Novak's column published: "My Role in the Valerie Plame Leak Story"

[DeepModem Mom]

My Role in the Valerie Plame Leak Story
by Robert Novak
Posted Jul 12, 2006

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after two and one-half years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded. That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that, at the request of Fitzgerald, I have kept secret.

I have cooperated in the investigation while trying to protect journalistic privileges under the First Amendment and shield sources who have not revealed themselves. I have been subpoenaed by and testified to a federal grand jury. Published reports that I took the Fifth Amendment, made a plea bargain with the prosecutors or was a prosecutorial target were all untrue.

For nearly the entire time of his investigation, Fitzgerald knew -- independent of me -- the identity of the sources I used in my column of July 14, 2003. A federal investigation was triggered when I reported that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was employed by the CIA and helped initiate his 2002 mission to Niger. That Fitzgerald did not indict any of these sources may indicate his conclusion that none of them violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

Some journalists have badgered me to disclose my role in the case, even demanding I reveal my sources -- identified in the column as two senior Bush administration officials and an unspecified CIA source. I have promised to discuss my role in the investigation when permitted by the prosecution, and I do so now....

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=15988

[niyad]

1. you outed a CIA agent, you bastard. no amount of justifying, excusing

or whatever the hell you are doing can change the fact that YOU BROKE THE LAW, with full knowledge and deliberation. you are SCUM

[Biernuts]

32. You gotta blame the CIA, not Novak

When the Agency Official Spokesman confirms her employment and says publishing her CIA association "might be embarassing", that's fundamentally different from "Hold the Phone for the Director please, he will explain that she is a covert officer and publishing her name might endanger people or our ability to collect intelligence."

No matter how it spins, "Embarassing" isn't sufficient to stop the presses. And I doubt anyone at DU sincerely want's "Embarassing" to be the standard used to prevent government information from becoming public.

No, if the CIA wanted her agency connection protected, they sure didn't demonstrate it. I'd blame Tenant himself if he handn't been appointed by Bill Clinton.

[Swamp Rat]

2. Bastard

[rfranklin]

7. He is a coward as well as a traitor....

All the weasel words can't hide the fact that he sang like a canary.

[formernaderite]

3. trying to find anyone who's read the who's who entry

does it refer to Valerie as Valerie Plame or Valerie Wilson(Plame being her CIA handle)....also Novak refers to this as Wilson entry in Who's who....my question: Who give Who's Who the info for the entries?

[AndyA]

4. F*ck you, Novak.

Take a laxative and shit yourself down the toilet. It's better than you deserve.

[wizstars]

5. Mr. pResident, keep your promise

Mr. pResident, please keep your promise to "restore honor and integrity to the White House." Keep your promise to fire anyone involved in disclosing the identity of an undercover agent to the media.

FIRE KARL ROVE AND RICHARD CHENEY!!!!! THEN, RESIGN!!!

KEEP YOUR PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!

[tnlefty]

21. Welcome to DU, wizstars!

if only Bush** had an ounce of integrity or honor.

[Biernuts]

35. The one who leaked it, albiet inadvertenely, is already out of

government service.

[UTUSN]

6. Brit HUME said yesterday, "So this was an investigation that did NOT have

to happen." Then when otherwise tool KONDRACKE said something about White-House-concerted-to-discredit-WILSON, HUME ------POUNCED-----on him, saying, "Wait aminute, Fred (BARNES). Mort, you just said (this-and-such). How do you KNOW that???" Beltway Bozo KONDRACKE pursed his lips and didn't answer. Later, HUME returned to turn the screw some more and sitll the Bozo had no answer. Most of us here have heard the news reports of Shrub and CHEENEE giving the go-ahead to "get (their) side OUT."

Usually HUME only picks on Juan WILLIAMS, with Billy KRISTOL patronizingly smirking at Juan.

