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CNN Stands by Robert Novak During Probe Into Leak of CIA Officer's Identity
AP ^ | Jul 17, 2005 | Lynn Elber

Posted on 07/17/2005 6:09:54 PM PDT by rface

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Journalist Robert Novak's status as a CNN contributor will remain unaffected during a federal probe into the revelation of a CIA officer's identity, executives at the news channel said Sunday.

"I think we're all aware that no one really knows what's going on in the investigation of the Valerie Plame incident," said Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "So it would be awfully presumptuous of us to take steps against a guy in his career based on second, third, fourth-hand reporting."

Klein praised Novak as "one of the most outstanding political reporters this country has ever known."

A call to Novak's Washington office seeking comment Sunday was not immediately returned.

In a July 2003 newspaper column, Novak identified Plame, the wife of administration critic and former U.S. ambassador Joseph Wilson, as a CIA operative.

Wilson has said the leak of his wife's name was an attempt by the administration to discredit him after he challenged its assertion that Iraq's Saddam Hussein was seeking to obtain material from Niger to make nuclear weapons.

Two other reporters connected to the Plame story openly fought the revelation of their sources. Novak has repeatedly refused to comment about his role in the federal investigation.

One reporter, Judith Miller of The New York Times, was jailed for contempt for refusing to cooperate with prosecutors. She gathered material but did not write a story about Plame.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cialeak; cnn; novak
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I checked to see if this has been posted. Please delete if a dupe.....
1 posted on 07/17/2005 6:09:54 PM PDT by rface
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To: rface

"So it would be awfully presumptuous of us to take steps against a guy in his career based on second, third, fourth-hand reporting."

Too bad this standard doesn't apply to Rove eh.


2 posted on 07/17/2005 6:11:31 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: rface

Lynn Elber has been an entertaiment writer with the Associated Press since 1992. Although she grew up around the corner from MGM and other movie studios in Culver City, California, Elber's early journalism years were spent covering fires, floods and politics. That training helped to prepare her for the tough job of doing the Hollywood shuffle.

3 posted on 07/17/2005 6:13:14 PM PDT by kcvl
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To: kcvl

Oh..its soo nice you hippies have your finger near the button and will excersise temporary restaint.


4 posted on 07/17/2005 6:17:21 PM PDT by samadams2000 (Pitchforks and Lanters..with a smiley face!)
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To: kcvl

there you go! She's perfect for this story.


5 posted on 07/17/2005 6:17:36 PM PDT by rface ("...the most schizoid freeper I've ever seen" - New Bloomfield, Missouri)
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To: rface
"I think we're all aware that no one really knows what's going on in the investigation of the Valerie Plame incident," said Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "

It is an absolute certainty that noone at CNN knows what's going on..in this or any other matter.

Probably one of the only accurate statements CNN has ever made.

6 posted on 07/17/2005 6:22:41 PM PDT by Tula Git
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To: rface

I love looking up information on the "reporters" who write these stories. Most of them couldn't find their *ss with both hands. And since they don't like anyone finding out information about them it makes it all the better.


7 posted on 07/17/2005 6:24:40 PM PDT by kcvl
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To: rface

Could minor Ambassador Joe Wilson himself have been the source in blowing his own Wife's cover?

It is distinctly possible, (though it may be unlikely that Joe Wilson himself directly was NY Times Judith Miller's source), since Joe Wilson himself evidently routinely bragged openly to strangers about her CIA employment, prior to such "cover" being "blown" in the press.

Here's an example of Joe's apparently routine and open bragging about Valerie being a "CIA agent," which became known directly to me over a year ago:

He certainly bragged about it per a famous and highly reliable source's (named below) account of his own face-to-face encounter with Amb. Joe Wilson prior to Valerie Plame's "outing" as a CIA agent/employee.

Based upon a personal conversation (we were in a small group eating; it was NOT an "off the record") I had with eminent historian Victor Davis Hanson (we were at a luncheon table together during a trip to Europe), it appeared entirely possible that Joe Wilson himself was the (or one source, if not the original one) possible source in revealing his own wife's status as a CIA agent or employee.

