identity." Pincus gave the deposition with the approval of the source.

My error, but Pincus lied and was busted by an Admin Official. Now the CIA is considered under the Admin. and I would bet my left nut that it is a CIA Official at the bottom of this whole mess, along with the MSM/DNC/Kerry Kamp.

[Democratshavenobrains]

None of this crap about who knew or didn't know Valerie Wilson matters anymore. If that idiot Scooter had just gotten his story straight and not lied, there would be nothing but vapor and crying DUers. The libs have now convinced themselves that lying to a grand jury is the worst crime in the world as long as you aren't a Democratic President covering up your infidelity.

[billhilly]

"Why is it that Major News Organizations feel compelled to hold some leaders accountable daily for their statements and positions (read: Republicans), while others have no such scrutiny applied to them (read: Democrats on previous statements about Iraq, Saddam & WMD's)? "

Those questions and many others like them have been asked and answered time and time again.

[Kay]

Yes, I've always thought Colin Powell might be involved.

[FlashBack]

I remember reading something here (FR) about Powell being on AF1 with some "secret file"...that "journalists" may have seen???? Foggy...but it rings a bell.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

When does Fitzgerald interview General Vallely who has stated unequivocally that Joe Wilson told him his wife worked at CIA before any of this balogna hit the fan?

Damn good question.