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Plame-Out?
Opinion Journal.com/WSJ ^ | 9-30-03 | James Taranto

Posted on 09/30/2003 1:29:34 PM PDT by veronica

Edited on 04/23/2004 12:05:58 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Anti-Bush partisans are really piling on thick over the purported scandal involving the "outing," supposedly by White House officials, of Valerie Plame, who may or may not have been a covert CIA operative, and who is married to a critic of the administration named Joe Wilson. Josh Marshall blogged himself into such a frenzy yesterday that he almost matched Glenn Reynolds's output on a slow day. One random left-wing blogger sums up the tone of the attacks: "Conservatives have a long history in America of resorting to traitorous acts to further their own private agendas." We're half-expecting the bestseller lists to feature a book called "Leaks and the Leaking Leakers Who Leak Them."


(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cia; doj; jamestaranto; josephwilson; leak; plamenameblamegame; robertnovak; valerieplame
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To: MizSterious
Since that article refers to the same officials having spoken to Novak, I think Novak's column appeared first.
41 posted on 09/30/2003 3:06:59 PM PDT by aristeides
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To: PhiKapMom
If Novak didn't interview a Bush Administration official, but an Administration official, my guess is that the person is either high level Foreign Service from the State Department of Civil Service from CIA or State. That means the person is NOT a political appointee!

Good grief! John Gibson just did his "My Word" where he explained the difference between leaking the identity of an undercover CIA agent and an analyst and why one would be criminal and one bad, but not criminal.

Fine. That was his assessment of any possible wrongdoing on identifying a CIA employee, and I don't totally agree with his characterization of "bad but not criminal".

But his premise throughout was clearly that whoever "leaked" Plame's affiliation was in fact with the Bush administration! I wanted to shake him and say that has not been established by any stretch, whatsoever, and in fact it is looking more and more likely to be enemies of the Bush administration--even the Wilsons themselves.

42 posted on 09/30/2003 3:08:50 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: marron
BRAVO

(I saw you post this synopsis yesterday and wanted to applaud your summary)
43 posted on 09/30/2003 3:11:02 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: Cobra64
Ever use a comma? one of these thingies: ","

Well, my previous two posts consisted of two sentences with a total of two commas, and four sentences with a total of five commas. How many more commas would you like?
44 posted on 09/30/2003 3:12:16 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle (uo)
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To: aristeides
Vincent Cannistraro! Not him again...

Hmmmmmm

I wonder if he knows who the dem is that told Cliff May Plame's CIA affiliation before Novak's column came out. What do you think?
45 posted on 09/30/2003 3:18:51 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: aristeides
Who is Vincent Cannistraro?
46 posted on 09/30/2003 3:19:10 PM PDT by Lady Heron
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To: Lady Heron
Who is Vincent Cannistraro?

Director of NSC Intelligence from 1984 to 1987, Vincent Cannistraro went on to serve as chief of operations for the CIA's Counterterrorism Center and to lead the CIA's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am 103.

47 posted on 09/30/2003 3:21:40 PM PDT by aristeides
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To: aristeides
Given the lead time for publishing paper issues (and we don't know if this was in paper, or just on the web), then Novak would have had to have shown his column to Time before his ever went to print. The archives at Time.com show this one was published twice, on the 16th and the 17th; Novak's appears to have come out a day or two prior--but you have to get these things in ahead of the actual published date for editing, etc.
48 posted on 09/30/2003 3:22:57 PM PDT by MizSterious (Support whirled peas!)
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To: veronica
"CIA refers crimes report over about once a week to the Department of Justice whenever there's a leak or any other potential violation of law that they come across."

James Woolsey
Woolsey served from 1993 to 1995 as President Clinton's first CIA director (when the CIA was reporting leaks about once a week to the Justice Department)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/992522/posts

49 posted on 09/30/2003 3:23:07 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy
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To: M1Tanker
>> I can't remember when conservatives used the FBI, ATF, and IRS to harrass and "investigate" opponents. I can't remember when conservatives sold secret technology to China for campaign contributions. I can't remember when conservatives ignored attack after attack on US citizens and interests. I can't remember when conservatives castrated our intelligence gathering capabilities for political gain. <<

Bump to that! Well said. I had the exact same conversation with a co-worker this morning. He was all over this. Scandal! Scandal! I forcefully reminded him of how sleaze-bag slick willy sold missile technology to China in return for campaign contributions.

“Clinton has damaged our Nat’l Security more than any other president in the last 50 years.” (My exact words.)

He went back to his cube and hasn't spoken to me since. Oh well.


