Karl Rove was the Plame leaker

[Balta1701]

wow...         

He deserved it, considering that when he was just asked to repeat answers that he had given a year or a year and a half ago, he responded with basically a no comment.

[FlaSoxxJim]

He deserved it, considering that when he was just asked to repeat answers that he had given a year or a year and a half ago, he responded with basically a no comment.

He certainly deserved it. What he was trying to say (ie, at some point in the midst of the ongoing investigation the prosecuters told the White House to clam up) may be true, but it seems more like a convenient cone of silence in this case.

 

How long until Scotty 'pulls a Fleischer' and decides he can't stomach this crap anymore?

[FlaSoxxJim]

[kapkomet]

Granted I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, but these guys (the media) are like sharks with EXTREME blood in the water. They want to devour this so bad they can taste it. They are wanting revenge for Clinton.

[Balta1701]

This is how the article will start for anyone who reads a piece on this from the AP in your morning paper tomorrow...

 

For two years, the White House has insisted that presidential adviser Karl Rove had nothing to do with the leak of a CIA officer's identity. And President Bush said the leaker would be fired.

 

Here's some words from Harry Reid...

 

I agree with the President when he said he expects the people who work for him to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. The White House promised if anyone was involved in the Valerie Plame affair, they would no longer be in this administration. I trust they will follow through on this pledge. If these allegations are true this rises above politics and is about our national security.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Granted I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, but these guys (the media) are like sharks with EXTREME blood in the water.  They want to devour this so bad they can taste it.  They are wanting revenge for Clinton.

For sure they are coming at them with guns blazing, but I think it has little to do with Clinton. I think it has more to do with the disdain the administration has shown for journalists, and the orchestrated smear campaigns against journalists and their publications after they have run anti-administration pieces.

[KipWellsFan]

Granted I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, but these guys (the media) are like sharks with EXTREME blood in the water.  They want to devour this so bad they can taste it.  They are wanting revenge for Clinton.

 

The media was obsessed with the BJ scandal too.

[kapkomet]

It doesn't matter anymore, because Bush got re-elected. Fire his ass.

 

Big whoop. Sad, but true.

[Rex Kickass]

Granted I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, but these guys (the media) are like sharks with EXTREME blood in the water.  They want to devour this so bad they can taste it.  They are wanting revenge for Clinton.

 

Why would the media want revenge? The media benefitted from Clinton's sex scandal. If you said the Dems want revenge, you'd be on to something. But, at the same time, knowingly or unknowingly leaking an undercover CIA operative should be a firing offense.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Why would the media want revenge? The media benefitted from Clinton's sex scandal. If you said the Dems want revenge, you'd be on to something. But, at the same time, knowingly or unknowingly leaking an undercover CIA operative should be a firing offense.

And getting off with simple dismissal for an act that is likely criminal if not outright treason would be getting a break. For anybody not in the administration, that is. In this case it's the best that can be hoped for.

[kapkomet]

I think Rove should be fired, at least based on the evidence seen so far. And I generally give doubt to this administration.

[FlaSoxxJim]

A great line today from abcnews.com's The Note, which ran down the facts of the Rove/Plame controversy very nicely:

 

The grand jury is expected to meet tomorrow morning at 10:00 am ET. That will be quite a stakeout (or, put another way, that word that rhymes with "bustermuck").

[Texsox]

Dear My Best Buddy Texsox and all his friends on Soxtalk*,

 

Less than two weeks ago, members of the johnkerry.com community demanded that Karl Rove be fired for his deliberate attempt to, once again, use the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to divide America. Now Karl Rove is embroiled in another controversy concerning the leaked identity of a covert CIA agent, which was done to punish her husband, a man who had the courage to tell the truth about manipulated intelligence in Iraq.

 

Karl Rove is the President's top advisor in the White House and what he has admitted doing has deep and troubling consequences for our national security.

 

It's hard to understand how the President can tolerate his top advisor being involved in exposing a CIA agent in the name of politics by telling reporters about her work - making her already dangerous job that much more dangerous.

 

In order to do what the President called on us to do earlier this week - "continue to take the fight to the enemy" - the White House and Karl Rove must stop taking it to their so-called political enemies here at home.

 

It's perfectly clear that Rove - the person at the center of the slash and burn, smear and divide tactics that have come to characterize the Bush Administration - has to go.

 

http://www.johnkerry.com/firerove

 

The problem is that, instead of protecting the American people from real threats to our security, this Administration spends its time protecting Karl Rove. That's not leadership.

