Novak, right-wing media minion of Bush, went too far...

[the_real_38]

Looks like the White House leaked the name of a CIA operative after her husband debunked the infamous 'Uranium from Niger' claim Bush falsely repeated in his "We're going to invade Iraq, so get used to it" speech.
I'm sure most of you know the details. If not, they're here:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/937524.asp?0cv=CB10&cp1=1

My point is - how could Robert Novak actually do something like that? Report her name to the world? This puts this woman's life at risk. He actually helped the Bush administration pull off some political payback. That's totally over the line - and he shouldn't be employed by CNN or any reputable News Agency.

We may need an e-mail campaign, here.

[John_Shadows_1]

1. I agree, ...

.... how do we go about it?

[newyawker99]

14. Hi John_Shadows_1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[wryter2000]

2. A couple of things

Novack said that if they'd told him, he figured they'd told others, so he felt someone else would break the story. He's slime, but I don't think he's the real criminal here. The White House "sources" are.

2) The CIA asked for an investigation -- late Friday afternoon, so it would be ignored. But it wasn't. It led the national news last night.

3) There have been calls for hearings...yahoo! Get these murderers in front of Congress to explain their actions. And start with Novack. Put him on the hot seat. Make him reveal his sources or sit in jail for a while.

4) The sources will probably turn out to be two people we've never heard of who, coincidentally, would like to spend more time with their families.

[jbfam4]

4. Hope the 6 other reporters

come out and tell all they know. They don't have to protect their sources because they didn't use the information.

Of course, Ashcroft will get right on this.

[HootieMcBoob]

5. senior white house officials

I think since they were sited by Novak as senior officials that they probably are someone we've all heard of. Wilson himself has stated that he believes one of them is Karl Rove.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. This is very dangerous territory for the WH.

Whoever they throw to the wolves is likely to go to jail. It's not like they can just set up a nice retirement for the wolfbait, so nobody's got an incentive to take the fall, and whoever gets elected may not choose to go down quietly.

[HootieMcBoob]

3. very good idea

I haven't watched every crossfire but I have noticed that this issue has been conspicuously absent from any mention.

What makes it even worse is that apparently the CIA asked Novak not to mention her name in the article. He definitely did it at the behest of BushCo. Also, since BushCo called at least 6 journalists to try to get the story out there it makes it look even worse for Novak -- since he's the only one who went ahead and did it. Which of course put her at risk as well as the nations security.

Yes, a fierce letter writting campaign is definitely in order. This is a huge issue and should be pounded by us.

[Catch22Dem]

6. If this story starts getting bigger legs

Don't put it past Carville or Begalla to bring it up. Begalla is fuckin ruthless, which is why I like him so much. And with Carville, sometimes, when he gets so pissed off that his bald head turns red, stuff just starts coming out of his mouth. Don't think for a second that he'd hesitate to bring this up in front of a national audience. I love having these guys on our side.

ON EDIT: What does "the_real_38" mean???

[Skittles]

19. lol.............the ragin' cajun

you're right - he and Paul are a pair!

[Padraig18]

7. Dupe

Already posted in LBN

[HootieMcBoob]

9. Not a dupe...this is a request for an email campaig aimed at CNN

It's not reporting the news. It's not a dupe.

[AntiCoup2K4]

8. I have no sympathy for Bob Novak, but

...he should not be the fall guy for this. If he's booted off the airwaves forever, I won't shed a tear for him, but whoever furnished him with the information needs to be appropriately punished.

[DemLikr]

24. Novak can sit in his jail cell right next to Rove, who leaked the info

This is NOT a case of either/or.

I never have understood the willingness of folks here at DU to give Novakula a pass on this; he should be prosecuted.

Being a "journalist" (an extremely compromised adjective in today's world) does not give one license to get CIA people killed. This concept is called Journalistic Ethics & Responsibility.

Novak is a WHORE of the nnnth degree and would likely publish his own mother's rap sheet if it somehow benefited his ego. Let him rot in jail.

[Classical_Liberal]

27. Novak was antiwar, and this is a awful convenient bone for

neocons to throw us in order to deflect their own responsibility. We should all be very suspicious that he is the first to take the fall when he is relatively insignificant.

[Monte Carlo]

10. Because he IS a journalist, and she was already compromised.

Even for the shameless hacks, there are laws protecting journalists from these matters of national security, just like there are laws protecting doctors from healing the sick and wounded of the enemy. It's the nature of the profession to be 'irresponsible' sometimes.

The very fact that someone like Novak was able to get a hold of this information says that Joseph Wilson's wife was compromised as a CIA agent before he ever heard it. This is going to result in the head of a senior White House official. Karl Rove may be soon headed to Leavenworth.