[hang a left]

8. emptywheel's (who I always look to for guidance on all things Plame)

Comments:

Goddamnit Press Corps, Don't You Know When You're Being Spun?!?!?!?

by emptywheel

Apparently not.

So far, we have Drudge promising Novak would out his source on every Fox program tonight I mean tomorrow or maybe is it tonight?, published almost simultaneously with Novak's premature ejaculation of a column, which he promptly removed, but which thousands of people have already seen. The column, of course, states that Novak won't out his source-presumed-to-be-Armitage. Now, perhaps these guys haven't seen it. Or they're just stupid. But there's Howie saying Novak won't out his source (and, curiously, saying that the premature ejaculation comes out on Thursday). Yet there's Tweety buying the Harlow is the source who outed Plame line, even after Shuster explained it to him all nice and slow that we already knew about Harlow's role. And a bunch of papers, apparently. Hellooooo!?!?! When they use the term "news" they generally mean stuff that is, you know, new. And whose name is on these press releases? Does it rhyme with "stove"?

I think the way this was supposed to work was that Novak would get everyone all breathless and watching Fox (it needs the ratings, dontcha know), only to reveal that his secret "source" is actually Bill Harlow, about whom Novak confirmed every detail he did today, plus a bunch, back in 2005. Well, given that his column is out already, ruining the surprise, Fox may not get the viewers. But damn, Novak has sure fooled a bunch of people. Are you guys really this stupid???

Whatever reason they spun this media extravaganza, it sure worked like a charm. Half of DC's press corps wandering around like amazed zombies at being fed 9 month-old news.

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/

[hang a left]

9. from link

[katinmn]

27. I saw that! They are just alike, IMO

Isssshhhhhh!!!!!!

[Kurovski]

39. They're dating now!

The perfect couple to usher in the new era of conservatism.

[hang a left]

10. I think the only thing new in this article is that Novak was

questioned by the FBI on October 7, 2003 and wouldn't say shit. Then in January 04 when he was questioned by Fitz, he spilled the beans, using the justification that Fitgerald already knew who his primary and two confirming sources were.

[jilln]

16. and that's a known interrogation technique...

Make you think they already know something so you will confirm it for them. So even if Fitzgerald suspected, maybe he had no proof, and Novak gave him some.

[rustydog]

11. Can you tell me again WHY republicans , Malkin, Oreally,

Coulter and their fucked-up ilk haven't called for Novaks arrest and trial for treason?
the New York times basically quoted Bush's prior statements to the news media, Novak outed a CIA agent.

[Skittles]

18. oh that's easy

conservative bastards care more about the GOP than they care about America

[ananda]

12. So, w h y..

.. then wasn't Rove indictable?

Was Fitz bought, compromised, or threatened...

... or all three?

Sue

[AntiFascist]

28. Is Fitzgerald "in over his head and folding like a two dollar suitcase"?

Has he been pressured by David Addington to "game the judicial process to favor the White House" and give the Bush administration a number of escape routes?

[Biernuts]

34. Indicted for what? There has to be a law broken

If the CIA isn't even protecting her identity any more than "it might be embarassing", then no court is going to rule that the government is trying to actively shield her status.

No, the fault here is the CIA's and I'd blame Tenant imself, if he hadn't been appointed by Bill Clinton.

[baldguy]

13. He should write one entitled "My Confession For Treason"

[idgiehkt]

14. equally fucked up and totally tacky:

Has anyone clicked on that ad on his column page?



"It isn't often that you can meet the decision makers of the nation in such an intimate setting. Don't miss out, sign up today.

This is your chance to get frank answers and insight into the state of our nation and economy.

Remember, only 70 people are allowed to attend. Seats are filling up, so reserve your seat today!
1. Sign Up
Yes, I want to meet the leaders of the nation. Please sign me up for the Evans-Novak Political Forum on September 21, 2006 in Washington D.C., for only $595."


