Hubris, Dick Armitage and the Plame Leak

Fitzgerald originally seemed like a smart, fair, serious prosecutor, but he has really dropped the ball in this case, indicting only Libby. Armitage, Rove and probably Cheney, among others were clearly culpable in this unlawful disclosure. And why the hell is nobody prosecuting Novak? According to the definition, he appears to be guilty of no less than treason.

I don't think one can lay all of the fault for lack of indictments on Fitzgerald. He's behaved in exemplary fashion, by refusing to allow leaks of his investigation, and conducting himself in a highly professional manner at every step.

However, when democrats do not have subpeona power, and the white house has effectively stonewalled, lied, and buried critical information concerning this act of treason, there's not much that anyone can do. He said, after the Libby indictment, that the fact that he could not bring charges of outting Plame was not because a crime had not occured, but rather because the white house had done so much to block and bury the investigation. Hardly the type of behavior that one would expect from a "national security president" who "wants to get to the bottom of it."

I recall reading something long ago...perhaps less than a year after the story first broke, that included a brief comment from an anonymous white house insider, who, when asked about the investigation, said "oh, we bulldozed that," or something to that effect. His meaning was that they had buried the investigation so that it would offer nothing with regard to the actual crime committed.

Perhaps Libby's trial will provide some answers, providing it doesn't get bulldozed, too.

I hope so too.

The whole Plame affair is a hoax.

Plame was not a covered agent under the law. Therefore, Plame could not be outed. If Plame was outed, it was done well Novak by her husband who placed her in "Who's Who in America".

Novak told us that Fitzgerald was aware of Novak's sources, but since the source would not release Novak, Novak could not reveal the source.

Fitzgerald did not indict anyone for outing Plame. The best he could do was indict Libby for having a different recollection of a conversation with a reporter than the reporter had. So Fitzgerald charged Libby with lying to a federal agent.

Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"

Well, I think the civil suit that Ms. Plame has filed would argue with you, Ben.

I didn't say that Libby was indicted for outing Plame and you're right that he wasn't. Lewis I. Libby was indicted on federal criminal charges by a grand jury. He was charged with one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements.

"Plame was not a covered agent under the law. Therefore, Plame could not be outed."

Perhaps you could explain why the CIA requested that the justice department conduct an investigation to find out who had outed her. I suppose they just figured that it'd be cool to waste taxpayer dollars and precious resources conducting a lengthy, in depth investigation over nothing at all. Nice try.




"If Plame was outed, it was done well Novak by her husband who placed her in "Who's Who in America"."

Do you ever even bother to look for actual, factual information, or do you just spontaneously spew the bile and lies that your rightwing talking head pundits instruct you to parrot? Let's try not to treat everyone like idiots here, ok? Some of us actually DO the research, and find your dishonest spin highly offensive.

For the record, the who's who listing that delusional Ben is referring to listed Valerie as the husband of Ambassador Plame. That's it. There was absolutely no mention of her being a covert CIA operative, because, she WAS a COVERT CIA OPERATIVE, which means that her true occupation would NOT be devulged, except by someone wishing to commit an act of treason (i.e. Rove/Cheney/Libby/etc.)

And, isn't it ironic that the very nation that she was investigating, with regard to nuclear development, was none other than Iran. Why, it's almost as if someone in this corrupt administration thought that her continuing to work so closely and have so much direct information about Iran's nuclear program MIGHT just come to be seen as a bit of a hindrance at some later date. Hmmmmm.






"Novak told us that Fitzgerald was aware of Novak's sources, but since the source would not release Novak, Novak could not reveal the source."

Novak is a traitor as well, and should be imprisoned for the puny remainder of his miserable life. Novak had no obligation, legal or journalistic, to maintain secrecy for the traitor that is responsible for this travesty. In fact, when given direct information about federal crimes that are committed, the "reporter's" obligation is to report the crime to the police.





"Fitzgerald did not indict anyone for outing Plame.

In his own words, it was not because the crime was not committed, but rather because the white house lied, stonewalled, and threw up so much diversionary mud and dust that there was simply no way for him to conduct his investigation.

Now, assuming you had an inquisitive, critically thinking mind, you MIGHT wish to ask yourself why your boy and his criminal thugs would've gone through so much effort to block this investigation, if they were truly innocent? Why not open the windows and doors, and let Fitzgerald do his work unimpeded, so that the public wouldn't consider them to be guilty of treason for all of eternity?

Ponder over that one for a while, if you have the mental muscle and the testicular fortitude.





"The best he could do was indict Libby for having a different recollection of a conversation with a reporter than the reporter had. So Fitzgerald charged Libby with lying to a federal agent."

Do you ever get dizzy from wallowing in this unbelievable dog poo so gloriously? Good criminey, man, stop being such a blind partisan. It really makes you look like nothing but a brainwashed simpleton.

Libby LIED to the grand jury, MORE THAN ONCE. That, my friend, is a FEDERAL OFFENSE. Get a grip on reality for a change. Stop being such a hack, and start gathering some factual information. You and your type are destroying this nation, by continuing to provide cover and spin for these criminals. Stop it. If you cannot stomach to speak the truth, the least you can do is stop spreading the lies. Your doing a great amount of damage to this nation by spreading this utter nonsense.

Yeah yeah, and Karl Rove has secretly been indicted! Talk about shooting your wad over nothing. The commander in chief is allowed to disclose any classified info he wants, and fire any employee he wants. Deal with it.

Clark,
It's great to have on gather, you tell the truth to the liars R us, Inc.
I agree with all you said here.

it's futile to talk with a delusional person who makes up his lies as needed, If you get stuck, then...lie, lie, lie......forever and ever!

You know, if the Plame case happened under a Democratic administration there would be so much squawking the American public wouldn't even hear about what was going on in Iraq...on second thought, we wouldn't be in Iraq. Robert Novak needs to be tried for treason against our country!

Well, at least he didn't shoot an old guy in the face, I guess. I suppose it could have been worse, right?

When a story that the far left has been banking on for almost a year suddenly implodes and collapses under its own weight, what is the fringe response?

A quick round of name calling and then try to change the subject. It makes me laugh =)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_leopold
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzmas

Well said, Ayane, very perceptive. But most of the time they get away with it so they use it again and again.

Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"

I'm not making any excuses but am confused about the phrase "suddenly implodes and collapses under its own weight".

I guess I missed the alleged implosion.

Diana, you probably missed it because while the original story was on the front page the implosion if reported at all was on page 35 or some other way out of the way and hopefully never read page.

Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"

Frankly, Plame has probably gained by all this. I'm sure books, speaking engagements, etc. will take care of her for life.

What I meant was that there was no implosion.

I doubt Ms. Plame was worried about being taken care of "for life" as she and Mr. Wilson seemed to be doing fine.

However, the repercussions from what was done to her can never be reversed. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that speaking engagements are hardly undercover international operations.

Karl Rove, Robert Novak, and Scooter Libby have all given considerable aid and comfort to the enemy. Had these fellas been working for Bill Clinton, Ken Starr would have been in hot pursuit. Alas, for neo-cons, treason is in the eyes of the beholder!

You'd have to wonder why Isikoff & Corn did not do the right thing and reported this information about the leak to the proper authorities when they found out, instead of putting it all into this book years after the fact. Under normal circumstances, intentionally withholding information about a crime is consider a crime in itself. On another front, Novak too ought to have reconsidered publishing the information on Plame. He wasn't that dumb to realize what he was doing - or if he was, he didn't do his job as journalism. A lot of people are to blame for this, in the administration and outside of it, but everybody is choosing to profit from it rather than doing what would have been ethical and morally responsible.