This is bullshit

[symbioidlj]

I heard this on democracy now today during lunch... (the link is to a page with a link to video of the whitehouse spokesman Scott McClellan)

It's really fucking sad.

I don't know if you know(some of you probably do, the more political ones):

One CIA agent(Joseph Wilson) who went to Niger to verify whether Iraq tried to purchase Uranium("yellow-cake" uranium) cambe back and claimed there was no evidence.

Later, columnist Bob Novak wrote that a "senior administration official" indicated that Wilson's wife(Valerie Plame), was an undercover CIA agent. There is now pressure on the administration to seek out who "outted" Valerie Plame...

The general thought is that the administration was trying to send a signal to agents and others with information that contradicts the mythological world these neo-con thugs (who are in power in the white-house) now inhabit... If you speak against us, we will do dirty things like putting your wifes life in danger by exposing her as an agent.

This is a press conference where McClellan goes round and round with reporters who are digging in, and basically trying to see if the administration is investigating the incident.

the spokesman says basically:

1) We only know what we read in the news.
2) I talked to Karl Rove(the White house's chief strategist), and he denied involvement(Joseph Wilson is essentially pointing a finger towards him as the source)
3) We haven't seen anything to indicate any information beyond what the press says are "senior administration officials"
4) Do you know who is behind this?
5) If "anonymous" would kindly step forward, this would make it all easier.

Questions from reporters basically are saying stuff like:

Are you being proactive in finding out who this informant was? If this is a crime, shouldn't the administration be pro-active.

This fucker McClellan continues to go in circles. And the logic is fucking both hilarious and sad... Basically "We know it wasn't Karl Rove, because we asked him and he told us no, so it can't be him."!!!!!!! Seriously. Watch the clip.

But I hope someone gets busted on this, because then the administration can be held culpable for basically impeding justice...

The DOJ(dept of justice) is now launching a formal investigation... The Dems want an independent counsel(as well it should be, because of Ashcrofts close ties to the white house)

This is going to get dirty, and I hope someone falls... and falls hard.

This is WAY fucking worse than a blowjob in the oval office.

This is a compromise of national security. And it's a federal Felony.

But of course, whoever gets busted will just get pardoned cuz all these political crooks get pardoned. Look at fucking Contragate and all those scum that Bush Sr. Pardoned. Fuck that shit. I hope a dem gets elected and refuses to pardon that fucker.

And I hope this shows the hypocrisy of the administration who claims they want to enhance security, but then refuse to investigate a very serious charge which if found true should be brought to justic.

-----
My second theory is that this is related to the recent case regarding Adrian Lamo. A cracker(Not like Whitey-Cracker... You probably call Crackers hackers, but you're wrong, I digress)... He compromised the security of systems and publicized the holes. He's now being charged, and the FBI is using the "PATRIOT" act to get newspapers to turn over any info on the case(and not tell anyone else that they're turning this info over... the same way the FBI can order a bookstore or library to turn over your history and they can't tell you a damn thing)

Now, if there are confidential reports the papers have to turn this over to the FBI...

My guess is that the Administration is using the Plame story to sort of force the news reporters to turn over info on who leaked. Thus violating the cardinal right to anonymity that has historically given us a free press that can dig hard on facts where if people aren't free to speak with anonymity they'll be less than forthcoming.

Now my hunch is that these are sort of related incidents. It's an attack on the very right to anonymity. The administration, instead of actually working on finding out who is the culprit is now pushing the papers to narc out the person.

This is dangerous and everyone should start paying attention...

My other question is : Isn't Bob Novak somewhat accountable for writing this information in the first place? I mean, I don't know the correct solution, because if he is accountable, that can put an a priori restraint on free-speech(which violates our fundamental freedoms), but at the same time, had he not printed this information, it wouldn't have been leaked... He's now claiming he was told she was a low level worker(clerical type stuff) and not a real agent... I think he's saying that to cover his ass... I dunno.

It's complex. But it's gonna get interesting... The media is chomping at the bit, and they are NOT letting down as evidenced in the video I linked to above.

The spokespeople are pretty fucking retarded. Alas, the actual newspaper reports won't show the actual transcript, and thus people can't see the vicious circle that's actually being stated in these dialogues..

Comments

[rflagg.livejournal.com]

You know Bush will just pick some fall guy for this, especially with his buddy Ashcroft investigating the whole thing. The fact that the white house was told 8:30 Monday night about the investigation, but were also told they didn't have to tell their staff until the next morning - you know who was up late "preserving" documents.

And some no name who's been promised he'll get the minimum and is doing this all in Christ's name (aka Bush) will take full responsibility, and it'll disappear, like all his other political fuckups.

-m.