INCOMPETENCE ON SENATE INTEL by Larry Johnson at No Quarter blog

[Pirate Smile]

INCOMPETENCE ON SENATE INTEL
by

Larry C. Johnson

I guess Senator Pat Roberts believes that if he repeats a lie long enough it eventually becomes true. While it is one thing for a political bag carrier like Ken Mehlman to be woefully ignorant about CIA practices and procedures, it is downright alarming that Senator Roberts can be so misinformed. Today, while appearing on CNN's Late Edition, Roberts repeated the specious claim that Valerie Plame could not be undercover because she went to work everyday at CIA Headquarters.

Folks, there is no excuse for this level of incompetence. There are thousands of undercover CIA employees who drive through the three gates at CIA Headquarters in McLean, Virginia everyday. And this Senator from Kansas who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee has the audacity to blame CIA for intelligence failures? How can he recognize failures when he does not even understand the very simple basics about people who work undercover at CIA? He should spend more time reading up on the CIA and less time memorizing Ken Mehlman talking points. Gee Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.

http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/


There is also a Diary at Daily Kos on the Hearing on Friday and its media coverage.

Did MSM & GOP Blogs Cover Friday's Hearing?
by SusanHu
Sun Jul 24th, 2005 at 11:23:06 PDT
Update <2005-7-24 14:38:50 by SusanHu>: At end of diary, today's post by LCJ: Incompetence on Senate Intel

Front-paged at BoomanTribune.com.

Larry Johnson and Pat Lang felt discouraged Friday night.

The mainstream media had written scantily about the testimony by Johnson, the former CIA and State Dept. intelligence analyst, and his mentor Lang, a retired colonel and intelligence expert, before the "Hearing on Security Implications of Revealing Covert Agent's Identity" (PDF format) on July 22, 2005.

The joint Senate/House informal hearing by Democrats remains the #1 requested video at C-SPAN. C-SPAN, in response to demand, reaired the testimony three times on Friday afternoon and evening.

On Saturday morning, Johnson was interviewed by CBS Evening News but his interview was axed from the report.

Below:

- Johnson's experience with CBS, told in e-mails between him and the producer
- How Johnson's subsequent Saturday morning Democratic radio address got the mainstream media interested in his Friday testimony, and
- How the rightwing blogs have reacted to the Friday hearing

much more at

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/24/14236/5583

[CatWoman]

1. Johnson also told CBS to piss off

MSM ignores the truth about Valerie Plame

Larry Johnson emailed me this exchange with CBS. Read the full email here

Rabin, Carrie:Thanks so much for speaking with us. Unfortunately, our piece was cut to just a minute, and we had to kill our sound bite with you. But we'll save the interview for the numerous other broadcasts interested in the story.

thanks again for your time...and hope to speak with you soon...
Carrie,
Here's what is fascinating. Our testimony yesterday on this issue before a joint committee of Senate and House Democrats has been the most widely requested piece that C-Span has had in quite a while. On the internet my speech today has turned out to be one of the most replayed and repeated speeches the Dems have ever had. Yet, most of the Main Stream Media seems to be cowering in fear at following this story. Pretty sad. Who is out there speaking on behalf of Valerie Plame? Only a few of us. Pat Lang told me earlier today this is what would happen.
I won't be available for CBS in the future. No need to waste my time with you folks because, whether I spend time with you or not, the story gets ignored.
Larry

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/07/23.html#a4110