50 posted on 09/30/2003 3:24:42 PM PDT by appalachian_dweller (If we accept responsibility for our own actions, we are indeed worthy of our freedom. – Bill Whittle)
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To: PhiKapMom
"Smells like Hillary is pulling the puppet strings on this one!"


Monday, August 25, 2003

THE VALERIE PLAME AFFAIR:
JOSEPH WILSON PUTS THE FINGER ON KARL ROVE
http://markarkleiman.blogspot.com/2003_08_01_markarkleiman_archive.html

(this is just a snippet...is our friend Hillary mentioned?)

Wilson was asked whether he trusted the FBI to investigate the case. He started by saying that he had to speak hypothetically, since whether a crime was committed or not depended on his wife's status, about which he will not comment. He then explained the process, and expressed confidence that the career-service folks would play it straight, especially since a number of Members of Congerss, including not only Schumer and Durbin but also Henry Waxman and Hillary Clinton, were actively interested in the case and had promised him to keep the pressure on.

51 posted on 09/30/2003 3:26:27 PM PDT by Maria S (“I know a little bit about how White Houses work.” Hillary Clinton, 8/26/03)
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To: aristeides; Lady Heron
Vincent Cannistraro is a very suspicious character, IMO, and look what I found when I was Googling to answer Lady Heron's question. The man is a supporter of Sami Al-Arian.

Al-Arian supporters take his cause on-line

Excerpt:

Also included are letters of support for Al-Arian from around the country. Those letters were written by professors and citizens, including Vincent Cannistraro, former CIA chief of counter-terrorism.

“You have essentially caved in to hysteria that is being promoted by some irresponsible media,” Cannistraro wrote, addressing Genshaft. “Your action is both a blow to academic freedom and, dare I say it, a cowardly act that reflects poorly on both the university and your own lack of convictions.”

What does that tell us? Since this article, Al-Arian has been arrested.

I also recall Cannistraro has made conflicting statements about the threat posed by Iraq and their al Qaeda connection. When clinton was president (God help us) he acknowledged it. Before this war he denied it.

52 posted on 09/30/2003 3:29:03 PM PDT by cyncooper
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To: cyncooper
Thanks, it is starting to look like everybody is connected in some way. Or should I say an inside plot to bring the President down perhaps. Weird.
53 posted on 09/30/2003 3:41:11 PM PDT by Lady Heron
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To: Maria S
He then explained the process, and expressed confidence that the career-service folks would play it straight,

He is counting on Clinton appointments to be in charge. Just great!

54 posted on 09/30/2003 3:43:22 PM PDT by Lady Heron
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To: tonyinv
I have been thinking along the same lines--media made it seem the Bush adm. or Cheney's office sent Wilson to investigate which gave him more credibility than if the story was his wife,a CIA operative,arranged for this trip. Then someone might have asked for his qualifications to do such an analysis and point out his strong affiliation with democrats and left wing organizations like moveon.org. Wilson's assurances that no yellowcake was being sought by Iraq was accepted and cheerfully used against Bush, without exposing Wilson as an anti war democrat that didn't even ever write up a report on his findings. He wrote an opinion piece in NYT instead. I believe Wilson just doesn't want to say the whole story--if anyone was trying to discredit him it wasn't with the name Valerie Plame--it was the fact Valerie was involved in setting up this trip and getting her husband, who has no investigative skills that we've heard yet,to go in the first place. The fact is this was not about his wife's name which could be found in his bio on Middle East Institute's website--it was about his and her agenda.
55 posted on 09/30/2003 4:58:17 PM PDT by Reb Raider
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Comment #56 Removed by Moderator

To: PhiKapMom
Or perhaps from the Pentagon.
57 posted on 09/30/2003 6:40:19 PM PDT by expatpat
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To: Maria S
I knew the name Hillary was right there. I will bet she is behind this whole deal pulling strings!
58 posted on 09/30/2003 6:43:23 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Support our President -- Donate to Bush-Cheney '04 (www.georgewbush.com/donate))
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To: cyncooper
Cannistraro

Is the media go to guy on all terror/foreign affairs/law enforcement matters.

59 posted on 09/30/2003 6:44:48 PM PDT by Dog (This wednesday is my birthday and I officially become older than dirt....)
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To: cyncooper
Is Cannistraro one of those guys that retired prematurely from the CIA due to spending more time with his family? I knew there were several and was wondering if he was one of them that Tenet showed the door!
60 posted on 09/30/2003 6:46:27 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Support our President -- Donate to Bush-Cheney '04 (www.georgewbush.com/donate))
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