 

They're doing their best to brush off this new Rove controversy as just another political story, but this time they are having a harder time getting away with it. That's why, if we raise our voices now, we can really make a difference. Please ask all your friends to sign our "Fire Rove" petition today:

 

http://www.johnkerry.com/firerove

 

Despite carefully worded denials, it is now apparent that Karl Rove discussed the identity of an undercover CIA agent with a reporter. His clear aim was to discredit that agent's husband who had dared to challenge the Administration in the buildup to the war.

 

There appears to be no limit to the lengths to which Rove - and this Administration - will go. But, there is a limit to the patience of the American people - and we have reached it. President Bush has a choice to make: Spend the months ahead focused on protecting Karl Rove's job security or spend them focused on protecting America's national security.

 

We are asking the President and the White House to do what they promised. When the scandal first broke, here's what the President's spokesman, Scott McClellan, said:

 

"If anyone in this Administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this Administration." (9/29/03, White House press briefing). Now we will find out if the Administration honors its word. Call on President Bush to keep his word and fire Rove now:

 

http://www.johnkerry.com/firerove

 

It's as simple as this: We need President Bush and his White House staff to focus on finally taking action necessary to avoid a quagmire in Iraq. The American people can't afford to wait while the White House spends its time and energy defending a top presidential aide's dangerous political maneuvers.

 

In the days ahead, the President will either make good on his promise to hold accountable those who shared the identity of a secret soldier in the war on terror - or he'll prove that promise hollow.

 

We now know that Karl Rove "was involved" in a breach of national security. Decency - and the interests of the American people - demand an end to Karl Rove's days in the White House. It's time for you to demand it as well.

 

http://www.johnkerry.com/firerove

 

I urge you to take action right now.

 

Sincerely,

 

John Kerry

Paid for by Friends of John Kerry, Inc.

 

*The only thing changed to protect the innocent.

[Rex Kickass]

Since January, he's become an annoying tool.

[kapkomet]

Damn, Tex, that was rough, you annoying tool.

 

[Rex Kickass]

FWIW, Here's a quote from Tim Russert on the Today Show.

 

As one Republican said to me last night, if this was a Democratic White House we'd have congressional hearings in a second.

[kapkomet]

FWIW, Here's a quote from Tim Russert on the Today Show.

This is ABSOLUTE BULLs***. :fyou Tim Russert.

 

It's not like that's EXACTLY what Congress, especially Democrats, are calling for, now is it?

 

Hypocritical f***.

[FlaSoxxJim]

This is ABSOLUTE BULLs***.  :fyou Tim Russert.

 

It's not like that's EXACTLY what Congress, especially Democrats, are calling for, now is it?

 

Hypocritical f***.

But it's a far cry from having some of the congressional minority suggest it may be in order to actually having hearings called.

 

And so far, I believe people are asking for a fuller accounting or for Rove to step down (or be fired), but I don't think a call for formal hearings has found any traction. I don't even know if that could fly with the Special Prosecuter's ongoing criminal investigation still under way -- who could Congress even call to testify if all Fitzgerald's witnesses ar under gag orders?

[Texsox]

Damn, Tex, that was rough, you annoying tool.

 

 

Hmmm, if I'm a tool, what tool am I?

 

I'm thinking a screwdriver or a monkey wrench. Definitely not a power tool.

[Texsox]

Liberal Media Spin: Rove is a whistleblower and worthy of an award!

 

From The Wall Street Journal

 

Review & Outlook

July 13, 2005

 

Democrats and most of the Beltway press corps are baying for Karl Rove's head over his role in exposing a case of CIA nepotism involving Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame. On the contrary, we'd say the White House political guru deserves a prize--perhaps the next iteration of the "Truth-Telling" award that The Nation magazine bestowed upon Mr. Wilson before the Senate Intelligence Committee exposed him as a fraud.

 

For Mr. Rove is turning out to be the real "whistleblower" in this whole sorry pseudo-scandal. He's the one who warned Time's Matthew Cooper and other reporters to be wary of Mr. Wilson's credibility. He's the one who told the press the truth that Mr. Wilson had been recommended for the CIA consulting gig by his wife, not by Vice President Dick Cheney as Mr. Wilson was asserting on the airwaves. In short, Mr. Rove provided important background so Americans could understand that Mr. Wilson wasn't a whistleblower but was a partisan trying to discredit the Iraq War in an election campaign. Thank you, Mr. Rove.