[DemLikr]

25. Please cite the LAW that protects Novak in this case.

Thank you.

[MGKrebs]

11. Applying my impeccable logic to this issue:

Novak said in his story that "2 senior White House officials" told him.

The Washington Post is now reporting that a "senior White House official" told them that 2 officials made the calls to six reporters.

Rove said it was not true. How can Rove say this? If 2 un-named officials make unauthorized calls, how would he know? The only way he would know is if it DID happen, and he is lying in his denial. Otherwise, he should be saying they will look into it, or they have looked into it.

The official speaking to the Post must know he/she is going to butt heads with Rove over this- not a confrontation for some minor beaurocrat to undertake. Must be somebody with some clout. This person seems to know who made the calls (The Post said they would not identify the callers "for the record", which pretty clearly means they DID identify the callers, just wouldn't let the reporters print it).

Powell is the only one I can think of. This story directly affects the State Department.

[riskpeace]

30. Seems like outside of White House

Washington Post said "senior administration official" as opposed to "White House" official.

Powell is certainly a possible candidate.

I thought of Tenet when I read it. He would have this information as a result of the CIA look at the situation before referring it to DOJ. He also would have the motivation to presumably leak it. He would be angered at the two "senior White House" officials who allegedly compromised the safety of the agent under his command.

Also, it sort of fits the pattern of the yellowcake stuff. Friday afternoon statements by the CIA followed by leaks damning to the White House for the Sunday Post.

[gulliver]

12. I agree. He may be in legal trouble for this.

I don't see how Novak can avoid jail himself. He's an American. He released the name of a CIA operative. Case closed. Clang.

[never cry wolf]

17. The media is protected from revealing sources

and rightly so. If they weren't nobody would talk to them, and with all the shit going down we want ALOT of people feeling free to talk and ALOT of journalists printing it. It was the sources that revealed this secret who are culpable. John Dean wrote a nice article on it here:

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20030815.html

[the_real_38]

22. But in this particular case,

The media was part of the story - the fact is, that the damage was not done to this woman until her identity was revealed publicly.

So, Novak is a crucial part of the sordid puzzle.

[DemLikr]

28. This is Dean's interpretation. I see nothing that protects Novak.

[John_Shadows_1]

13. The e-mail addresses...

... for cnn, it's

[e-mail]

I guess something like this may be in order:

Dear Sirs,
Robert Novak's unmasking of a CIA operative is an action which could be of the gravest consequences. It appears that Novak, a Conservative, (as your show Crossfire bills him), actually took actions which facilitated the Bush administrations' political payback of Joseph Wilson, who was attempting to give an honest appraisal of Saddam Hussein's nuclear capabilities. This action was unethical, and undermines U.S. intelligence efforts around the globe. This is not journalism, it is political sabotage, and I feel that your show should hold its' participants to a higher standard than the one Novak has exhibited here. If he does not apologize or address the issue, I will no longer be a viewer of your network.

Sincerely,

[grasswire]

31. or.....

[e-mail]

[Classical_Liberal]

15. I don't get your angle here?

Why is Novak worse than the leaker? If they scapegoat Novak I hope he takes alot of them with him.

[srubick]

20. Novak's responsibility

He is worse because the people in the whitehouse are already compromised. They are working for liars and thieves. The nature of the job requires the absense of ethics.
Novak's responsibility is to his profession.
His story should have been the exposure of the rats. Instead he joined them and has smeared his own reputation a well as those of the people he works for.
The press is our last line of defense in the hope of living in a well informed and free society.

[the_real_38]

21. I respect that view....

... but i don't see it as either/or. We can nail Novak and Rove.

[Classical_Liberal]

26. Hope your right

but the fact that the headline reads "Novak went to far" instead of "the Bush adminstration went to far" indicates they are throwing us a bone. Given that Novak was four square opposed to the war this is a fairly convenient bone for the neocon hawks to throw us.

[DemLikr]

He's not worse. He's equally responsible. It's not either/or.

They all go down; and I'm sure Bobby won't hesitate to drage Carl with him into jail.

AS IF that will happen...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. believe it or not..Kovak is a registered Democrat always has been.....

he only plays a repuke on TV...ask him...he is an infotainer/actor

[the_real_38]

23. Man, he sure can act, then...

... not that I don't believe you, but where did you hear that?

[Patriot_Spear]

29. Google hits on WH Spy Betrayal Story 27 @ 08:00 am; 181 @ 2:50 pm

Better get Spinning Rove- Monday is going SUCK for you!