So what, for $595 he'll out some more CIA agents?
Too funny

[brainshrub]

15. Check out the little ad at the bottom of the story:

It's not part of the essay, but it's very ironic:

Sign up today for Robert Novak's ultra secret political forum on September 21. You'll have the chance to meet Washington's most powerful politicians -- and be just one of 70 people allowed in the room.

How do the people who sign up for the forum know their identities won't be leaked?

[C_U_L8R]

17. If this administration had one ounce of decency...

this treasonous fat bastard would be swinging from the gallows

[enough already]

19. Someone got to Fitzy

That's the only explanation for any of this bullshit. This is an open and shut case of treason, and somehow all these fuckers are going to walk??? Unbelievable. Rove must have a boatload of dirt of Fitz for this to happen.

[OwnedByFerrets]

20. Thats what I have said all along..

Fitz was given " an offer he couldnt refuse".

[tinfoilinfor2005]

29. I foresee one of two scenarios:

1. All the arrows point to Cheney and Fitz is lining them up neatly for SHOWTIME.

2. What you said.

I hope it's number one, but I'm not a good judge of people so who knows. :shrug:

[Straight Shooter]

22. Birds of a feather commit treason together. n/t

[lonestarnot]

23. Now there is another sign!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

41. That has the makings of a great election slogan

[Marie26]

24. So we still don't know his primary source?

Thanks, Novak. :eyes:

[The Wizard]

25. The whole thing

gets dumped on Scooter Libby and he gets a pardon. Case closed.

[McCamy Taylor]

26. CIA "confirmed" it by telling him not to blow Plame's cover. Novak is

a traitorous turd.

[Biernuts]

33. CIA Screwed it up completely

When the Agency Official Spokesman confirms her employment and says publishing her CIA association "might be embarassing", that's not the standard for holding off on a story. Is that the criteria you'd suggest for any of the NSA stories and the NYT?

If you really are serious about classified information, you state "we neither confirm nor deny" the data.

[H2O Man]

36. You are silly.

The nonsense you state here should not be taken seriously. One would have to believe Novak, who continues to lie about what happened. Very few people on DU consider Novak a good source. Novak has to appear exclusively on Fox News to promote his lies, because they are so easily discounted.

[bluestateguy]

30. So it was Rove. We are vindicated (sort of)

The fact that Novak went public suggests that he has been assured that Rove will never be charged.

[mzarathustra]

31. TRAITORS!!

Those responsible for the recent State Department break-ins have seriously compromised the security of the U.S., and should be prosecuted as TRAITORS!!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/11/state.hackers.ap/index.html

Those responsible... would be (let's see) the administrative branch of the U.S., which has been so lethargic about implementing basic computer security that it's a breeze for hackers to just waltz in and steal information. Obviously, the TRAITORS ultimately responsible for the information leak are the top "leaders" in the hierarchy in the administrative branch of the U.S. Government! Who have been playing golf and hobnobbing with the Bin Laden family instead of doing anything genuinely useful ... Let's see, that would be...

Bush and Cheney! Obviously TRAITORS!!

Off with their heads!

N.B. this deserves its own thread, but I don't have enough posts ... yet ...

[luckyleftyme2]

37. another broken promise by the" chimp"

once again dubya lets his buddy slide! karl rove has to be kicked out of any type of political arena he's involved in. the press has to go after him like a bear after honey. no matter how many stings you keep on the trail.
"DUBYA" has never kept his word on any security breeches his fellow players have made.

[Octafish]

38. Cheney be Novak's still-unnamed turd?

Bush is too stupid to be allowed to talk off-the-record to a reporter.

Cheney can impress what he wants on both twisted turds like Novak and cue-ball brains like Bush.

Novak,loyal to the BFEE, still blames Wilson for going to Niger.

Why? Wilson discovered Iraqi did not purchase uranium.

That's the Truth. And THAT had to be hidden from We the People.

And that's what the BFEE wanted hidden in order to make their case for war.

CRAZY MONKEY

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. So who is his primary source?