The CIA leak (Latest From Novak)

townhall.com ^ | 10/01/03 | Robert Novak

[PGalt]

Baghdad Bob has got nothing on Beltway Bob.

[Shermy]

I take # 39 back. Friday was the referral to the White House.

[swilhelm73]

That also is an interesting question. IIRC, the story first appeared in a Washington Post article. One of the reporters the story was supposedly shopped to, again IIRC, Andrea Mitchell has denied it. Now Novak is denying it - and no one seems to be coming forward as one of the six.

So...were did the WP get this info from??? A n inside source name T. M. Cauliffe perhaps?

[Destro]

Where have you been? George Tenet - head of the CIA-Clinton appointee.

[Shermy]

No one can tell me Wilson's CIA wife isn't just as partisan as he is.

If the admin has balls, it would investigate who was the "CIA official" who leaked to the BBC.

[Timesink]

Except that we will hear from every news source every half an hour and on every front page for the next two months that "Bush punished a diplomat for exposing his lies by blowing the cover of his CIA undercover agent wife thereby subjegating national security to political pique."

Let 'em try. They couldn't even make the original yellowcake story last more than ten days. And with the California elections coming up in a week, this thing only has two ways to go: Into obscurity while the Justice Department completes their "investigation", or blowing up in the RATS' faces as some media moron finally figures out that the Dems are claiming 2+2=5 here.

[Shermy]

That also is an interesting question. IIRC, the story first appeared in a Washington Post article. One of the reporters the story was supposedly shopped to, again IIRC, Andrea Mitchell has denied it. Now Novak is denying it - and no one seems to be coming forward as one of the six.

Absolutely. Wash Post should be Jayson Blair'ed on it. It's a lie....I assume.

[Jeff Chandler]

If he doesn't the press will make sure that their is always some lingering doubt about this affair clouding Bush's reputation.

The only thing standing between hillary and the White House is the public's confidence in Bush's handling of national security. That's based on the belief that Bush is honest. The media is relentless in its slander of Bush, and Bush just shrugs and smiles.

Bush41 lost the presidency because he didn't fight for it. Let's hope Bush43 decides someday to fight back.

[Diver Dave]

Call a plumber!

[softengine]

Any proof of that? If so, you'd think someone in the media would have brought such an interesting tidbit to the table by now.

[Leroy S. Mort]

Re-read my post. I said "In Wilson's case...." referring to your contention that Wilson was working for the Bush administration. Fact is, he wasn't.

[Jeff Chandler]

A n inside source name T. M. Cauliffe perhaps?

Ding ding ding ding ding! We have a winner.

[Timesink]

A bigger story might be the planting of the "6 reporters" story.

I agree, though I'm not yet totally convinced there may not be a separate attempt by some other administration official, about fifteen levels lower than White House level and probably a Clintonista, trying to separately shop the story around after the original Novak leak in order to frame the Bush White House.

[Jeff Chandler]

And with the California elections coming up in a week...

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Good point.

[Consort]

The Dems had to counter Davis' ouster in California....a big political story. Novak was used as a pawn; he's got to go. Wilson has to be thoroughly humiliated for his role in this.

[softengine]

I like that assessment. Why do we think of these things and not them? Or did they..?

[Destro]

They all work for the administration. The CIA is answer directly to Bush.

[YaYa123]

Tom Brokaw clarified Andrea Mitchell's part in this last night on the evening news. Brokaw said she got a call from the White House, but it was AFTER the publication of Novak's column naming Wilson's wife. I suspect that will be the case with the other 5 reporters as well. Which to my thinking, means no one at the White House released secret information about a CIA employee....it was already public information.

I loved Novak digging to find out her name had also been listed beside Wilsons in some muckety muck Who's Who list.

[aristeides]

From tomorrow's Daily Telegraph article:

The scandal took off at the weekend after an unnamed senior administration official, reportedly close to Mr Tenet, told the Washington Post that two White House officials leaked Miss Plame's identity to selected journalists in an act of "revenge" on Mr Wilson.

Any ideas who the senior administration official close to Tenet might be?

[RobbyS]

We still don't know why the guy was given this assignment