 

reprinted on GOP.com from the WSJ

[KipWellsFan]

Was there ever actually anything to question Wilson about his credibility before this?

 

He was hailed as "truly inspiring" and "courageous" by George H. W. Bush after sheltering more than a hundred Americans at the US embassy in Baghdad, and mocking Saddam Hussein's threats to execute anyone who refused to hand over foreigners.

www.wikipedia.org

[kapkomet]

The whole thing just sucks. It's our ENTIRE government, not Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. If they can vet someone out to save their own ass, they will all do it. :fyou the government.

[YASNY]

The whole thing just sucks.  It's our ENTIRE government, not Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal.  If they can vet someone out to save their own ass, they will all do it.  :fyou the government.

 

It's not even a matter of saving one's own ass. It's matter of one side trying to cause as much political damage as possible to the other. And it's both sides that are doing it. It's been escalating for years. This political dart throwing is at the expense of the well being of the USA. Both parties need to stop this crap. Both the liberals and the conservatives need to swing toward the middle. As I said before, this nation is becoming increasingly polarized and it's at our own peril we allow it to continue.

[Balta1701]

First comment...This Post from a guy who knew Plame.

 

The Big Lie About Valerie Plame

 

By Larry Johnson

 

The misinformation being spread in the media about the Plame affair is alarming and damaging to the longterm security interests of the United States.  Republicans' talking points are trying to savage Joe Wilson and, by implication, his wife, Valerie Plame as liars.  That is the truly big lie.

 

For starters, Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak.  Novak's column was not an isolated attack.  It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove.

 

Valerie Plame was a classmate of mine from the day she started with the CIA.  I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985.  All of my classmates were undercover--in other words, we told our family and friends that we were working for other overt U.S. Government agencies.  We had official cover.  That means we had a black passport--i.e., a diplomatic passport.  If we were caught overseas engaged in espionage activity the black passport was a get out of jail free card.

 

A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer.  That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport.  If caught in that status she would have been executed.

 

The lies by people like Victoria Toensing, Representative Peter King, and P. J. O'Rourke insist that Valerie was nothing, just a desk jockey.  Yet, until Robert Novak betrayed her she was still undercover and the company that was her front was still a secret to the world.  When Novak outed Valerie he also compromised her company and every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company and with her.

 

The Republicans now want to hide behind the legalism that "no laws were broken".  I don't know if a man made law was broken but an ethical and moral code was breached.  For the first time a group of partisan political operatives publically identified a CIA NOC.  They have set a precendent that the next group of political hacks may feel free to violate.

 

They try to hide behind the specious claim that Joe Wilson "lied".  Although Joe did not lie let's follow that reasoning to the logical conclusion.  Let's use the same standard for the Bush Administration.  Here are the facts.  Bush's lies have resulted in the deaths of almost 1800 American soldiers and the mutilation of 12,000.  Joe Wilson has not killed anyone.  He tried to prevent the needless death of Americans and the loss of American prestige in the world.

 

But don't take my word for it, read the biased Senate intelligence committee report.  Even though it was slanted to try to portray Joe in the worst possible light this fact emerges on page 52 of the report:  According to the US Ambassador to Niger (who was commenting on Joe's visit in February 2002), "Ambassador Wilson reached the same conclusion that the Embassy has reached that it was highly unlikely that anything between Iraq and Niger was going on."  Joe's findings were consistent with those of the Deputy Commander of the European Command, Major General Fulford.

 

The Republicans insist on the lie that Val got her husband the job.  She did not.  She was not a division director, instead she was the equivalent of an Army major.  Yes it is true she recommended her husband to do the job that needed to be done but the decision to send Joe Wilson on this mission was made by her bosses.

 

At the end of the day, Joe Wilson was right.  There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.  It was the Bush Administration that pushed that lie and because of that lie Americans are dying.  Shame on those who continue to slander Joe Wilson while giving Bush and his pack of liars a pass.  That's the true outrage.

[Balta1701]

Secondly, here's former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie speaking on the issue when it first came up in 2003.

 

    CHRIS MATTHEWS: Don't you think it's more serious than Watergate, when you think about it?

 

    RNC CHAIRMAN ED GILLESPIE: I think if the allegation is true, to reveal the identity of an undercover CIA operative -- it's abhorrent, and it should be a crime, and it is a crime.

 

    CHRIS MATTHEWS: It'd be worse than Watergate, wouldn't it?

 

    GILLESPIE: It's -- Yeah, I suppose in terms of the real world implications of it. It's not just politics.