Article: Wilson's Iraq Assertions Hold Up Under Fire From Rove Backers

[bigtree]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a8dab8rni_Do&refer=top_world_news

July 14 (Bloomberg) -- Two-year old assertions by former ambassador Joseph Wilson regarding Iraq and uranium, which lie at the heart of the controversy over who at the White House identified a covert U.S. operative, have held up in the face of attacks by supporters of presidential adviser Karl Rove.

>>>>The main points of Wilson's article have largely been substantiated by a Senate committee as well as U.S. and United Nations weapons inspectors. A day after Wilson's piece was published, the White House acknowledged that a claim Bush made in his January 2003 state of the union address that Iraq tried to buy ``significant quantities of uranium from Africa'' could not be verified and shouldn't have been included in the speech.

>>>> Bush supporters such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich contend that Wilson lied in claiming that Vice President Dick Cheney dispatched him on the mission to Niger. That echoes a Republican National Committee talking-points memo sent to party officials.

Wilson never said that Cheney sent him, only that the vice president's office had questions about an intelligence report that referred to the sale of uranium yellowcake to Iraq from Niger. Wilson, in his New York Times article, said CIA officials were informed of Cheney's questions.

[Roland99]

1. Exactamundo! Finally someone in the press is getting it.

[skypilot]

2. Take THAT, Ken Mehlman.

You prick.

[jrthin]

6. Make that, "you effing LYING prick." nt

[wicket]

3. kicked and nominated

:kick:

[Faab32]

4. Missing the point!

Everyone knew that it was Rove who did this, but the main fact is that he did it with the support of GWB as this web log is pointing out:

Reporters miss story: Bush supports Rove

When do they start taking aim at the source of the problem instead of being so short sighted?

The history has shown that this administration has done a great job misleading the public and the media has been stupid enough to follow them blindly in the past. I would really recomend you to read:

Chapter 3: An Obedient Press
Chapter 8: Understanding the Spin
Chapter 10: A Distracted Media: Sidetracked and Hoodwinked

of the book No Questions Asked By Lisa Finnegan

[bigtree]

5. I think it's because Rove is the only one so far who has been outed

as an outer. I imagine the story will work its way up the chain once the screws are tightened and indictments begin.

[newyawker99]

14. Hi Faab32!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Faab32]

19. Glad to be here :)

I really believe Rove will get out of this without any problems. The media is so easily distracted, they will find something else to talk about. Does anyone remember Kenneth Lay? When was the last time you heard a story about that guy? Compare him to Martha Stewart and you will see what will happen to Rove .....

[yodermon]

20. I tend to agree, EXCEPT:

In this case, there is a real live Grand Jury with a Real Live special prosecutor, who will return Real Live indictments.

If Rove (et. al.) is/are actually and truly Indicted, then the all the media bias in the world will amount to precisely bupkis.

There is always the Saturday Night Massacre scenario, which has its own set of implications.

[Faab32]

27. Rove will walk...

Ok, this is the situation, the prosecute have to show that Rove intentionally gave the name to the reporters, but basde on what Rove have said before, he heard about the name few days earlier from "2 other reporters". So this will be an un easy process and I don't believe will end up in anything.

Even if he leaves his position like Perl did, he will be in charge any way, he can work for GWB from anywhere he wants.

So, don't get to excited about this. The fact that we all KNOW that Bush lies to the congress and that is why he did not spoke to the 9/11 commission under oath is the issue, but unfortunately no one gives a damn about it.

[melissinha]

7. I'll spell it out

If Fitzgerald manages to prove that Rove “knowingly” and intentionally revealed Valerie Plame’s identity as retribution for her husband’s public revelation of the truth also serves as proof that the administration has “knowingly” and intentionally mislead the country regarding facts that surround the case for the war in Iraq.


Though we really want to get Rove, keep the eye on the prize..... completely exposing Rove leaves the king open for the checkmate!!

Excuse the faulty chess logic.. i don't even understand it... but is this fair to say?

[savemefromdumbya]

17. proof

It was clearly evident in the Downing Street Memos that Bush and B-liar meant to have the war at all costs BEFORE congress approved it. In terms of 'the leak' Rove, Bush, Cheney obstruction of justice may be included.

[emulatorloo]

8. kicking for mid-morning set EOM

[central scrutinizer]

9. missing the point

even if Wilson's story had been false, it would still be treason to reveal the nature of his wife's CIA role. However, this does lend credence to the DSM and it is important to connect those dots.

[bigtree]

10. dot connecting, yes.

Also, it's fairly significant that Bloomberg has run this.

[jmcon007]

11. at some point these apologists and defenders will have to choose...

Some articles suggest that we're going to see just how loyal Bush is, since that's his strong point.
I agree. But, I believe we're going to learn he's not loyal at all, at least where his oath of office and patriotism are concerned.
Rove is going to hang around the necks of a lot of neocons tomorrow who are whining today.

[bigtree]

12. Bush is wed to his ambitions for greed and conquest in the Middle East

A focus on Rove's actions regarding Valerie Plame will help spotlight the White House's crass campaign for war with Iraq and their ruthless, paranoid, unethical orchestration of classified data and resources which supported their desire to invade, and their arrogant rejection and discrediting of anything or anyone who would present an opposing view.

[dalloway]

13. while the reporters may have missed the point state above,

this is BY FAR one of the best presentations of the FACTS to counter the RW spin machines lies. It is great to see some journalists calling out the lies for what they are.

I suggest sending these folks some thanks for writing about facts over spin. I just did. Here are their emails:

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

edited to fix email addresses

[Lowell]

15. Who paid for Wilson's trip to Africa?

It should be easy enough to find out who footed the bill. Dollars to doughnuts says Wilson did not pay for the venture himself. It had to be either the CIA or the WH.

[Igel]

18. Everyone's made a big point of it: CIA paid for his "expenses",

otherwise he received no remuneration.

One RW question I haven't heard discussed is whether his trip was classified.

[NewJeffCT]

16. yeah, Bloomberg is just one of those librul media outlets

that's how come they are so vital to so many big corporations... their librulness.

:sarcasm:

[Karenina]

21. Kick!

:kick:

[wallwriter]

26. Bloomberg being a Republican...

[opusprime]

22. This has been my point all along...

There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, there was no nuk-ular program, and there was no yellow cake.

JOE WILSON HAS BEEN RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING THUS FAR!!

And they have the gall to call him a liar?

I hate these fvckers. They dont care one iota about this country. They put themselves and their power first. And I find that to a greater threat to our nation than any terrorist... ever.

[Disturbed]

23. Most Rethugs have no loyalty to ...

The Constitution of the United States or The Bill of Rights. Rethugs prove that not only through their words but their actions and non-actions. Rethugs only have loyalty to their Corp. contributors and the Grand Oil Party.

[melissinha]

24. ahh but Randi says

That the outing of Brewster Jennings may have been the true target.... its just convenient ....

She explained how Novak's second article focused on Brewster Jennings and associates from teh point of view that they were not a legitimate company.... like... well she can't be real CIA cause seh works at this place.... which allowed him to number one CALL ATTENTION to Brewster Jennings but cover it up under the guise of poor journalism...

Randi proceeds to report that Brewster Jennings was founded by founder of Mobil and that the operation was to investigate Saudis..... SAUDIS....

[Carolab]

25. The debunking of all those points is a great thing.

But here is the nuts and bolts:

"Knowingly disclosing the identity of a covert agent is a federal crime, and that is the subject of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation."

It's a CRIME, regardless of all of the other incidentals around it. It's still a FEDERAL CRIME.