[Yo-Yo]

As NewsMax reported earlier today, Syndicated columnist Robert Novak wrote that the identity of Wilson’s wife "was not much of a secret".

Indeed it was not. Besides her name being readily available on the internet, "Who’s Who in America-2003" lists Valerie Elise Plame as Wilson’s wife. How "secret" is that?

The secret wasn't Wilson's wife's maiden name, it was the fact that she was an undercover operative using that name. Sheesh.

Bad guys can now think back and say to themselves "hmm, I remember Ivan spent a lot of time with that Plame woman back in the '90s..."

I hope that Novak is right and her 'job' wasn't much of a secret in the D.C. Cocktail Circuit.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" it was the fact that she was an undercover operative using that name"

If undercover opertives are using their rightful names, which are easily accessed and in the public domain-the CIA is in worse trouble than we can imagine.

[Orangedog]

The CIA is an absolute mess. We have an agency that is as incompetent as it gets and they are responsible for guarding our nations secrets. Why do I call them incompetent? Because Novak called them and asked if this woman was an operative and they CONFIRMED IT! Hello?!

[palmer]

it was the fact that she was an undercover operative using that name.

I have not heard confirmation of that fact yet. The only source so far has been Novak who said "operative" then backpeddled to "analyst".