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End of an Affair [Plame]
Washington Post ^ | September 1, 2006

Posted on 08/31/2006 10:08:00 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative

Edited on 09/01/2006 5:56:51 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years. But all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame's cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.

Mr. Armitage was one of the Bush administration officials who supported the invasion of Iraq only reluctantly. He was a political rival of the White House and Pentagon officials who championed the war and whom Mr. Wilson accused of twisting intelligence about Iraq and then plotting to destroy him. Unaware that Ms. Plame's identity was classified information, Mr. Armitage reportedly passed it along to columnist Robert D. Novak "in an offhand manner, virtually as gossip," according to a story this week by the Post's R. Jeffrey

Smith, who quoted a former colleague of Mr. Armitage.

It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue......

Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: armitage; bullzogby; bush; bushhassers; bushlied; cia; cialeak; getbush; getrove; gotcaught; iraq; knewitallalong; lyingliars; makingitup; mediabias; misterplame; movealong; muchadoaboutnothing; nigerflap; nothingtoseehere; plame; plamebroiled; plamegate; plamenamegame; pravdaus; propaganda; retraction; smearcampaign; tempestinateapot; waronerror; washingtonpost; wilson; wilsondone; yellowjournalism
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To: Grampa Dave; martin_fierro
End of the Plame Affair?

Does this mean Valerie won't be taking it all off for Playboy?

281 posted on 09/02/2006 10:11:18 AM PDT by Liz (The US Constitution is intended to protect the people from the government.)
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To: Adrastus

There was a Wall Street Journal editorial during the week that highlighted Colin Powell's involvement in this infuriating affair. The WSJ editorial scorched Powell as being disloyal to the President...I would add a backstabbing SOB and the most over-rated person in America. Powell has reinforced my already low opinion of him.


282 posted on 09/02/2006 10:23:15 AM PDT by Cuttnhorse
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To: JennysCool
"Joe knew that higher-ups were looking into his trip, and decided to "get out in front of the story" by making his own accusations in the New York Times. Smokescreen, in other words."

I think Wilson thought he could be responsible for bringing down a sitting president and jumped at the opportunity. He obviously isn't the brightest person and failded to realize the whole affair was made up and would never fly.

I wonder what the level of coversation is at the Plame/Wilson dinner table now that even the WaPo says that the person most responsible for ending Plame's mediocre CIA career was her darling hubby? LOL!!

283 posted on 09/02/2006 10:29:54 AM PDT by Cuttnhorse
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To: Cuttnhorse

I posted yesterday my guess the marriage has less than six months. Val isn't going to give him credibility anymore, and she's probably quickly realizing she's married to an unemployed moonbat.


284 posted on 09/02/2006 10:37:51 AM PDT by JennysCool (Roll out the Canarble Wagon!)
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To: Liz

Most of them are in the fruit cellar and at home except when they come out for a soak in the executive gay hot tubs.


285 posted on 09/02/2006 12:52:03 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (There's a dwindling market for Marxist Homosexual Lunatic lies/wet dreams posing as news.)
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To: Liz

"Does this mean Valerie won't be taking it all off for Playboy?"

The vile letch, who owns Penthouse will welcome her with open arms.


286 posted on 09/02/2006 12:53:20 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (There's a dwindling market for Marxist Homosexual Lunatic lies/wet dreams posing as news.)
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To: JennysCool

They will move to seperate bedrooms, then one of them will sneak out to an appt. while the other files for divorce.

1-2 years max for this marriage made in liberal hell.


287 posted on 09/02/2006 12:54:59 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (There's a dwindling market for Marxist Homosexual Lunatic lies/wet dreams posing as news.)
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To: Billthedrill

Nick, Nora, and Asta will just have to fade away.


288 posted on 09/02/2006 12:59:32 PM PDT by beyond the sea (TWO PENCIL-NECKED DWEEBS NEED A PUBLIC HANGING— DAVID CORN, PARTICK FITZGERALD)
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To: YaYa123

Just E-Mailed Chris-Subject - The African Connection, and in the letter portion put only NIGERGATE???????? Got an E-Mail right back asking me to take a survey. Eager to express my opinion, I hit the highlighted title only to be told the site was currently full. Wonder how many nasty E-Mails they will get? Will try again later to take their survey.


289 posted on 09/02/2006 1:44:30 PM PDT by upcountry miss
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To: upcountry miss
MSNBC Message: "Thank you very much for your interest. The panel is currently full."

Translation? Chris Matthews = Laughingstock, currently in hiding, mourning the loss of his White House whipping boys.

290 posted on 09/02/2006 1:51:04 PM PDT by YaYa123
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To: YaYa123

LOL. I'm going to keep trying if it takes a week.


291 posted on 09/02/2006 2:15:37 PM PDT by upcountry miss
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To: tiredoflaundry; Fedora; Howlin; ravingnutter; piasa; Peach; Grampa Dave; pinz-n-needlez; ...

This email from Joe Wilson to the loathsome William Pitt is important far beyond its puerile content, for it confirms that Joe Wilson has a warm relationship with some of the lefty blogs and smear merchants who have fanned the flames on this nonsense.

Think about all the secretive "scoops" and "tips" and "confirmations" from unnamed sources that people like Wm. Pitt and Jason Leopold have claimed on this matter. Now we know beyond any speculation that Joe Wilson considers Wm. Pitt and associates to be close "fighting" allies to whom Wilson channels talking points, etc. Wilson may have revealed more than he meant to - I think this is the most open affirmation I have seen that lyin' Joe has been pulling strings behind the scenes, funneling info to lefty bloggers, etc.

