I don't believe it was Armitage

[Stinky The Clown]

He may have been a gossip. He may have even told Novakula.

But I do not think he was the original source.

I also think the meme du jour that he is, is simply a deflective strategy. He may even have inadverently set himself up as the fall guy. What if - (CAUTION: WILD SPECULATION) - the person who actually outed the agent told Novakula to sit on it until he got someone else to name the same name? That way, the stooge who yammer's innoceently or unknowlingly to Novakula becomes the fall guy when a fall guy is, indeed, required.

My guess?

Cheney and/or Rove.

[lyonn]

1. My suspicions too. The patsy, fallguy, yup

At this point this is swift boating, election stuff being spread by Assumptions.

[Atman]

2. The Armitage version just isn't believable.

How long has this been going on? He suddenly sounds like he's been out of the country with no news or television for the past three years. "HUH? Oh that! Gosh, I dunno...maybe it was me!" He, fuckface...why didn't you step forward before? Someone is obstructing justice. And their initials are KR, GW and DC, just for starters.

[acmejack]

3. You think he would fall on his sword for these guys?

I thought he disliked these bums.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. No sword swallower, he.

If the sword *does* get into his gut, he was pushed.

[Me.]

4. Don't Think He Was The Primary Source

Though I think he was a confirming one, especially as it has been pointed out that while he knew Plame worked at the CIA, he didn't know she was undercover. Also, while this was happening there was still a concerted effort to dirty up Wilson and Rove & Libby were doing every little thing they've been accused of.

*shadow government*

[MADem]

5. I DO think it was Armitage...as the CONFIRMING source, only

Perhaps as one of two or THREE confirming sources. But make no mistake, this shit originated at Sixteen Hundred Penn...and Novak KNOWS it. Odds are good Novak heard it FIRST from Libby, and went elsewhere for more juice. It's probably why Libby is in such deep shit. There had to be a BOLD lie up in there somewhere....

Remember the phone call from Tweety to Wilson? "Karl Rove says your wife is fair game." Matt Cooper and Kkkarl???

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8445696/site/newsweek/

Where, pray tell, did THAT shit come from?

And Fatboy Timmy the Potatohead from Meet the Russert gets hauled before the GJ for what? His health? Come ON.

[Warpy]

6. Who told ARMITAGE???

That's the real question. Who told a notorious GOSSIP???

It all comes back to Stupid and his string puller.

[JNelson6563]

8. I agree with you

100%

:toast:

[seriousstan]

9. What does Truthout have to say about this?

[Stinky The Clown]

10. What would that matter?

They haven't told us anything so far.

[Jacobin]

11. I don't either

He's been a very reluctant neocon all along.

I think they are throwing him under the train as punishment for not being a true believer.

[Buckmaw]

12. Oh No...

Really???

[malikstein]

13. We have known for ages

that Armitage's rôle in the Plame affair was to fax a top secret document to Powell during the flight to Africa just after Novak's article appeared. That document, which described (with some errors, such as stating that Ms Plame "sent" her husband to Niger) the CIA decision to send Wilson to Africa. Plame is described in that document as a NOC, and that information is labeled "No foreign eyes".

So, Armitage perhaps could be charged with revealing Plame's status to the President, Condi Rice, Ari Fleischer, Dan Bartlett, Colin Powell and other members of the entourage. We know that everybody in that group had access to the document. There are reports of a flurry of phone calls to Rove and, I think, Cheney from the plane, which leads me to speculate that they were informed of Plame's status and to asked to use that information to scuttle Wilson.

All of this information is available on the internet, but I don't have the links at hand. If anybody wants to supply them, I'd be grateful.

[Vidar]

14. Just a fall guy.

[kentuck]

15. You may be right...

He may be getting ready to retire and get out of the business and has decided to take the blame? Because he has been a darling of the media for many years, he thinks he will get a bigger break than the "guilty" party? Could be?

[Sam Odom]

16. Armitage is covering Colin Powell ass

Only thing that makes sense to me

[newspeak]

17. someone was pushing hard to expose Plame publicly

Novak also outed the network-I don't think he would do it on his own. But, what I have read is that Powell and Armitage were the moderates, the "voice of reason," within the administration--against the overzealous warhawks like Rumsfeld and Feith. That's why I'm having a hard time with this, because Powell and Armitage were treading lightly into an Iraq war--someone else is behind it. Also, Cheney was at the CIA offices like a vulture looking for any intel as a basis for war with Iraq-it was unprecedented that a vice president would do this.

[newspeak]

18. so, who attempted to push other journalists to expose Plame?

remember, some others were called and wouldn't take the bait.