White House Blasts Accuser in CIA Leak

[Judi Lynn]

October 8, 2003

THE NATION
White House Blasts Accuser in CIA Leak
Ex-envoy changed his story, administration claims. Bush says he wants truth to prevail.


By Maura Reynolds, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday adopted a more combative approach to the scandal surrounding the leak of a CIA agent's identity, challenging the credibility of the administration's main accuser.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV — who has said his wife was revealed as a covert intelligence officer to discredit him — had changed his story by making and then withdrawing allegations against a top White House aide.

Wilson's wife was named as a CIA agent by syndicated columnist Robert Novak, who attributed the information to sources inside the administration. Revealing an agent's name can be a violation of federal law.

The Justice Department is investigating who inside the administration may have "outed" Wilson's wife; throughout the day Tuesday, White House staff delivered documents and questionnaires related to the inquiry to the General Counsel's office. After review by White House lawyers, the documents will be turned over to the Justice Department. That process could take up to two weeks. No documents had been delivered by the end of business Tuesday, a Justice Department official said. (snip/...)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-leak8oct08,1,939654.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[truthisfreedom]

1. it's cheney.

he doesn't live in the whitey-house. he's exempt... but he's guilty. it's CHENEY!

[Jivenwail]

2. These people are so pathetic

Instead of working to show the people of this country that they "care", they take to name calling and beligerence. They are nothing short of thugs. Such a disgrace, this White House.

[radfringe]

4. It's more of "shooting the messenger"

Wilson didn't "get" the message when they outed his wife, so now they are bashing him directly

Take care of yourself Ambassador Wilson, and watch your back

[havocmom]

22. pugnacious 'publicans pout poorly

This is one time when taking chapters from Newt's (plagerized from Goering's) playbook aren't gonna work. You can keep harping on your story but nobody is gonna buy it this time!

The problem, Misters Cheney and Rove, is that you are dealing with the CIA and not the lapdog media or desperate-to-be-deluded public. And, obviously, you both are too friggin arrogant to understand the difference.

Happy trails! Con trails.

on edit: typo... anybody have more coffee?

[dbt]

3. And the White Haus is upset that someone changed their story???

Heheheheeee. STOP! You're killing me! I am coiled up laughing! Pot, meet the kettle. HeeeeHeee!

:hurts:
dbt

[Maudlin]

5. Pffw.

He changed from accusing Karl Rove to just suspecting Karl Rove based on what reporters told him, and waiting for the results of the investigation.

They should try that at the White House, it'd save them some headaches.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Headline in the NY Times this morning

said that WH doubts they'll ever find the leaker. Of course. They figure the sheeple have lost interest. I don't think the spooks have, though, which is our best bet of keeping the story alive.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. We can also keep this story alive by writing letters to the editor so

that more people are informed about this, writing and calling our reps and senators, etc.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. Is this statement from the article correct:

"Revealing an agent's name can be a violation of federal law"?

OR would it be correct to say "Revealing an agent's name IS a violation of federal law"?

My impression is that the latter is correct. Does anyone (preferably anyone with a law degree!) know?

I want to see Novak and whoever his White House sources were prosecuted for this.

[Mithras61]

10. I believe the "can be" comes from the requirement

that you know that the agent's identity is not common knowledge. That is to say, knowingly outing an agent is a federal felony. Doing it by accident or without intent is potentially NOT a felony.

I've seen a lot of talk lately about how Valerie Plame's identity & agenthood (?) was "common knowledge" in Washington even before Novak's article, so I suspect that this is the nuance/twist/spin they intend to exploit.

[NoKingGeorge]

21. Maybe the name is known. But all the details?

I know the name (although not her maiden name) of the person who is three cubicles down from me. I do not know what her department is nor do I know her exact duties or what she is working on. And she is not undercover !!(as far as I know...)

[BQueen]

8. And doesn't THIS little tidbit sound familiar?

<"If someone sought to punish someone for speaking out against the administration, that is wrong, and we would not condone that activity." McClellan said. "But it would be absurd to suggest that the White House would be engaged in that kind of activity. That is not the way this White House operates.">

To Nixon: "We could do that, but it would be wrong."

[underpants]

16. Very obscure movie quote

"I didn't say that if I said that I would be wrong I didn't say that"

From the movie classic ( :bounce: ) "Joe vs. the Valcano" Joe's boos is saying that into a telephone when Joe walks in the office. When I was in the Army we all agreed that that was the epitome of Sgt.s.

The are NEVER wrong.

Notice also that they love to mention how this Whtie house operates.

[DrBB]

11. But, um, gee Scott...

...Wilson ain't the one who SAID his wife was CIA--that was Novak, acting on a tip from one of your guys. And Wilson isn't the one who has put the Justice Department--such as it is--on your ass. That would be the CIA.

So Wilson thought it was Rove. So now he maybe doesn't.

So what?

[Gman]

12. It was the same shit with Nixon

without a deep throat to guide the press, there was little that could be done to stop Nixon. It's the same here. Unless someone on the inside of the WH leaks stuff, we're pissing in the wind here.

[msanger]

13. we're pissing in the wind...

and the wind is blowing towardsd the WH!

[dusty64]

14. Any news on the deadline?

It was scheduled during the recall mess and I've heard nothing more. Failure to meet it should be all the evidence needed to demand an independent investigation.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Gee, that didn't even take 24 hours this time for bonehead

to realize his comments regarding never finding the leaker was just too self-serving. Our intelligence agencies probably already know who it is, and just waiting for the appropriate time to release the information.

[underpants]

17. That's fine and dandy but we still need a name

They loves issues boiled down to black and white well there is your black and white. We need a name.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. Shut the heck up, Scottie....hand over the felon and nobody gets hurt...

...much.

[sendero]

19. gee...

.... it must be nice to be able to have your lawyers go ever all the evidence before you turn it over to the investigators.

What kind of bullshit is that?

[Starpass]

20. So is the message they are sending

telling us that it's okay to out a CIA agent if they are a damn, filthy Dem and even if she ends up getting killed or people who she knows get killed?? THIS the Dems have to come back with and scream at. It's like saying I killed someone; they deserved to die so I should not be held responsible. The Dems need to hit them on this point----they broke the law and it isn't permissible to do it because it was a DEM or is that the new Ashcraft law of the land: you may do harm to Dems!! GEt with it Dem leaders and start yelling on this.