The entire White House was consumed by fear over Wilson (and the Truth).

[keopeli]

This Wash. Post article describes the recently publicized evidence presented by Fitzgerald to the court in the Plame case.

Listen to this key point:

Fitzgerald reported for the first time this week that "multiple officials in the White House"-- not only Libby and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, who have previously been identified -- discussed Plame's CIA employment with reporters before and after publication of her name...

Fitzgerald said the grand jury has collected so much testimony and so many documents that "it is hard to conceive of what evidence there could be that would disprove the existence of White House efforts to 'punish' Wilson."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/08/AR2006040800916.html">washingtonpost.com

Here's the picture: The WH promoted the whole war right up through May 1 when Bush said "Mission Accomplished." They thought no further than this point at any time, whether in Publicity or Reparations or Diplomacy. May 1, 2003 was the pinnacle of the Bush Administration.

By July 1, the proverbial sh*t had hit the fan. There were no WMDs. There was not even resistance from the Iraqi Army. There were no mobile chemical laboratories.

Enter, Joe Wilson, who had gone public with his Niger trip and the findings just weeks earlier. As the news got worse for the WH, Joe revealed more information, until he wrote an editorial revealing details of his trip to Niger and the sheer ignorance of any person who would accept this story as being true.

We often hear of what the WH does and does not tell reporters. But, let's consider what reporters tell the WH to get in their good graces. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to when the WH learned that Wilson would be writing an editorial? Remember, a lot of planning had to be done. They had to pull out the Africa trip and get Bush out of the country for this revelation. Former Ambassador Lyman was interviewed on June 30, which is the earliest account I can find in June of the topic of the Africa trip. He said, "The trip was originally scheduled for this past January and postponed because of the Iraq situation."

So, by June 30, the WH was in full defense mode. That's a 60 day fall from Mission Accomplished. They were all so desperate to discredit Wilson that they slimed his wife and compromised our National Security. To their credit, most of the Press wouldn't reveal the story. It was the ferociously partisan Novak who spilled the beans. That day, the CIA submitted the offense to the Justice Dept. and that ball is still rolling.

[madaboutharry]

1. This is so stunning that I can't wrap my mind around it.

This administration needs to be brought down in its entirety. They are unfit to hold office. Bush and Cheney must be impeached, any other course of action makes a mockery of our democracy. Let Hasert become president temporarily until a special election is held 6 months out. This is the only way to restore our nation.

[madrchsod]

7. this is why the november election is critical

the house must be won by the democrats. the senate is a long shot but nixon was told by his own party to resign.

[thefool_wa]

12. Elections are becoming irrelevant

Diebold and the Repug "election machine" have stolen two presidential elections and, we can bet, fixed more than a couple congressional races in the past 6 years.

Fixing this is going to take the strength, courage, and conviction of private citizens. It is going to take a willingness to be disruptive, make noise, and show them in stark, recognizable terms that we will not take this kind of b**lsh*t laying down any more. Organize and fight the power, the time is NOW!

Anything short of the impeachment of the entire administration will not be enough for me. If I can dream for a second, I think the only thing that would make it right is a congressional decision to hold an emergency presidential election and get all of them out NOW! Make anything manufactured by Diebold illegal and remand the rectification of this heinous situation to the people, where it belongs.

I say again, these people mae me ashamed to be an American...

[spooky3]

2. your link takes me to microsoft.com

[keopeli]

3. Working link to the article in the Washington Post

www.washingtonpost.com

Links are the most significant difference between writting online and analog.

We should always correct our broken links.

[spooky3]

4. Sorry, that link isn't right either...I think this is what you

wanted to link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/08/AR2006040800916.html

I'm not sure why you're having problems. Just copy the URL in the text of your DU "message", and it should work.

[keopeli]

8. Thanks, Spooky!

[oxbow]

17. Next time, take out the http://. that should do the trick

[lostnfound]

5. Does that mean that destroying Brewster-Jennings was merely incidental?

Funny how the WP so rarely brings that up.

[madrchsod]

6. maybe

or it could have been "luck". remember there is no oversight on the india nuclear deal and pakistan`s nuclear arsenal.

[mikelewis]

10. Not incidental at all... Outing Valerie was thier main objective...

Taking out Joe fit into that very well. He was seen as an extension of her operations which they believed were aimed at discrediting them. They needed to shut Valerie down and they did it through Joe's article. It gave them the perfect cover. After all, "It's just politics."

