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Posted on 10/05/2003 8:12:12 AM PDT by Brian Mosely
Press Release Source: Newsweek
NEWSWEEK: Several Well-Connected Washington Reporters Contacted Wilson After Novak Column Appeared, He Says
Sunday October 5, 10:53 am ET
NEW YORK, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Former ambassador Joseph Wilson IV tells Newsweek that in the days after Robert Novak's column appeared, in which Novak identified the ambassador's wife as a CIA operative, Wilson got calls from several well-connected Washington reporters. One was NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell. She tells Newsweek in the October 13 issue (on newsstands Monday, October 6) that she said to Wilson: "I heard in the White House that people were touting the Novak column and that that was the real story."
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031005/NYSU003 ) The next day, Wilson got a call from Chris Matthews, host of the MSNBC cable show "Hardball." According to a source close to Wilson, Matthews said, "I just got off the phone with Karl Rove, who said your wife was fair game." Matthews told Newsweek: "I'm not going to talk about off-the-record conversations."
The White House spokesman dismissed as "ridiculous" the charge that Rove outed Valerie Plame Wilson. A source familiar with Rove's conversation acknowledged that Rove spoke to Matthews a few days after Novak's column appeared, but said that Rove never told Matthews that Wilson's wife was "fair game" -- rather, that it "was reasonable to discuss who sent Wilson to Niger," report Assistant Managing Editor Evan Thomas and Investigative Reporter Michael Isikoff. Novak wrote last week that the leaker was "no partisan gunslinger."
That suggests that the original leak came from someone in the White House national-security apparatus, which holds itself above politics, write Thomas and Isikoff. Many White House staffers are potential suspects, but various press reports have suggested that the Feds will want to interview I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.
In Joseph Wilson's original op-ed in July, in which he accused the administration of "twist[ing]" intelligence to "exaggerate the Iraqi threat," he wrote that Vice President Cheney had asked the CIA to check out the Iraqis' alleged attempt to buy uranium in Niger. Wilson went on to say that the administration simply ignored his highly skeptical report. After reading Wilson's column, the veep's office went to some effort to tell reporters that they had never heard of Wilson's report until very recently. It may be significant that both Rove and Libby deny leaking classified information. They may say that in talking to reporters they used her name without knowing that she was undercover.
Libby was unavailable for comment, but a spokesperson for the vice president's office, Cathie Martin, tells Newsweek: "It's irresponsible to make unsubstantiated allegations. The investigation is going on and we should let the DOJ do their work." The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, later told Newsweek that he had spoken to Libby, who told him that he "neither leaked the information nor would he condone the leaking of it."
Meanwhile, Newsweek also reports that the FBI, called in to investigate for leaks as part of the Congressional inquiry into intelligence failures after 9/11, asked if Senators were willing to submit to polygraph tests, though none volunteered. In recent weeks, Newsweek has learned, several Senate staffers have been subpoenaed before a grand jury.
Okay Andrea, heard from who in the White House? Other reporters? This statement still doesn't say that it was some official in the White House. It could have been the freakin' garbage man she got this comment from for all we know. Maybe she means her husband.
Notice she says, "I heard in the White House that people were touting," etc.
She did NOT say, "I heard FROM the White House," etc.
So she says that she heard a rumor and she doesn't specify from whom she heard that rumor. If her claim is even true, she could have "heard" this from Wilson himself, or from McAuliffe, or some other flaming liberal liar.
Consider this paragraph. If true;
- Rove should be fired
- Mathews disclosed a confidential sources (Rove) to Wilson and now Mathews is hiding behind confidentiality. Mathews should be shunned.
If it is true, though, why did Wilson backpedal on his accusation against Rove?
According to a source close to Wilson, Matthews said, "I just got off the phone with Karl Rove, who said your wife was fair game." Matthews told Newsweek: "I'm not going to talk about off-the-record conversations. Consider this paragraph. If true;
- Rove should be fired
- Mathews disclosed a confidential sources (Rove) to Wilson and now Mathews is hiding behind confidentiality. Mathews should be shunned.
If it is true, though, why did Wilson backpedal on his accusation against Rove?
This is the fishiest 'quote' I've heard in ages. Someone says that Wilson says that Matthews says (but Matthews refuses to confirm or deny) that Rove says..." This doesn't fall under any respectable category of evidence I've ever heard of - it's worse than gossip.
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