There is NO motive to out Plame.
First of all, if the administration wanted to kill her career, they could have done so quietly by having her re-assigned to the desk that monitors activity in Antarctica.
Secondly, quite a few people in DC knew that Plame was CIA. There have been several articles on this story.
Third, President Bush, whose father was a CIA director, values the CIA and has been quite supportive of their efforts, both publicly and in the budget. To think that he would use the CIA for political advantage, and a small one, is silly.
Given Mr. Wilson's attitude and background, I think it far more likely that he used his wife's position to prove his insider knowledge, and that Novak checked with both the CIA and an administration official, who verified it.
Why would Bush go after one ambassador and his wife over this story, when he has tolerated and worked with people such as Ted Kennedy, who have said and done much worse things? It is out of character for him and makes no sense.
Sorry, but I don't buy your long list of comments, since many of them are simply YOUR opinion.
I agree with you that Bush had nothing to do with this. However, that doesn't mean that someone in his administration didn't do this out of a foolish desire to play hardball. I very much hope that is not the case.
\ And I tend to believe Kristol when he says that the CIA in open revolt against Bush.
What about Chuck Hagel? Or Bill Kristol? Are they both secret RINO's too? Can we also discount anything a Republican says if it makes the White House look bad?
There is NO motive to out Plame. First of all, if the administration wanted to kill her career, they could have done so quietly by having her re-assigned to the desk that monitors activity in Antarctica.
???? But that would defeat the main purpose of outing her openly. Which was to send a message to CIA staff to keep quiet about anything that might potentially embarrass the White House regarding Yellowcake, or else face having their careers ruined.
Can you really not see this as a potential motive, or are you just trying not to see it?
Secondly, quite a few people in DC knew that Plame was CIA. There have been several articles on this story.
And each one of those stories trace back to one person: Bob Novak. Hardly an uninterested party.
And even then, there's a huge difference between suspecting that someone works for the CIA, and having it confirmed in the newspaper.
Third, President Bush, whose father was a CIA director, values the CIA and has been quite supportive of their efforts, both publicly and in the budget. To think that he would use the CIA for political advantage, and a small one, is silly.
Actually, I don't think so. In fact, I don't think the President had anything to do with it. But someone within his administration clearly did.
Given Mr. Wilson's attitude and background, I think it far more likely that he used his wife's position to prove his insider knowledge, and that Novak checked with both the CIA and an administration official, who verified it.
So what? That in no way justifies outing a CIA operative. Whomever told Novak that Plame worked for the CIA is probably guilty of a felony.
Why would Bush go after one ambassador and his wife over this story, when he has tolerated and worked with people such as Ted Kennedy, who have said and done much worse things?
Well, probably because ole Teddy hasn't recently undermined the US rationale for going to war with Iraq, as Wilson did. And again, I don't think the President really had anything to do with it.
Sorry, but I don't buy your long list of comments, since many of them are simply YOUR opinion.
Fact: A CIA operative has been exposed.
Fact: Senior administration officials were involved in exposing a undercover CIA agent.
Fact: The CIA cannot afford to allow its agents to think that political officials can occasionally blow their cover either out of malice or incompetence.
I am frankly amazed that so many here don't seem to be grasping the importance of this scandal.
This isn't about politics, this is about *institutions*. The CIA isn't about to let any administration, whether it be Republican, Democratic or Rastafarian, undermine their authority.