[alfredo]

9. Cowards attack a man's family.

[thefool_wa]

11. What about Novak

I have to say something that no one in the MSM seems to want to address.

To their credit, most of the Press wouldn't reveal the story. It was the ferociously partisan Novak who spilled the beans. That day, the CIA submitted the offense to the Justice Dept. and that ball is still rolling.

Robert Novak is just as complicit in this whole thing as those who leaked the information. Every other reasonable reporter apparently recognized this information as classified, recognized the intent behind the leak and refused to report it. Robert Novak is a traitor and needs to be tried as such. He assisted the administration in outing an intelligence operative during a time of war. We used to shoot people on the Capital Mall for that, and I think we are about to find out if we still do.

The last straw is coming and when this camel breaks....well lets just hope our cities can sustain the riots that will happen if these m***erf**kers are not brought down.

I am ashamed to be an American...

[aquart]

14. Novak obviously came completely clean to Fitz and the jury.

He told them every single thing he knew.

[thefool_wa]

18. That should not exempt him from punishment

We are not talking about a petty crime, or even a capital crime. This is HIGH TREASON, the only criminal act that can be committed by a citizen of this nation that is specifically addressed in the Constitution.

I am not saying I want to see him poled and shot on the Mall, we can save that sweetness for the administrative traitors. What I am saying is that his cooperation should only spare him that fate, not punishment altogether. He was a knowing and willing participant in a traitorous act and letting him off because he cooperated with the prosecutor sends a message to all journalists that they need not worry about integrity or the law. By exonerating him we are saying that, long as they reveal their source (which they have to do in a criminal investigation anyways) they can publish all the sensitive and classified information they want with no threat of repercussion.

The profession of journalism has gotten bad enough without giving them license to participate in this type of action. He is culpable, yes, but he cooperated so I figure twenty years in a federal penitentiary and permanent revocation of his press privileges (hell, don't even let him write books) should send the right message to every journalist in this nation.

The media has traded their freedom of the press for dollars and cents. It disgusts me and something needs to be done.

[aquart]

13. Fitz is saying conspiracy without saying conspiracy?

Is that what I read? That he has overwhelming evidence of conspiracy?

Can he say that and NOT bring new charges? Would he say that and not bring new, uglier charges?

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. I'm amazed by bushbots who still attack Wilson

It's like debating whether we can build machines that fly. He was right.

[tabasco]

16. My God, me too.

I am disgusted and amazed by the power of propaganda and the gullibility of millions of people.

I am especially disgusted by those who put loyalty to fuhrer and party before loyalty to Nation.

[bluesbassman]

19. And just where are are the "adults"?

When these people took office, all you ever heard about was how they were going to restore honor and dignity to the White House. Lord knows we couldn't have people showing up for work wearing jeans. And removing the w keys from keyboards, how infantile. Well, sorry but nobody ever died from a staffer wearing jeans to work, and even if staffers did remove w keys (proven to be bush*t anyway), I seriously doubt if a complex network of undercover operatives were compromised because of it.

But these "adults" come unglued when someone dares to contradict there lies. So they conduct a smear campaign more clumsy than something my 13 year old and his buddies could ever come up with. I would feel sorry for them if it wasn't for one pesky little detail; it's TREASON! These traitors made their bed, now they have to lie in it. b*sh has claimed again and again how we are in a state of war, he should have toned that rhetoric down a little because I don't think censure is the penalty for treason during wartime.

Man, I can't wait until the "kids" are back in charge!

[tabasco]

21. Welcome to DU !

:hi:

I agree - put the kids back in charge!

At least the kids work to do the best for America.

That's a lot better than "the adults" who compromise national security for attenmpted political gain.

[bluesbassman]

22. Thanks tabasco, this is a great place to be.

I tend to lurk a lot to keep informed, but lately with all of bush*t hitting the fan I've been doing more posting to keep my head from exploding!

[AusGail]

20. I agree totally

Its about time the average voter developed a lot more cynicism and stopped looking at their politicians as gods. I think your politicians are treated with too much respect. You rarely see them interviewed by decent probing journalists and when they are, the journalists are told in advance what to ask and what not to ask.

Admittedly, my government stinks as well, but at least our journalists are not too frightened to ask them anything (even the Prime Minister). Unfortunately, ignorant people don't watch those kinds of shows. It seems we're always preaching to the converted.