Plamegate Flameout

Blogs for Bush ^ | November 19, 2005 | Mark Noonan

[Daralundy]

With the revelation that Bob Woodward knew Valerie Plame was CIA employee prior to the date Libby could possibly have told anyone about it, the entire case against Libby collapses. It may be a while before Fitzgerald drops the matter, but Libby is out of the woods - not just on the fact that there wasn't even a possibility of an underlying crime, but on account of the fact that Woodward and fellow reporter Pincus have different memories of the event...just as Libby has a different memory of the event from other participants. In other words, rather than there being a lie to the Grand Jury, what we've got is conflicting memories of events that happened quite a while ago in the press of many other events, almost all of which far more important than a has-been Ambassador and his CIA-employee wife.

This whole thing was fueled by the left's overwhelming desire to impeach President Bush. It was shortly after the Plame kerfuffle errupted that it was proven quite conclusively that Plame could not have been a covert CIA agent, and thus the statutes protecting covert identity didn't apply...and yet the matter was referred to Justice for criminal investigation, even though - come on, people; let's be honest here - even if Plame's name really were leaked, it wasn't exactly the only leak at CIA that day...or, indeed, that minute.

[A CA Guy]

Seems the CIA needs to get purged.
It has to be against the law to have it's people making a mission become a political devise to be used in a Presidential election, especially when he was lying.

[A CA Guy]

It has to happen, how can the CIA be allowed to have political influence in elections? That seems as criminal as it gets.

Who would have been responsible for getting confidentiality agreements signed?
Did Wilson purposely avoid those looking to have him sign one?
Did Wilson, his wife Plame and others in the CIA illegally conspire to create a false but effective blow to the war on terror and the Bush campaign for reelection in 2004?

[nopardons]

Goss is doing his darndest to clear out the swamp, that is the CIA and yes to your last query; there absolutely WAS a portion of the CIA attempt at bringing down a sitting president.

[A CA Guy]

I think there is suggestive evidence that points to that. At a minimum there should be an internal investigation going on, but from the looks of Plame and Wilson, it seems at this time that those that planned the fraud on the citizens are being allowed a pass.

[nopardons]

The wheels of Justice grind slowly and perhaps, just perhaps, something will happen to the guilty.

[A CA Guy]

The wheels of Justice grind slowly and perhaps, just perhaps, something will happen to the guilty. Having a peaceful old age should not be what happens IMO. This is like espionage and needs to be caught.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I used to scratch my head about this story until I read the DeGenova theory: The CIA launched a covert operation against the President when it sent Wilson to Niger!

[Sonora]

I'm a little confused - is it not a fact that CIA agents cannot be covert in the United States - only in a foreign country?

[sgtbono2002]

Not sure any more. At one time that was the rule, but since Hoover died the ballgame has changed.

[Casloy]

How does this happen legally?

Because he never signed a confidentiality agreement. He was openly meeting with people and talking to them. There was nothing classified about his discussions or the information he was gathering. He should have been more professional and discrete and he is an idiot, but he didn't break any laws.

[A CA Guy]

You think the CIA regularly then sends people out of fact gathering missions and on a regular basis does NOT require confidentiality agreements so those same people can go on lecture tours, write books and to use if they want false information they slant to effect possible a Presidential election?
The CIA is down with all that?

I think there is quite a setup sitting in the midst of all these actions regarding the CIA, Plame and Wilson.
Plame, Wilson, and the CIA people involved around this mission all need to be asked some good questions under oath to straighten this out.

[mware]

Anyone in their right mind think Woodward will be fired?????? Not a chance in hell. He is a living god to the lunatic left and NOTHING could bring him down.

You should have heard Neil Gabler last night. He was claiming the Woody is a lacky for President Bush.

[Old Flat Toad]

Well Gj, If the trail leads back to the Kerry campaign then it provides a link to Sandy Burglar's shenanigans.

Personally I think 9/11, Able/Danger, and Plame/Wilsongate are all severly interconnected to Chinagate.

[GloriaJane]

"Personally I think 9/11, Able/Danger, and Plame/Wilsongate are all severly interconnected to Chinagate."

I really don't know enough about that subject to even offer a thought on it. Seems I have some catching up to do.

[Casloy]

I think this was one of those dumb things that every government agency does now and again. Someone in the chain thought it would be a good idea to send him. No doubt, Valerie Plame had some opinion about it and it probably got approved without a lot of deep thought. There is no such thing as a confidentiality agreement, they are called non-disclosure agreements and in order to worth a plug nickel the agreement has to be specific as to what can't be disclosed. You can't simply write on there, "Everything discussed on your trip to Africa." In the first place, none of his discussions were classified, so how does one justify a non-disclosure agreement? I think everyone is looking for some kind of conspiracy in all this, and I think the answer is a lot simpler...Stupidity.