While the DeLay story is sucking the wind out of EVERTYTHING in the blogosphere (my reaction- don’t let the door hit you in the ass, and pls, GOP, no more of these wingnuts leading the show), this ‘breaking’ Plame story (via Tom Maguire) is pretty interesting:
The special counsel appointed in late December 2003 to investigate the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson found out the identity of the Bush administration official who disclosed her undercover status to syndicated columnist Robert Novak just two months after the probe began.
But in early February 2004, a month after he started the investigation, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald shifted gears and started to build a perjury and obstruction of justice case against White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby according to several attorneys close to the investigation.
That month, Justice Department investigators working on the leak case approached a senior official in the Office of Vice President Dick Cheney who had been identified by witnesses as having played a major role in the Plame Wilson leak.
***The official has been identified by attorneys and four current and former White House officials as John Hannah, a senior national security aide on loan to Vice President Dick Cheney from then-Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs John Bolton.
Hannah worked with Libby on the issue of weapons of mass destruction as part of an informal team known as the “White House Iraq Group.” Hannah told friends last year that he was worried he might be implicated by the investigation, according to a report in the Washington Post.
Because I know we all love a good Plame story.
Pb
Oh no, not another Plame war!
Also, mad props to whoever it was in the last thread to come up with “Snakes on a Plame”.
Nice to see you again, John. :)
Jim Allen
Son of a gun, it is John!
Vladi G
Sure would love to see what was in those NSA intercepts that they refused to turn over.
tBone
No Plame thread is complete until Stormy weighs in. I want to hear more about those traitorous liars the Wilsons, and how Fitz’s case is falling apart, and how Valerie Plame had a live 24-hour webcam of herself wearing a “I’m a Covert Agent for the CIA!” T-shirt. C’mon, Stormy, don’t let me down.
SeesThroughIt
That show went downhill after season three.
Anderson
Here’s a novel idea:
If you DON’T WANT an investigation to get sidetracked into perjury & obstruction of justice …
… then DON’T PERJURE YOURSELF and DON’T OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
How hard is that? Too fucking hard for Scooter, it seems.
Perry Como
You mean the ones that included a sitting Democratic governor? But hey, the NSA doesn’t spy on Americans. Especially not political opponents of the Republican party. And definitely not someone who is a potential presidential candidate.
Paddy O'Shea
With so many GOP types under investigation in Washington DC, maybe the upcoming perp walks can be somehow coordinated into one massive frogmarch chorus line?
Or how about a Love Train? Wouldn’t that be pimpin’?
If they gotta go, shouldn’t we at least allow them to do so with a little style and class? Years of dedicated service to America should be worth at least that.
kchiker
Frogmarch Chorus Line? Love Train?
I’m as much a fan of the chicken dance as the next guy–but didn’t you see Footloose?
If there were such a parade, they’d be carrying crosses.
Not that the visual of them all getting down to the Lambada wouldn’t be satisfying. As Pat Robertson’s head exploded as he ranted about performance of the forbidden dance.
DougJ
Valerie Plame had a live 24-hour webcam of herself wearing a “I’m a Covert Agent for the CIA!” T-shirt.
For the last time: she wasn’t covert! How long are you moonbats going to cling to the idea that having a secret identity and a fake company as a front doesn’t make you covert?
DougJ
Since Stormy isn’t cooperating, here’s a little sample of the high-brow discussion at JustOneMinute. Yes, this is the “serious conversation” I was banned for interrupting.
I guess they haven’t eradicated all the spoofers from the ranks of their commenters.
Anderson
For the last time: she wasn’t covert! How long are you moonbats going to cling to the idea that having a secret identity and a fake company as a front doesn’t make you covert?
Freudian slip there, DougJ? Or just too subtle for me?
DougJ
Freudian slip.
tBone
I appreciate the effort, DougJ, but try as you might, you’re no Stormy.
And why are you bothering those intellectual giants at JustOneMinute? How are they supposed to have a serious, grown-up conversation when children like you insist on interrupting?
Vlad
“With so many GOP types under investigation in Washington DC, maybe the upcoming perp walks can be somehow coordinated into one massive frogmarch chorus line?”
You got a parade permit for that?
Eural
With Delay, Rove, Bush, Lott and others all methodically being taken down methinks I sense a greater power at work here…the field is being cleared, the winnowing has begun and soon the Machiavellian mastermind will step forth to claim his power over the Republican domination machine…
I give you President Frist. Admit it, no one would see it coming…
He’s that good.
scs
Hurray for TMag, keeping the DougJ clones in line!
scs
I think that’s a little too simple. It is just too easy to hook someone that way. Have the Feds grill someone over a potentially embarrassing, but not necessarily illegal episode, and then bust them when they fudge their answers. I don’t think the Feds should have this power without the safeguards of materiality, like there is in a jury trial. It’s downright Stalinist! And you ACLU fans out there should be agreeing with me.
scs
And by the way, after reading the stories, I think I figured it out. The way I read it is, Hannah was not the other source, i.e. Armitage, who is still in the running, Hannah just told Fitz about Libby and Rove.
Richard 23
Hmmm, I smell a Clinton apologist. Go away, moonbat!
Stormy70
I just hope this Plame thing gets to trial, it is too much fun.
Did Valerie use her diaper bag to hide her trenchcoat and sunglasses, so she could disguise herself as she left the CIA building? I bet no other country would think to look for a spy there!
I do have to say that I have never called the Wilsons traitors. I called them partisan hacks, which they are indeed.
Snakes on a Plame. Who came up with this? Brilliant!
Sojourner
Really? What was their party affiliation before she was outed?
demimondian
I prefer “Spooks or a Plame?”, Stormy.
Why they were Democrats, Soj — Democrats who voted for and contributed to Republicans. They were such covert Democratic operatives that they even gave money to the Republicans in order to protect their covers.
After each $1000/plate dinner, though, they’d slip on their trenchcoats and sunglasses, then slip silently and suddenly away.
Sojourner
Thanks for the clarification, Demi. I’m sure Stormy is delighted to know she has been proved right once again. All is well on Planet Stormy.
Santa Claus
Maybe I should go post over there. Unless The Big Man or The Dude Downstairs posts over there I’ll be by far the oldest poster on the blog.
Plus, as you know, I love children. Ho ho ho!
Valerie Plame wasn’t covert. My elves and I saw straight through that shit. If anyone had asked us, we might’ve blown her cover without even knowing she was supposed to be under cover. Then we’d all be under indictment. It’s not a pretty picture when you’ve got Santa in handcuffs. I think even Fitzgerald would have to back off THAT investigation.
demimondian
Satan Clause:
Look, if anyone old enough to drink alcohol posted over there, they’d be the oldest poster on the blog.
Sine.Qua.Non
Thanks for the update……….it seems like a lifetime since we heard about or saw any movement on this case.
tBone
It took you a while, but you never disappoint, Stormy. Thanks.
Nah – it’s all part of the ongoing War on Christmas, dude. They were trying to trap you – good thing you were too smart to fall for it.
zak822
For the last time, the CIA says she was covert. Who knows better? Why is this so hard to grasp?
demimondian
Why, Stormy knows better. The CIA is lying about this, just like they lied when they tried to convince the President that Iraq didn’t pose an immediate threat to the United States. In the end, this is just inside-politics-getting-even-with-the-WHIG-bureaucratic-backbiting.
Common Sense
I thought in order for an agent to be considered covert they had to have been out of the country for at least 7 years which she had not. I think the the use of “former” convert agent would have been more appropriate. If she can’t meet the basic definition of covert agent, then I fail to see what if anything illegal was released.