What does it mean that Chris Matthews was one of the six journalists...?

[kentuck]

...that the "senior administration official" contacted to spread the story about Joe Wilson's wife? But Chris Matthews turns around and call Joe Wilson? As reported on another post, Matthews called Wilson and said, "I just got off the phone with Karl Rove and he says your wife is fair game." Now who will pursue Matthews about the validity of this story?

His nickname is "Tweety" and the bets are that if the FBI even hints at prison time, he will sing like a tweety bird. All they need is one witness. But Matthews has told Newsweek that he will not discuss off-the-record sources. And David Corn reports that Rove told Matthews "it was reasonable to discuss whether Wilson's wife had been involved in his mission to Niger". Did Matthews interpret that as "fair game" and would that be an accurate interpretation?

It seems this story is just growing more legs...like a centipede.

(edited to pluralize)

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[UTUSN]

4. It Means, 1- Tweety Has Disclosed the Identity of a Source

and 2- Yes, he WILL sing (more) if threatened with jail because he's a physical coward. Back when Enron broke hard, between Dec. '01? and 03-02, he STUDIOUSLY avoided doing ANY Enron segments AT ALL, every show doing "the Middle East". He did ONE Whorealdo type exploit, riding a helicopter somewhere in the ME, wearing goggles, yammering over the noise------------and he was SCARED TO DEATH. I'll wager on THIS angle of it all. (Btw, to date Enron has NEVER been any kind of focus for him.)

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Hmmm... or maybe ....

Tweety reached that level of trust within the Bush administration, which entitled him to the inside information; and once he got it, he actually did the right thing and told Wilson?

<pause> Nawwwwwww....

[loudnclear]

22. It wasn't Matthews who divulged Wilson's wife's identity

It was Novak. I don't recall Chris writing about it. He called Wilson instead.

[grasswire]

2. I don't think this means...

....that Tweety is one of the six.

I think this call came later, when Rove was capitalizing on the story.

1. Someone in the WH shops Plame's identity to six people including Novak.

2. Someone in the administration tells this to WashPost

3. Rove and Tweety talk and Rove tells Tweety that she was fair game.

4. Tweety calls Joe Wilson and tells him what Rove said.

[ewagner]

3. Conason said that this morning

on CNN's Reliable Sources

It appears that his call to Wilson was part of the so-called second effort on the story, that is, after it was disclosed by Novak, there were efforts to keep the story going through other sources and it appears Rove was most definatly behind that effort. This "Tweety" call means that Rove is implicated and will at least be interviewed by the FBI. Whether Mathews is one of the original six to whom the story was "shopped" is not clear.

Interesting legal point here. If "Tweety" gave up his source to Wilson, then he can no longer claim "confidential source". Right?

[kentuck]

6. Interesting point, ewagner??

I would just relish seeing Chris Matthews and Karl Rove on the hotseat...and both trying to explain what the other said...

[ewagner]

12. Ticket sales

would probably erase the deficit, don't ya think?


:{(

[Snellius]

5. He finally got outed too

He was like Fox News. Both tried, for as long as they could pull it off, that they were "fair and balanced". He claimed he was a D, congressional aid to Tip O'Neil, blah, blah. It helped probably to get certain guests and con viewers into believing he was anything other than a cog in the RW conspiracy machine.

But this week for the first time, he gave up the pretense. He admitted he voted R and that he chose Bush to be pres. Like duh!Believe it or not, Frank Luntz to whom he confided his little secret acted genuinely surprised.

[Blue_Roses]

7. Rove will never admit he did anything wrong

even if the FBI does question him (who knows, they may already have) he'll never crack. he's just that ruthless.

[eleny]

8. He's probably already penning his next book - on this topic...

... and it will highlight where he will come out smack dab in the middle of the winning side. Whichever side that is. He always keeps one cheek on either side of the fence. Whimp!

[peacetalksforall]

9. It means

that whether or not Matthews was in the first or second tier...

they called the most obvious, the most visible..to get bang for their buck - it shows how serious they were. How angry they were. How risk-taking and cocky they were.

[grasswire]

11. I think Tweety is third tier

First tier: the two leakers from the WH shop to six including Novak.

Second tier: the senior admin. official who told the WashPost.

Third tier: Tweety (and maybe others) called by Rove to discredit Wilson.

[Desperadoe]

10. Tweety's bestest buddy in the whole world

Is none other than Sen. Joe Biden. Now there's one Dem I wouldn't mind seeing drug into this foray.

[Lefty48197]

13. Journalists should not reveal their sources

in order to protect the integrity of journalistic oversight. Since Tweety isn't a journalist, it would be ok for him to tweet.

[West Coast Democrat]

15. On "Capital Gang" something interesting happened

with Novak.

Did anyone see the part where Novak suddendly said, "Who said Karl Rove didn't make any calls?" But Margaret Carlson had been talking about the Clark-Rove phone call rumor that had been easily debunked. And Novak said, "Oh," and was acting as if he'd hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation.

[elfin]

18. Yes, and the look on his face was

priceless -- and I thought, very telling. Of course, NO ONE on the panel picked up on it. Wish I had taped it - his jaw dropped and he looked shocked that this was said.

[West Coast Democrat]

19. Good. I'm glad someone else noticed that

I found it to be VERY SUSPICIOUS. And it certainly helps to confirm my belief that Karl Rove was very involved in this leak scandal.

[djg21]

16. If true, he arguably waived privilege.

He already disclosed to a third party -- i.e. Wilson -- the identity of the leaker. He can now contend that the very same information remains "confidential." He could have real problems.

It's about time!

[kentuck]

17. Has Wilson stated that he heard it from Tweety?

Has that been reported?

[NNN0LHI]

20. I have seen Wilson say he was turning over to the FBI information...

...on all media people who called and warned him about Rove. Whether Tweety is one of them we will have to wait see.

Don

[even]

21. Journalist?

You are too kind. Mathews is a cheap tabloid huckster with a .03 share. The 8th wonder of the world is why any one watches this miserable failure.