Novak: Armitage Did Not Tell All

Drudge ^ | Wed Sep 13 2006 08:37:07 ET | Drudge

[Stingray51]

"When Richard Armitage finally acknowledged last week he was my source three years ago in revealing Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA employee, the former deputy secretary of state's interviews obscured what he really did," Bob Novak claims in a column set for Thursday release.

Novak, attempting to set the reocrd straight writes: "First, Armitage did not, as he now indicates, merely pass on something he had heard and that he 'thought' might be so. Rather, he identified to me the CIA division where Mrs. Wilson worked, and said flatly that she recommended the mission to Niger by her husband, former Amb. Joseph Wilson. Second, Armitage did not slip me this information as idle chitchat, as he now suggests. He made clear he considered it especially suited for my column."

Novak slams Armitage for holding back all this time.

Armitage's silence for "two and one-half years caused intense pain for his colleagues in government and enabled partisan Democrats in Congress to falsely accuse Rove of being my primary source," Novak explains.

"When Armitage now says he was mute because of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's request, that does not explain his silent three months between his claimed first realization that he was the source and Fitzgerald's appointment on Dec. 30. Armitage's tardy self-disclosure is tainted because it is deceptive."

Developing...

[Stingray51]

I don't know why so many conservatives have been willing to take MSM spin at face value that Armitage's leaks of info from a classified State Dept. memo to at least three people (Novak, Woodward and an unnamed reporter) were all simply a mistake. Based on what I've read of him, he's way too smart for that. It seems more likely to me that at the time of the leaks, Powell had been embarrassed by Wilson's (supposed) debunking of the Niger story, and Armitage was sent out to bury him.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Armitage now says he was mute because of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's request

If this is true, Libby should sue Fitzgerald's a$$ off.

[The G Man]

Armitage is a disgrace. Instead of coming forward and admitting what he did, he allowed the White House to spend valuable resources investigating/defending this nonsense rather than devoting them to other more important matters, oh, say for instance THE FREAKING WAR ON TERROR!

[nativist]

Sounds like Armatage was either a coward who was willing to let Scooter Libby and others go to prison for him, or he was attempting to undermine the administration along with Wilson, Fitzgerald, Corn, and probably Schumer.

[The G Man]

I trust Armitage as far as I can throw him.

[cripplecreek]

At this point I think a lot of people have found a new careeer in the Plame scandal game.

[TommyDale]

So Colin Powell sent him out to do his dirty work? Makes sense.

[billhilly]

This is really dropping a tu-d in the punchbowl.

[Bryan24]

These self-important beauracrats sat around playing games while we had troops in the field fighting. Their games DIRECTLY contributed to the raising of the moral of the opposition in Iraq.

Armitage and Powell have nothing but derision from me.

[Sender]

Whatever Armitage's motivation might have been, for Novak to be angry over Armitage holding back all this time is the pot calling the kettle black.

Novak and the others knew the truth all this time but they preferred to let innocent people roast rather than reveal their sources.

It would appear that confidentiality has now replaced the truth in what passes for "ethical principles" in journalism.

[Stingray51]

Amen, well said.

[JRochelle]

Holy cow!

Novak will not be denied his revenge!

Go, Bob, go!

[DoctorMichael]

Let's see Kris Math-hues do an hour 'Special' on this tonight. [not]

[Quilla]

Their games DIRECTLY contributed to the raising of the moral of the opposition in Iraq.

Hear, hear!

[TimesDomain]

Armitage need to be neutered with NO anesthesia

[no dems]

SHUT UP BOBBY BOY!!! You're the one who started all this crap. I for one don't care what you have to say now. So, shut your fat lips.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

President Bush should call a press conference today on the WH lawn, and once all the media is assembled he should.

1) Pardon Scooter Libby, then
2) With some anger, lambast democrats for "the politics of personal destruction", and ask for the democrat leadership to personally apologize to Mr. Libby.

They won't, but it would make Democrats the issue for a change. Why must Republicans always meekly play defense?

[pipecorp]

the question is: What did Fitzgerald know, and when did he know it? Prosecution of fitzgerald for theft and fraud would certainly reign in the special prosecutor problems we've been having.

[GoBucks2002]

Just wondering why if it was illegal for Rove to do what he supposedly did, why is no one investigating Armitage?

Oh, that's right. The Bush White House will only investigate their own people and not the opposition.

[tomnbeverly]

Don't hold your breath waiting for any Liberals to appologize to Cheney or the President whom they directly accused of leaking Ms. Plame name as retribution to her husbands NYT article...