End of an Affair [Plame]

Washington Post ^ | September 1, 2006

[West Coast Conservative]

WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years. But all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame's cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.

Mr. Armitage was one of the Bush administration officials who supported the invasion of Iraq only reluctantly. He was a political rival of the White House and Pentagon officials who championed the war and whom Mr. Wilson accused of twisting intelligence about Iraq and then plotting to destroy him. Unaware that Ms. Plame's identity was classified information, Mr. Armitage reportedly passed it along to columnist Robert D. Novak "in an offhand manner, virtually as gossip," according to a story this week by the Post's R. Jeffrey

Smith, who quoted a former colleague of Mr. Armitage.

It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue......

Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.

[Bernard Marx]

What's more probable is that the WaPo can no longer deny the obvious.

And that's why they buried the lead in the last graph. This story is a classic example of telling the truth in a way that won't attract the attention of an average reader who scans the headline and maybe the first 2 or 3 graphs.

[Billthedrill]

Hmm...you might be right. If their civil suit doesn't get any traction John and Vanna may well be relegated to "non-person" status within The Party. Wait, that wasn't right - Jerry and Veronica? Jack and Victoria? Throw me a bone here...

[MJY1288]

If the case was to go forward.... Richard Holbrook will need to stock up on "Depends". Because he is the one who had the most to gain if John "Do You Know Who I am" Kerry won in 2004

[Torie]

Scooter was deposed, and allegedly lied about what he said to three reporters, per their testimony. That is the prosecutor's case - nothing more, nothing less.

[demlosers]

I can't get around the fact of why would Libby lie? There was no reason to lie since Plame was just your ordinary CIA employee desk jockey. He could have said to anyone that Yeah, Plame works for the CIA and she's the wife of Joe Wilson -- and still Fitzgerald would have no case against Libby.

[zerosix]

I do note that after reading the article that they do find reason to continue the lie in that "Mr. Armitage was unaware that Ms. Plame was covert" and that even though Mr. Armitage was a reluctant "supporter" of the Iraq war but was at odds with those in the Administration who supported it, they continue to insist that even though no one in the Bush inner circle did anything at all wrong, all of this could have been avoided had the President listened to him rather than Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al.

After signaling that "we just need to move on", proceeded to bury the story on A20.

[top 2 toe red]

It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue.

Hell froze over?!?!?

I wonder...has anyone told Fidel to pack his ice skates?!?

[Howlin]

And Scooter and his attorneys beg to differ.

I'll wait.

[Torie]

Good idea.

[stockpixx]

All I can say is this sucks big time

[Howlin]

Depose them all and let's see who lies first.

[roses of sharon]

It is quite hilarious that anyone here would believe reporters over Libby, who is a lawyer and works for the VP.

As if he would lie about what he said to journalists knowing those journalists hate him, his party, his boss, his President, and are antiwar liberals.

[Rembrandt]

"..our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband.."

How charitable of the Washing Compost to take this position. No doubt, lacking pertinent facts, they held back in condemnations of the Administration; does anyone know if they might have published one, two or even a couple more articles aimed at the Administration's heart?

[Dolphy]

I started to read it, then I scrolled up and down looking for the author thinking it must have been an op-ed :)

[oceanview]

the entire GJ was a perjury trap - but only for Libby and Rove.

[Howlin]

That's what I'm thinking.

[Howlin]

I did the exact same thing! :-)

[MJY1288]

Judging from how this whole deal has been handled, my guess is that it would come down to who is taking the deposition :-)

Sad BUT true

[Carolinamom]

As I recall, Libby told Fitzgerald/grand jury that he had talked to Russert. Russert denied it in a phone 'interview' w/Fitzgerald sans taking an oath to tell the truth, and Fitzgerald took Russert's uncorroborated word over Libby's assertion under oath. My question: who lied?

[BIGLOOK]

WaPo upchuck.



Create the story.....build the lead.....milk the sources till they bleed.....Headlines ....deadlines.....Run......Run.....Oh sh*t!......the Truth..