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July 13, 2005

The Whistleblower

A government employee gives a sweetheart deal to a relative.

The relative uses the gig to enhance not only his reputation, but his bottom line via proceeds earned through business outside of government. Neither of them would have happened without the original nepotism from the government employee.

A whistleblower, at risk to his own job and reputation, tips the media off about the sweetheart deal.

The media, in their role as society's professional skeptics, took the whisteblower's lead and ran with it. Right?

Pffft.

Democrats and most of the Beltway press corps are baying for Karl Rove's head over his role in exposing a case of CIA nepotism involving Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame. On the contrary, we'd say the White House political guru deserves a prize--perhaps the next iteration of the "Truth-Telling" award that The Nation magazine bestowed upon Mr. Wilson before the Senate Intelligence Committee exposed him as a fraud.

For Mr. Rove is turning out to be the real "whistleblower" in this whole sorry pseudo-scandal. He's the one who warned Time's Matthew Cooper and other reporters to be wary of Mr. Wilson's credibility. He's the one who told the press the truth that Mr. Wilson had been recommended for the CIA consulting gig by his wife, not by Vice President Dick Cheney as Mr. Wilson was asserting on the airwaves. In short, Mr. Rove provided important background so Americans could understand that Mr. Wilson wasn't a whistleblower but was a partisan trying to discredit the Iraq War in an election campaign. Thank you, Mr. Rove.

And lest we forget the reason for the whole flap:
In short, Joe Wilson hadn't told the truth about what he'd discovered in Africa, how he'd discovered it, what he'd told the CIA about it, or even why he was sent on the mission. The media and the Kerry campaign promptly abandoned him, though the former never did give as much prominence to his debunking as they did to his original accusations. But if anyone can remember another public figure so entirely and thoroughly discredited, let us know.

If there's any scandal at all here, it is that this entire episode has been allowed to waste so much government time and media attention, not to mention inspire a "special counsel" probe. The Bush Administration is also guilty on this count, since it went along with the appointment of prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald in an election year in order to punt the issue down the road. But now Mr. Fitzgerald has become an unguided missile, holding reporters in contempt for not disclosing their sources even as it becomes clearer all the time that no underlying crime was at issue.
As for the press corps, rather than calling for Mr. Rove to be fired, they ought to be grateful to him for telling the truth.

Read it all. Tell your lefty friends.

Posted by Mitch at July 13, 2005 07:44 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Linky, linky?

I assume you meant to link to the WSJ?

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110006955

Posted by: nerdbert at July 13, 2005 11:41 AM

Bush's comment about the leak was, "If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is and if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of," (September 2003)

The so-called "promise to fire the leaker" was President Bush being asked if he stood by his earlier statement (above) and would "fire" the leaker, and Bush saying "Yes." Bush's "yes" most likely, given the context of the question, is "yes, I stand by my earlier statement."

There's no evidence that Karl Rove broke the law in question. The law requires that he knows in advance that "Wilson's wife" is operating covertly in some way (from her office at CIA headquarters in Langley, VA) and thereby he (Rove) had some intent to do harm to national security by revealing her covert status. Rove may not even have known her name--just that she worked at CIA headquarters, and put forward Joe Wilson for the Niger assignment. And there's absolutely no evidence (yet) that Plame has been a covert agent within the five years prior to 2003, as is also required to make it a crime. She's certainly not very covert now, driving to work everyday at CIA headquarters.

Posted by: RBMN at July 13, 2005 11:56 AM

Goodness Gracious ! The Wall Street Journal has come out in support of Karl Rove ? That's the clincher. If a staunchly independent thinking group like the editorial board for the WSJ thinks this is a bit of falderal well by golly thats good enough for me. Thank the good lord we have a strong moral man like George Bush as our President who will stand up against those moral relativists who are calling for poor Karl's head. After all a man's word is his word. When you look at what our President said in that statment it is as clear as day what he meant.Depending that is on what your definition of the word "is" is. Also on what your definition of "covert" is. As well as what your definition of "leaker" is. But thats besides the point. If Joe Wilson was any kind of man he would have just six words to say to Karl, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ! He wasn't trying to stab Joe Wilson in the back, he was trying to provide support and comfort to his wife. Valerie Plame ( if that is her real name)should be grateful that Karl took the pressure of being a covert operative off her shoulders. The job was obviously too much for her and Karl was trying to find a gentlemanly way of letting her down easy. Like he did for Robert Mosbacher jr. when he worked for GW's dad. Karl is a great American and as such should not be bothered with little thngs like ethics and honesty. They are obstacles in our never ending fight against those dirty deceitful lying commie pinkos. Fight on Karl ! We're all behind you. Its the best way to keep you from behind our backs ( just kidding ok. we're all in this together)

Posted by: Phil at July 13, 2005 07:37 PM

Re: Phil at July 13, 2005 07:37 PM

Rove didn't take any pressure off Plame's shoulders, because Plame had already been compromised in the mid-1990s by a mole, Aldrich Ames, and she'd never lived overseas since that time. She's at the very same job today, at CIA headquarters, that she was when she was supposedly "outed." People in her circle of friends have known where she worked for years. She wasn't trying to hide it until she and her husband had a political motive to claim that she was covert now somehow. Even most of the usual Democrat suspects in Congress say that Rove probably didn't break the secrecy law in question, by what he told Cooper. The thin reed they hold on to now, is that Rove didn't "out" himself as the whistleblower--who told Time Magazine's Matt Cooper (husband of Hillary Clinton's aide, Mandy Grunwald,) correctly, that Joe Wilson was full of crap.