Victor Davis Hanson (Wilson presumably knew Victor Davis Hanson wrote regularly for NRO (National Review Online), had done OpEds for the Wall street Journal, and other publications, and had his own Website with a widespread following) said he (VDH) & Joe Wilson were both in the same "Green Room" before a televised debate-discussion on Iraq, etc. and Joe first warned the TV make-up person not to get powder on his $14,000 Rolex watch, then he bragged to Victor about several things (possessions and trips to Aspen, etc.), like his expensive car (I think it was a Mercedes), and then bragged about his beautiful ("hot") wife who, Joe Wilson said (braggingly) was a CIA operative.

I asked Victor Davis Hanson Why he didn't write up this account.(?) He replied that Joe Wilson would probably simply deny it, since only he (VDH) & Joe Wilson were in the Green Room together before the broadcast.

However, it is now easy to surmise that Joe Wilson is a crass, materialistic, self-promoting, vain, egotistical, bragaddocio-opportunist, so this account is perfectly consistent with Valerie Plame's TWO photo shoots in Vanity Fair. (Or was it Vogue? No, probably too crass for Vogue, n'est pas?)


8 posted on 07/17/2005 6:24:54 PM PDT by FReethesheeples (Gonzales appears to be quite WEAK on Property rights!)
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To: kcvl
Thanks for the background on this reporter. She's the perfect choice if Valerie Plame needs another unqualified person to go looking for nuclear material.

Unless, of course, you've just outed her...

9 posted on 07/17/2005 6:26:11 PM PDT by Dr.Hilarious ("My wife was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity."-Joe W)
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To: kcvl

Lynn Elber has been an entertaiment writer with the Associated Press since 1992. Although she grew up around the corner from MGM and other movie studios in Culver City, California, Elber's early journalism years were spent covering fires, floods and politics. That training helped to prepare her for the tough job of doing the Hollywood shuffle.

...and laying on her back in exchange for free drinks at Trader Vic's from studio execs.

10 posted on 07/17/2005 6:27:32 PM PDT by Libertarian444
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To: rface

Miller's protecting another reporter, probably Kristof, who actually interviewed Wilson a couple months before Novak's article. Wilson was probably getting frustrated with no one listening to him so he just casually mentioned his wife, Plame, to Kristof in order to lend credence to his story.


11 posted on 07/17/2005 6:28:05 PM PDT by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: rface
Klein praised Novak as "one of the most outstanding political reporters this country has ever known."

I think he is well past his prime.

Witness his certain announcement of Renquist's imminent retirement, just over a week ago.

How often is he right, these days? Can he be relied on or trusted, on this Rove/Wilson episode?

Or anything?

12 posted on 07/17/2005 6:28:45 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: Libertarian444
and laying on her back in exchange for free drinks at Trader Vic's from studio execs.

ROFLOL!

13 posted on 07/17/2005 6:29:37 PM PDT by kcvl
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To: rface
CNN Stands by Robert Novak During Probe Into Leak of CIA Officer's Identity

Uh...is anyone else shocked?(s)

CNN did a segment on the nations political scandals.
Odd.... they never even mentioned Clinton, the countries disgraced and impeached president. Funny they'd miss that one (NOT - he's their Allah, and Bush is the target of their jihad)

14 posted on 07/17/2005 6:30:07 PM PDT by concerned about politics ("A people without a heritage are easily persuaded (deceived)" - Karl Marx)
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To: kcvl


Actually, if you'd done your "research" competently you would have discovered that Lynn Elber doesn't deserve your idiotic comments.

http://www.mrc.org/inthenews/2003/news1003.asp


15 posted on 07/17/2005 6:33:51 PM PDT by Technical Editor
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To: Libertarian444

And you, too, you moron.


16 posted on 07/17/2005 6:35:23 PM PDT by Technical Editor
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To: tet68

precisely, my first thought!


17 posted on 07/17/2005 6:37:47 PM PDT by YaYa123 (@You Must Be Brilliant Too.com)
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To: tet68

MSM is playing musical chairs.


18 posted on 07/17/2005 6:39:26 PM PDT by Alia
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To: kcvl
This story by Lynn Elber is fair and it is well-written.
For example, how many other reporters have gotten this basic part straight?

"that Iraq's Saddam Hussein was seeking to obtain material from Niger to make nuclear weapons"

19 posted on 07/17/2005 6:41:25 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: FReethesheeples
Promise to stop after the 100th time.

5-10 more should put you over the top

20 posted on 07/17/2005 6:41:27 PM PDT by hole_n_one
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