We should re-read all of Jason Leopold's output with this in mind..... I always thought that Wilson and his close associates were pulling Leopold's strings on Karl Rove, etc.





WilliamPitt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Fri Sep-01-06 11:38 AM
Original message
Joe Wilson responds to WaPo hatchet job Updated at 1:39 PM

Via email:

You may have seen this morning's editorial in the Post. It manages to recycle pretty much every lie and smear over the past three years in a last ditch effort to divert attention from the facts, and the role the Post itself played both in the march to war and in the leak (see Woodward).

I know many of you are better versed in Plamegate than either Valerie or I and I also know that some of you will be addressing the editorial.

I want to let you know how much Valerie and I continue to be buoyed by your support and your dedication to getting the truth out and holding the administration and its lackeys accountable for the terrible policies they have foisted on our country and on the world. We must keep fighting.

As you think about this, our website (Wilsonsupport.org) has a copy of the letter I sent to the SSCI when its report first came out, challenging some of its conclusions. The LeftCoaster has a terrific study by eriposte on the whole Niger forgery case from beginning to end. Firedoglake and the Next Hurrah both have highly informative analyses of the case by skilled researchers and former prosecutors. I recommend them all as resoruces to jog memories. by this afternoon, I expect that our own team will have an updated set of talking points to distribute for your use as well.

Each of you in one way or another has contributed to the public's (and in many cases our own) understanding of the issues from the beginning. Thank you for continuing to do so.

Joe Wilson


292 posted on 09/02/2006 3:14:49 PM PDT by Enchante (There are 3 kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Mainstream Journalism)
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To: uncbob; roses of sharon

re: MSM as dinosaurs

Good point, it would be way too complacent of us to think that just because WE can see and discuss all of the MSM frauds, lies, and biases that their influence is broken. Most of the time 70-90% of the public is completely unaware of each MSM "scandal" or "jihad" against conservatives that has been debunked, refuted, or has simply fizzled out from lack of substance.

Even when a Rush Limbaugh can reach 15-20 million or (sometimes) there is something "fair and balanced" on FoxNews that reaches maybe 2 million viewers, that leaves far more than 150 million US adults who will never hear about it, not even 2nd-hand.

We can be encouraged that the complete monopoloy of the left-liberal MSM has been broken, but they still dominate NBC-CBS-ABC-CNN-PBS-NPR and the 25 largest metro newspapers. They are dinosaurs in intellectual terms, but they are very far from extinction in terms of political and cultural influence.


293 posted on 09/02/2006 3:22:31 PM PDT by Enchante (There are 3 kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Mainstream Journalism)
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To: Enchante; Howlin

Thanks for the e-mail posting. One thing it shows us...Joe Wilson READ the Post's editorial and he is in damage control mode. HA!


294 posted on 09/02/2006 3:22:53 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: West Coast Conservative

And this is why Rush calls them the drive-by media. Hit and run. Story turns out to be untrue? No problem. We're looking at another story now.

The way the liberal press destroys reputations is criminal, and no amount of later retractions can undo the damage caused by their lies and distortions.


295 posted on 09/02/2006 3:36:16 PM PDT by Rocky (Air America: Robbing the poor to feed the Left)
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To: Enchante

Thats what I call slumming


296 posted on 09/02/2006 3:37:46 PM PDT by woofie
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To: Rocky
"drive-by media"

Exactly - the pompous blowhards at WaPo now tell us they are so very "reluctant" to return to this (big yawn) tired old story ... because if they treated it in detail now they'd have to describe how virtually EVERY article in the MSM for the past 3+ years has been a pile of donkey droppings.

Instead, they just want to say "move on everyone, nothing to see here!"

An HONEST media would report fully on its own mistakes and biases, working hard to ensure that the public ends up with the most accurate accounting of each significant story..... but of course if we had an honest MSM then this story never would have gotten off the ground.
297 posted on 09/02/2006 3:41:40 PM PDT by Enchante (There are 3 kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Mainstream Journalism)
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To: Enchante; PJ-Comix

Whoa, Pied Piper Pitt resurfaces on DU to carry Joe Wilson's water. He's been in hiding over there just about continuously, ever since Jason Leopold's "Sealed vs. Sealed" indictment against Karl Rove never materialized at the end of the promised 48 "business hours" back in May. He just can't resist any opportunity to name-drop, risking even the continued scorn of his erstwhile followers over at DUmmieland.


298 posted on 09/02/2006 4:04:21 PM PDT by CFC__VRWC (AIDS, abortion, euthanasia - Don't liberals just kill ya?)
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To: Enchante

What predictable hubris ... I really hope we see these two lowlifes grovel in shame for the rest of their lives.


299 posted on 09/02/2006 5:13:49 PM PDT by STARWISE (They (Rats) think of this WOT as Bush's war, not America's war-RichardMiniter, respected OBL author)
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To: Enchante
What's the matter, Joe? Feeling all those lecture appearances drying up?

Joe Wilson is a war profiteer, inventing lies that hurt his nation in wartime so he can make money off books and lecture appearances, and should be treated accordingly. Any man who values the spotlight over the truth is truly a disgraceful punk.

300 posted on 09/02/2006 5:44:10 PM PDT by Darkwolf377
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