Valerie Plame Stands Tall

[Caro]

If you didn't see the hearings, go to the C-SPAN website and watch the recorded version. I have never seen more dignified, forthright, and plainspoken testimony before Congress than Valerie Plame’s. She was the equal of John Dean during the Watergate hearings.

The excerpt below is posted with the full permission, even encouragement, of the author, who wants his essays to be read by as many people as possible.

From the Hill’s Pundits Blog

Valerie Plame Stands Tall

Brent Budowsky

First. I spent a number of years of my life working on the Intelligence Identities Protection Act with its original sponsor, then-Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

Second. It should now be clear even to the most rabid partisan apologist for Bush administration wrongdoing that Valerie Plame was a covert operative, that her identity and status were classified, and that she had performed abroad within the last five years.

Third. I know and admire Valerie Plame and consider her an American hero, an American patriot, and an invaluable national resource in defeating global terrorism who has been compromised by shameless and despicable acts, by partisans and ideologues.

The president of the United States owes Valerie Plame and every covert officer a profound apology.

The president of the United States owes the vice president and Karl Rove an aggressive, severe, and public reprimand, at a minimum.

The president of the United States owes the American people, our covert officers and the rule of law an ironclad commitment that he will not issue a pardon to anyone convicted in this case…

One Republican congressman said today at the hearing that well, this is the problem of the CIA, not the White House…

What the president and vice president have never understood, what the apologists and flacks and hacks and partisans and “oppo” players and smear artists have never understood, is this: To protect our men and women who serve covertly is a sacred trust, written in blood, sanctified by oath, etched in stone, that should be seared into our souls with honor…

Click through to read the rest of this blistering essay

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

[northofdenali]

1. Excellent essay, Caro - one of the best I've read on the subject.

Plame was assertive without being abrasive, and her "outing" is obviously a major loss to our intelligence gathering efforts. If Rove, with Bush's encouragement, was behind this, he should be prosecuted, and if Bush provided any information, it is an impeachable offense. This misAdministration has proven, however, that our national security takes a far back place to lining the pockets of their cronies.

[Caro]

2. Plame was superb.

I hope she finds a way to continue in public service. Run for office, maybe?

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

[Spazito]

3. Those who betrayed Valerie Plame are in the same "class"

as Aldridge Ames, Robert Hanson, etc. They are traitors to their country and should suffer the fate of traitors instead of still being protected, still free to continue their treason. The message this protection of traitors sends to other countries' intelligence agencies is clear. No intelligence agency will share information that, prior to this travesty, would have been shared because, now, it is clear the US administration is NOT to be trusted and will blow ANY intelligence network if it is politically expedient to do so.

They not only shut down the CIA networks on nuclear proliferation but will not be able to get that intel from other countries due to this, imo.