Will Wolf "conflict of interest" Blitzer throw softballs to Novak? This really is ridiculous.
Novak is spinning ridiculously. What the hell does he think "difficulties" means.
Besides, it doesn't matter one bit for this issue whether her life was in danger. Jeebus.
Invisible fairies tell him she wasn't an operative, and when he used the word operative he didn't really mean operative.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Don't let McClellan Frame the Issue
Reader ES writes in:
Agreed. We're already getting craptacular coverage from the New York Times along these lines:
Actually, it does involve issues of constituional gravity. It does have to do with greed. It has everything to do with matters of national security. It has everything to do with an adminsitration willing to throw national security out the window in order to play petty vindictive politics. It has everything to do with a president and his administration who, when confronted with these charges, saw fit to do absolutely nothing about it.
What an embarrassment the New York Times is. For shame.
UPDATE: If I were a real dork, I'd say "advantage blogosphere!" But, I'm not, so I'll just point out they apparently have pulled that paragraph.
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Somebody better tell the WH press corps that they're perilously close to succumbing to the controlled message WH politicos are peddling. McClellan frantically tried to impose the old brilliant "16-word" play on the Plame story -- trying to limit coverage to the act of leaking; trying to shield the WH from discussion of the larger national security ramifications of the leak.
Someone tasked with tracking loose nuclear materials was rendered useless and her networks and contacts were exposed for the underworld to see. The whole, worst fear of humanity has been arguably facilitated by someone in the White House.
Will the Washington crew let the story advance to "political witch hunt"? Or will they advance the story to its real meaning? What has this done to our world? Are we less safe now?
Agreed. We're already getting craptacular coverage from the New York Times along these lines:
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"The scandal over the leak is hard to define in one or two sentences. It does not seem to involve issues of constitutional gravity, like Watergate or the Iran-contra affair, or at least not directly. It does not have to do with greed. Nor does it seem to involve matters of national security."
Actually, it does involve issues of constituional gravity. It does have to do with greed. It has everything to do with matters of national security. It has everything to do with an adminsitration willing to throw national security out the window in order to play petty vindictive politics. It has everything to do with a president and his administration who, when confronted with these charges, saw fit to do absolutely nothing about it.
What an embarrassment the New York Times is. For shame.
UPDATE: If I were a real dork, I'd say "advantage blogosphere!" But, I'm not, so I'll just point out they apparently have pulled that paragraph.
Out and Proud
More of this kind of stuff, please.
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Lexington, Kentucky) State Senator Ernesto Scorsone came out Tuesday, becoming the first gay Kentucky state officeholder.
The 51 year old Democrat made the announcement in a speech at the Governor's Equal Employment Opportunity Conference in Louisville.
Scorsone praised Gov. Paul Patton for signing an executive order in May prohibiting discrimination against state employees or job applicants on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
"As a public official I was proud that our government was taking this step toward fairness," Scorsone said.
"As a gay Kentuckian, I was proud of the executive order because, while I personally may have been fortunate when it comes to job discrimination, other gay Kentuckians have not."
Repeat
Digby says:
sounds about right.
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If President Bush refuses to personally and forcefully pursue a national security risk on his own staff, how can we trust him to keep this country safe?
sounds about right.
J'Accuse
Mark Kleiman says:
Exactly. This is like Clinton/Gore in reverse. During the good old days, press heaped up a giant serving of bullshit - both in terms of the "Clinton scandals" and coverage of the Gore campaign, and now they just like to pretend they had no responsbility for either. Now they spent months ignoring a real scandal - a real scandal many of them were intimately involved with - and I'm sure many would just like to pretend it didn't happen.
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The big advantage for Bush is that the inexcusable media silence during the long cover-up period means that most voters are hearing about the story first in terms of Bush's co-operation. And of course any explanation about how long the stone wall had stayed in place would make the reporters look bad, as well as the White House. In reputational terms, they're all in this together.
