The Plame Affair: Just Another Bump in the Road for Bush

[Stevendsmith]

I know better than to get my hopes up on this one. Yes, leaking an undercover CIA officer's name is a serious crime that merits the maximum punishment. If we had a functioning democracy and a real press, this might just bring down this White House. But of course we have neither.

Also, there's just too much legal wiggle room on this one. Among other things, malice must be proved. Very difficult.

Moreover, the press will tire of this story. I can already feel the air going out of this one. Arnold's ascension to the California governorship will eclipse the Plame story. Either that or the next hurricane.

A year ago, I would have been salivating over this. But now I know better. Of course, I hope I'm wrong. But this White House seems to get away with everything, so I've lowered my expectations.

The good news is that the Plame affair will be yet another strike against Bush come election time. Believe me, I want a full-blown scandal with arrests and all the bells and whistles, but I think will have to wait for election time to see Bush feel the big hurt.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. I think it's more like "one more nail in the coffin"

n/t

[Brian Sweat]

2. Papercuts- thousands of tiny papercuts.

[zanana]

3. I wonder if there's Statute of Limitations on this.

Nobody will be taking the blame for this right now, or even in a few months. But if we take back the Presidency in 04', we could have a crack at actually investigating who leaked what. (If there's no statute of limitations).

[asjr]

4. bump

Yes, and it will take many more nails to finally seal the coffin. What I find so ironic about this whole thing is it is the first time I can remember since GW was appointed president that the media are taking this on. Obviously, they couldn't very well ignore it, but from the beginning of this man's term in office the media have been tooting his horn for him. I blame the media for the administration to get by with so many rotten deals. They enabled him. They had trashed Gore before and during the election. They were all Gung Ho for the appointee. This administration has gotten by with just about everything including the Iraq war, never questioning him. No wonder they didn't grasp this situation. No wonder whoever did "leak" this bit about the CIA agent thought they could get away with it because he or she would never be called on it by the press. The media have mud all over their collective faces. How will they handle it? They are already interviewing right wing people who pooh-pooh all of it.
They also did not dwell on the demise of Paul Wellstone and how it occured. They touted Coleman instead. They owe this country a huge debt that I don't think will ever be repaid. None of us have trusted the media in a long long time.

[fsbooks]

6. For two months

the media did ignore this issue. David Corn in http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames/index.mhtml?bid=3&pid=823">The Nation first brought the issue up, and I really only saw continued coverage on the Internet in http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/sperry/">Steve Perry's blog and on http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/">Talking Points Memo.

Yes, we are lucky it has gotten this far, but still major coverage still indicates it as a problem of a leak of classified information (which occurs all the time), while it is really an entirely different law related to disclosing the identify of an undercover operative. Even more ignored is Valerie Plume's role in tracking the spread of illegal WMD which has surely been compromised. Didn't our country just invade and take over a country on this issue?

[Jim Sagle]

5. No way - the CIA won't LET it blow over.

[Stevendsmith]

7. Let's Hope

I just don't want to get my hopes too high only to have them crushed again.

[LeinesRed]

8. that's what I hope

just one part of the outrage is how BOB NO-FACTS can diss someone just because he or she is "only an analyst" in the CIA. Anyone in foreign service is putting his or her life on the line. Especially in this current international situation that SMIRK created for us.

Edited for spelling

[htuttle]

9. In the last week...

I've seen no less than 4 retired CIA agents speaking with very real outrage and disgust about the Bush administration's actions in this matter.

I can't remember the last time I've seen so many spies 'come in from the cold' (or from their warm retirement cottages) to talk on television about something.

Unlike a number of past BushCo scandals, this one is generating real bipartisan outrage.

Sure, you have your Rush's and your Hannity's out there saying, "It's no big deal. It's just partisan politics." But the more they say that this time, the more crassly political they themselves appear, IMHO.

[Warren Stuart]

10. Mountain or Molehill?

This scandal is unlike any other that has cropped up.

I have been going to everyone I know expressing my disgust over the treasonous actions of the Bush regime, and the right wingers just have to take it. Much like I had to endure all of the Clinton Bashing. Guess what? I liked it! I'll do it again! All of the like minded people have come out of the woodwork, expressing their disgust, and they are digging it too!

If we went to war to keep Weapons of Mass Destruction out of the hands of terrorists, why did Bush blow the cover of the agent that dealt with this issue? It ain't that hard, even an idiot can recognized the inherent stupidity of this.

This ain't no Arkansas land deal, this is treason.