Posted by: RBMN at July 13, 2005 09:40 PM

Righty O RB. We as good Americans can not afford to abide by every "technicality" of the law. We are in a fight to the death against these hated terrorist commie Democrat Islamic Jihadists and behaving in an ethical manner will only get in the way of truth and goodness. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT thats what I say ! If we have to "bend" a few laws then by golly we need to twist them beyond all recognition. Why should good Americans let drug pushers and child molesters get off on "technicalities" while we abide by the law. Karl Rove is no different from them. (Well except he has money and power which is ok in my book) People simply do not appreciate the incredible charicter that "Big Karl" has. I think that would be a good nickname for Mr. Rove by the way. I appreciate that the President is gifted at coming up with snappy nicknames but I think "the architect" is a little limp if you know what I mean. (No offense Mr. President)It does not reflect the true genius of our man Big Karl. It takes a big man like Karl to hide behind a promise from simp commie journalist like Judith Miller while her lib loving butt sits in jail. I say let her stay there till she appreciates her freedom as an American a little more. Big Karl's sense of humor is also an underestimated comodity. I am sure Karl is giggling about giving the information as an "unnamed source" while White House wonderkind Scotty McClellan blasts other media outlets for the very same practice. If it will help our fearless leader George W. Bush I say praise the Lord and pass the unnamed sources ( as long as they're ours that is)! Keep fighting for truth and justice RB. Do not let those Godless heathens in the mainstream media get you down. I always say if that is the mainstream then it is looking awfully yellow if you know what I mean. Not like the Red White and Blue of Texas ! Vaya con Dios RB. That means go with God by the way which is a very good thing to do. Just ask Big Karl.

Posted by: Phil at July 14, 2005 10:24 AM

Phil: Seek help.

Posted by: Jeff at July 14, 2005 10:35 AM

Phil,

Miller has the same release from Rove to testify that Cooper did. Maybe the person Miller is protecting is herself?

http://brainstorming.typepad.com/mawb_squad/2005/07/rove_and_the_pl.html

We know Libby testified he got the information from a reporter.

Posted by: Sandy at July 14, 2005 04:33 PM

Right You are Sandy ! Let me tell you this Miller gal is one dangerous subversive. She is very crafty too as you pointed out. She tried to slip one by us by not actually writing an article about the "spy" and her pinko husband.( Like not actually comitting a crime makes her treachery any less evil ). Imagine what this country would be like if we were forced to allow journalists to go around investigating things. Where would we be then? (Let me give you a hint this country's capital city is very cold in the winter and its name rhymes with Boscow) Judith Miller should be a good American and forget all this freedom of the press hoo hah. Ms. Miller and those commie symps at the New York Times claim that she made a solemn promise to her sources to protect their identity. Well our President George W. Bush ( a great American ) saw through that devious double talk and had every true American in the adminstration sign a waiver of that promise. Let me ask you, what is worth more, a cross your heart promise to a godless reporter or an at will employee's John Hancock on White House stationary? ( Hint pick the paper) Every true American in the White House signed on the dotted line. I can't understand why anyone would say this has a chilling effect on freedom of the press. That is ridiculous. George W. Bush is a good businessman. He would never fire anyone that didn't darn well deserve it. That is contrary to good capitalism which is what made this country great.

If you ask me we could do with a lot less Freedom of the press. Fine companies like Richardson-Merrill, the Montrose Chemical Company and the First Energy Company of Akron Ohio will tell you that investigative journalism is leading this country straight into the toilet. What did Freedom of the press ever do for us ? Nothing but get rid of the second greatest President ever, Richard Milhouse Nixon and interrupt my Wheel of Fortune ( Vanna I'll take a U for the US of A).I think most Americans trust their President ( If they don't they better keep their yaps shut ! Right Big Karl Hee Hee) Chilling effect my bupkus. Whenever I get cold I just snuggle up to the Red White and Blue comforter my wife Mavis knitted for me ( She is a true American right down to her Star Spangled Knickers). Anyway Sandy Keep up the good fight. America is a lot safer with Karl Rove by our President's side and Judith Miller in the pokey where she and all advocates of a " free and open society" (commie code words for socialist state) belong.

Posted by: Phil at July 14, 2005 11:58 PM
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