End of an Affair [Plame]

Washington Post ^ | September 1, 2006

[West Coast Conservative]

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.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for including me on the ping. My brain is pretty well fried and I am super tired physically, so will pass on your and others's most likely excellant feedback and dialog. Brain just can't handle it right now. But thanks.

[the Real fifi]

No doubt about that. Hasn't been for ages.

[Enchante]

"No doubt about that."

Sure, but here it's right out in the open and not hidden in the bowels of Jason Leopold and Wm. Pitt...... this is publicly available evidence of Joe Wilson scheming and coordinating "talking points" with the rabid psycho left (of which Joe is now a leading member, but he still pretends to independence and objectivity). This email text is a keeper.

[the Real fifi]

Remember, at one point Leopold said if this report was untrue that he'd name his source, but Truthout obviously stopped him. At DU Pitt let slip sometime ago that Wilson was one of Leopold's sources.

[GOPJ]

The media--especially the Washington Post and New York Times--relied heavily on Wilson's reckless and unfounded charges to wage journalistic jihad against the White House and Bush political adviser Karl Rove. Reporters and columnists, based on little more than Joe Wilson's harrumphing, bought the line that the White House "leaked" Plame's name to discredit her husband.

Shame on the MSM - what were they thinking?

[GOPJ]

The media--especially the Washington Post and New York Times--relied heavily on Wilson's reckless and unfounded charges to wage journalistic jihad against the White House and Bush political adviser Karl Rove. Reporters and columnists, based on little more than Joe Wilson's harrumphing, bought the line that the White House "leaked" Plame's name to discredit her husband.

Shame on the MSM - what were they thinking?

[maica]

>>>I know many of you are better versed in Plamegate than either Valerie or I<<<

He lies to himself! and puts it in writing.

[FReethesheeples]

Even the Post finally had to acknowledge the obvious.

[Enchante]

BUMP to this thread, and a reminder to all that in light of the Libby trial, whatever happens with that in the end, it is more certain than ever that "Plamegate" was a frame-up by scum-of-the-earth leftists and DBM (mostly the same thing) who ignored every actual fact and lead (on "the real leaker" and significance thereof) to concoct a fantasy-based-assault on the White House in time of war. We must try to make sure that the media does not get away with the usual "Yawn, old news" on all of this.

---

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

[Redleg Duke]

Hey! Being the WalPo means never having to say you are sorry!

[Texas Songwriter]

Which is more evil?.....Libby forgetting the sequence of conversations he had and thus remembering, apparently erroneously, who he spoke to first....OR....the soulless, nefareous, putrifaction of guiltless feeling which must infest the minds of Powell, Armitage,Tenent? Which is the greater sin? Which should be the focus of investigation as much as one who was held in such high esteem that the Presidency was his for the taking. Powell, like Judas, is the sinner of devilish proportions. I ask you....would you like to be in a foxhole with Powell with his internal compass? With his code of ethics? For 3 years he watched as innocent men were persecuted, made to spend every thin dime on their defense against the endless prosection of a special prosecutor who knew, from his being instated in the office that Armitage was the source....yet he set political traps hoping fear, or loyalty, or weakness would result in someone in the administration falling prey. This trial is an Outrage.

[bray]

The heat must be getting close to Potatohead and PravdABDNC??

Pray for W and Our Troops

[Texas Songwriter]

my guess is, if we do see Fitzgerald drop the charges, its because the "cabal" here will get a message through Fitzgerald's handlers and tell him that they don't want to risk being dragged into court, and its better to drop it. Fitz will of course claim he is dropping the charges to sustain the "rule of law" or some other platitude, which will be nonsense of course.

Why would you conclude this? When FItzgerald questioned Libby he already knew who had committed the 'exposure' of Plame, yet he set trap after trap after trap. He has no sense of right and wrong. He desired that the law be his excuse to evil persecutions. This trial is an Outrage.

[bray]

Imagine The Wilsons, Potatohead and Spitboy all chained together walking into Levinworth....

Pray for W and Our Troops

[Texas Songwriter]

It did what it was intended. It returned congress to the g*****m democrats. My bad. Lets' move on. These people need to be held accountable. This trial is an Outrage.

[Philistone]

Joe Wilson is, and has been since the 80s, a French spy. He divorced the woman who recruited him only when he found out that Valerie worked at the CIA.

This has been a French black-ops since the beginning.

[nopardons]

bttt

[pinz-n-needlez]

Bump for a Libby Medal of Honor.

This trial could go a long way in connecting the folks on the Dana Priest/Mary McCarthy graph to other Anti-Americans working in our government now and in the past.

Contributing to Libby's Defense Fund could be a contribution to America's Future that is extremely valuable.