[Echo Talon]

The Valerie Wilson case began with a cynical effort by the administration to deflect public attention from hyped prewar intelligence on Iraq. ...

Wasn't the Plame issue a whistle blower telling the American people that Joe Wilson went to Niger with his mind already made up, and that he had a conflict of interest that sent him... His wife.

[RedEyeJack]

NYT misses the point even when they manage to spell out the differences. What happened with Plame was about politics, shaping public opinion. Any national security issue quickly went away (except for the editors at the NYT) when it was learned that Plame was outside the bounds for being a covert agent. The NSA leak IS about national security and the compromise of an ongoing operation through the UNAUTHORIZE and ILLEGAL release of information deem vital to national security by proper authority. Scooter Libby is not charged with a national security violation. He has been indicted for not telling the truth to a grand jury about political manipulations. Whoever leaked the NSA story committed a national security violation and should be punished accordingly.