Posted on 11/20/2005 5:28:55 PM PST by Daralundy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Washington Post's ombudsman rebuked journalist Bob Woodward on Sunday for withholding what he knew about the CIA leak probe from his editor and for making public statements that were dismissive of the investigation without disclosing his own involvement.
One of the best-known investigative reporters in the United States, Woodward revealed last week that he testified under oath to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that a senior Bush administration official told him in mid-June 2003 about CIA operative Valerie Plame's position at the agency.
Fitzgerald announced a few days later in court papers that his two-year criminal investigation into who leaked Plame's identity would be going back before a federal grand jury, a sign he may seek new or revised charges.
The name of Woodward's source has yet to be made public and so far more than a dozen senior administration officials have denied any involvement in the leak.
Asked on "Fox News Sunday" if he ever spoke to Woodward about Plame, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, "No, of course not." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a similar denial through a spokesman on Saturday.
In a column highly critical of Woodward's conduct, Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell said the newspaper took a "hit to its credibility" and called for more oversight of Woodward's work.
"He has to operate under the rules that govern the rest of the staff -- even if he's rich and famous," Howell wrote of Woodward, one of the two Washington Post reporters famed for coverage of the 1970s Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon.
Howell said Woodward committed a "deeply serious sin" by keeping Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie in the dark about his source for more than two years.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Snort.
What credibility?
Woodward is a hero IMHO. He has singlehandedly derailed the MSM-Hitlery Express that Clinton's CIA allies had so carefully crafted with the Plame-Wilson affair in their strategy to sieze the Whitehouse in 2008.
Saturday morning on NPR, around 9:10 am EST, NPR commentator Daniel Shore was asked by another NPR commentator if he thought Woodward did anything wrong. As I heard it, Mr. Shore answered "I don't like talking about what's right and wrong, especially about my colleagues."
[One of the best-known investigative reporters in the United States, Woodward revealed last week that he testified under oath to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that a senior Bush administration official told him in mid-June 2003 about CIA operative Valerie Plame's position at the agency.
Woodward revealed last week that he testified under oath to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that a senior]
So Fitzy boy definitely knew that vals position was already comprimised well before 2003. Oh fitzy boy. Who do you really work for?
You're gonna love this...
I see you "get" it !
Maybe I do not get it, how is this not bad for the Administration? Doesn't Woodwards testimony reinforce what Fitzmorris is already after? A high level Administration official 'outing' a CIA official.
The June 2003 time line fits within a month of the Novak story and the calls between Cooper / Miller and Libby.
I would feel much better if Woodward had testified that a former Clinton official or Kerry campaign flunky had told him this earlier than the June 2003 time frame.
The person who told him was Richard Armitage, who along with Colin Powell was considered a moderate within the administration and not part of Dick Cheney's neo-con "cabal." This indicates that the leak was just water-cooler gossip, not part of a vast neo-con conspiracy to out Valerie Plame. Of equal importance, it demonstrates how very far from a thorough or fair-and-balanced investigation Fitzgerald conducted since his narrow focus appears to have been on Dick Cheney's office rather than considering that many in the media and in the Washington social elite actually already knew full well who Valerie Plame was.
How about termination?
They'd have to change their name. He's the franchise.
We'll see what the stockholders have to say about it.
That's about it; yes.
Wrote a pretty fair book about President Bush.
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