"Everyone in DC knew Plame was CIA."

[WilliamPitt]

Don't even bother debating whether or not this is true. It is irrelevant.

Journalists knew about the Manhattan Project. They didn't report on it.

Guess why.

Regardless, blowing a covert CIA agent is still a crime (thanks, rogerashton).

[rogerashton]

1. That wouldn't make it any less a CRIME!

eom

[displacedtexan]

2. i'm still waiting

for novak to be arrested.
not going to hold my breath, though.
btw, i just signed on w/kerry campaign in DC.
can i suggest an interview with you?

[starscape]

5. from what I read, Novak is in the clear..

My understanding, under the 1982 law in question, reporters are immune (which makes no sense), but the person with clearance who initially links the info is culpable. But what happens if the journo refuses to give up the source?

[WilliamPitt]

8. "But what happens if the journo refuses to give up the source?"

He/she will be doing a great service to the country. See 'Please yes' below.

[TXlib]

13. I don't understand

how a journalist can be in the clear, when they KNOW printing the info leaked to them would endanger national security.

I don't think immunity should extend that far.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

19. the "leaker" NOT the leakee is the traitor..if i was novak tho....

i would stay out of small planes and locked in my house away from anyone who could touch me with a bio agent that can mimic heart attack or anyorism(ms)
ouchie.... this foilhat is tight!

[WilliamPitt]

6. Please yes

But leave Novak alone. He's a dick, but part of a larger journalistic whole. If he gets broken, leakers/whistleblowers will feel far far far less comfortable coming forward under the "protected sources" ethic. Captain Eyebrows gets a pass because of that larger, and vital, whole.

[starscape]

14. I see your point..

as a writer and one-time journo myself I certainly agree. But I have to admit, it's hard for me to hope this thing just fades away. Do you think the PR damage and speculation is enough to make this a serious black mark on Rove and CO.?

[WilliamPitt]

16. That, and

the initiation of the investigation was CIA, ergo they have a dog in this fight, and it won't go away. The criticism of this has been bipartisan in the media, for the most part, except for the paid whores. It may fade...but it won't FADE. This one will stick.

There are also these ten people touring the country talking about how much Bush sucks. I doubt they'll let this drop.

[MuseRider]

22. He MUST be given a pass

we have precious little journalism now and to nail him would be to nail whistleblowers or anyone else who just might want to talk in the future.

[Dookus]

3. I fear...

this is going to be Rove's defense.

I predict he'll say he did NOT have access to the classified information, and that it was just common knowledge.

He may have to resign, but it will prevent criminal prosecution.

[WilliamPitt]

4. That does nothing to alleviate the political damage

He outed a CIA agent working to catch WMDs going to terrorists. As long as the terrorists didn't know who she was, it didn't matter who in government did or did not know, so long as they kept their mouths shut.

[Stephanie]

10. Would this fall under the Patriot Act?

Anyone know? The Traitor in the WH has compromised national security and terrorism investigations.

[WilliamPitt]

11. It should

It affects several sections.

[arcane1]

15. damned right it should

and if Novak was an avowed Librul, or had a copy of the Koran in his car, we would be hearing all about his trial...

[Nay]

24. We wouldn't be hearing about his trial...

...we'd be hearing about another unnamed American citizen cooling his heels forever in Gitmo. No lawyers allowed.

[arcane1]

25. good point

this would qualify as undermining national security, no?

[Stephanie]

20. Excellent. We should be increasing awareness of this

The Traitor in the WH has violated the Patriot Act! We need to research the pertinent sections and circulate them.

Could the Traitor be classified as an Enemy Combatant?

[Cush]

7. From what I've heard

the reason others didn't report it was because outing his wife added nothing to the story (About Niger)

Of course, that could be their cover, they knew it would be stupid to out an angent

[Emboldened Chimp]

9. Terrible spin

It doesn't matter; those two "senior administration officials" broke the law. That's what we need to focus on.

[Padraig18]

12. There's no GOOD way for them to 'spin' this...

... not to Mr. and Mrs. Middle America. I just now had a customer (a Repuke precinct committeman) say that they (McClellan, Novak, et al) reminded him of people "re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic."

[TXlib]

17. Poor covert CIA agents...

blowing a covert CIA agent is still a crime

Can't even get a little oral sex...

[WilliamPitt]

21. *snarf*

:)

[Brian Sweat]

18. NoFacts didn't know it. He had to confirm it with the CIA.

At least that is what he said.

[DifferentStrokes]

23. Don't forget the John Dean article

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

The Bush Administration Adopts a Worse-than-Nixonian Tactic:
The Deadly Serious Crime Of Naming CIA Operatives
By JOHN W. DEAN
----
Friday, Aug. 15, 2003

A lot has happened in a month and a half. Dean forecast most of it.

[Chovexani]

26. Novakula focus is a smokescreen!

I can't stand the soulless bastard myself, but even setting aside the First Amendment issues involved here, I don't think the focus should be on Novakula. He's the straw man in this.

KKKarl and Unka Dick--er, I mean, the "two unnamed senior administration officials"--are the ones the heat needs to be on. They're the traitors. My tinfoil hat is firmly on, and I think ol' Nofacts and the other reporters who were approached better a)band together and b)stay out of small airplanes. My guess is that as this situation escalates and if KKKarl and Unka Dick can't pull a rabbit out of their ass to get out of it, they're going to turn on Nofacts and set him up for the fall. Expect somebody--I dunno, maybe Asscrack--to pull some obscure provision of the Patriot Act out of their ass and use it to try to put Nofacts in jail.

These buncha orcs are known for eating their own when the going gets tough.

--C

[KoKo]

27. Yes.....that's what I think Novak's "COVER" is on the Wilson Story/They

Knew! They ALL knew......so why did I have to be more "explicit in my story." Journalists today go home with that glass of white wine,' and the day is ended." (I'm very , very loosely quoting him....but that's what he meant, imho.)

In other words: "Journalists today....have a VERY DIFFERENT LIFE STYLE.....from Journalists of yesteryear.....so Wilson's PLIGHT.....might not get the scrutiny today that it would have then......."way back in the old times" whe journalists were .....Men/Women of the future....but with much more humble beginnings than Howie Kurtz and the rest of the "whore media."

But.....that's just.....mho..........