Exactly. This is like Clinton/Gore in reverse. During the good old days, press heaped up a giant serving of bullshit - both in terms of the "Clinton scandals" and coverage of the Gore campaign, and now they just like to pretend they had no responsbility for either. Now they spent months ignoring a real scandal - a real scandal many of them were intimately involved with - and I'm sure many would just like to pretend it didn't happen.
Reminder
Julian Borger on the Michelangelo Signorile show. Coming on in a couple minutes.
"for at least two of the journalists...it was Karl Rove"
"it is broadly known...that in at least a couple of these calls, Karl Rove made the allusion to Joe Wilson's wife. A question may be whether these phone calls came after Robert Novak put his piece out...
"...the timing may turn out to be crucial..."
"for at least two of the journalists...it was Karl Rove"
"it is broadly known...that in at least a couple of these calls, Karl Rove made the allusion to Joe Wilson's wife. A question may be whether these phone calls came after Robert Novak put his piece out...
"...the timing may turn out to be crucial..."
Dear ABCs the Note
Yes, yes, we knew the Republican talking point that Wilson gave money to John Kerry, which for some reason is supposed to have something to do with the fact that two top white house aids have apparently committed serious felonies. Maybe simply giving money to Democrats now excuses any and all illegal behavior by other people.
But, he also gave money to George Bush. Please inform your readers.
Love,
Atrios.
(thanks to Jeff Hauser)
...CalPundit has more.
But, he also gave money to George Bush. Please inform your readers.
Love,
Atrios.
(thanks to Jeff Hauser)
...CalPundit has more.
A Beautiful Thing
It was really a joy to see Rush Limbaugh being treated with absolute contempt on local news last night. He wasn't simply criticized, but talked about as if he were lower than dog shit. Which he is, of course.
You can read all about it.
If anyone caught McNabb's press conference (I didn't), let us know how it went.
You can read all about it.
If anyone caught McNabb's press conference (I didn't), let us know how it went.
Damning Editorial
I posted up the preview version before, but this editorial in today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune is a must-read.
Was it Scooter with the Candlestick?
In USA Today:
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In Washington, Plame was assigned to the CIA's Non-Proliferation Center, an organization of analysts, technical experts and former field operatives who work on detecting and, if possible, preventing foreign proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Vice President Cheney and his chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, met with officials at the Non-Proliferation Center before the invasion of Iraq to discuss reports that Iraq was seeking to buy uranium in Africa. A U.S. official with knowledge of those meetings said Plame did not attend. But the former U.S. intelligence official said she was involved in preparing materials for those meetings."
Common Knowledge
A bunch of right wing hacks are going on about how since they knew Wilson's wife was CIA that everybody did. Look, right wing hacks, the reason you knew she was CIA is that Republican operatives were spreading the information around. It isn't as if Wilson's like some Washington Superstar. None of you heard of the guy before this stuff came out.
Josh Marshall destroys this ridiculously self-defeating line of hackdom from the hacking hackity hacks, as does Mel Goodman here. (thanks to 56 for the tip on the last one) Goodman says a lot, but as for this particular issue:
CalPundit picks out some more key excerpts.
Josh Marshall destroys this ridiculously self-defeating line of hackdom from the hacking hackity hacks, as does Mel Goodman here. (thanks to 56 for the tip on the last one) Goodman says a lot, but as for this particular issue:
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Mel Goodman: I've worked in Washington for the past 38 years, including 24 years at the CIA...and I know Ambassador Wilson....and I did not know that his wife was an agency employee. Let's face it....this was targetted information as part of a political vendetta....a pure act of revenge...again, no more and no less.
CalPundit picks out some more key excerpts.
Important Radio
Make sure to listen to the Michelangelo Signorile show today (1-4 EST). You never know what you might hear. Julian Borger will be on.
Suspend Robert Novak
Dear CNN,
You really can't have on one of the principals of the story on discussing it, particularly when much of what he says is in conflict with what your reporters are saying. You look foolish and unprofessional.
Love,
Atrios
You really can't have on one of the principals of the story on discussing it, particularly when much of what he says is in conflict with what your reporters are saying. You look foolish and unprofessional.
Love,
Atrios
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