Newsweek is reporting what we all already know: Karl Rove is a treasonous bastard who gladly ruined a CIA agent’s career, placed her life and the lives of others in jeopardy, and betrayed the United States of America all for a dirty-trick political payback against a man (Ambassador Joe Wilson) who would dare tell the truth about the lies used to justify the illegal invasion of Iraq. Bush’s Brain deserves some quality time in our tropical paradise at Gitmo, enjoying some non-torture, Gonzalez-approved interrogation and meals with two kinds of fruit.
It was 11:07 on a Friday morning, July 11, 2003, and Time magazine correspondent Matt Cooper was tapping out an e-mail to his bureau chief, Michael Duffy. “Subject: Rove/P&C,” (for personal and confidential), Cooper began. “Spoke to Rove on double super secret background for about two mins before he went on vacation …” Cooper proceeded to spell out some guidance on a story that was beginning to roil Washington. He finished, “please don’t source this to rove or even WH [White House]” and suggested another reporter check with the CIA.
NEWSWEEK obtained a copy of the e-mail that Cooper sent his bureau chief after speaking to Rove. … Cooper wrote that Rove offered him a “big warning” not to “get too far out on Wilson.” Rove told Cooper that Wilson’s trip had not been authorized by “DCIA” — CIA Director George Tenet — or Vice President Dick Cheney. Rather, “it was, KR said, wilson’s wife, who apparently works at the agency on wmd [weapons of mass destruction] issues who authorized the trip.” Wilson’s wife is Plame, then an undercover agent working as an analyst in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations counterproliferation division. (Cooper later included the essence of what Rove told him in an online story.) The e-mail characterizing the conversation continues: “not only the genesis of the trip is flawed an[d] suspect but so is the report. he [Rove] implied strongly there’s still plenty to implicate iraqi interest in acquiring uranium fro[m] Niger … “
Nothing in the Cooper e-mail suggests that Rove used Plame’s name or knew she was a covert operative. Nonetheless, it is significant that Rove was speaking to Cooper before Novak’s column appeared; in other words, before Plame’s identity had been published. Fitzgerald has been looking for evidence that Rove spoke to other reporters as well. “Karl Rove has shared with Fitzgerald all the information he has about any potentially relevant contacts he has had with any reporters, including Matt Cooper,” Luskin told NEWSWEEK.
John at AMERICAblog has all the breakdown and questions I’d like to see answered. Shakespeare’s Sister articulates my rage better than I can at the moment (but I’ll try anyway). David Corn of The Nation throws in his two cents, too.
It looks like this is going to boil down to what the definition of “is” is. It is treason to knowingly reveal a covert agent’s name. Rove’s going to try to twist that “knowingly” part — Gosh, I didn’t know she was an agent — and the “covert” part — Gee, she wasn’t covert at that time or Golly, lots of people in Washington knew who she was — and even the “name” part — Heck, I never said her name; I said “Joe Wilson’s wife”. Won’t it be fun to watch the Republicans dutifully line up to support Rove when it was those same Republicans who lined up to vilify Bill Clinton for his word-parsing and his equivocation over “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” scandal?
We’re supposed to believe that the best connected, most scheming, highly successful political operative of our time just accidentally (oops!) unknowingly leaked the identity of a secret agent who is married to one of his administration’s highest profile whistleblowers? Give me a break!
If he did it knowingly, it’s a crime and he should be removed from office. If he did it unknowingly, it is a slip-up of gargantuan proportion and he should resign from office. Either way, you know if this had happened in the Gore or Kerry White House, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion; the impeachment procedings would already be underway.
