Rove is Not a Whistle-Blower! Rove is Not a Source!

[Stephanie]

(Since we don't know who the leaker is in the Plame case, let's just call him "Rove".)

"Rove" is not the journalists' source. "Rove" is a high government official who abused his power in order to intimidate a whistle-blower, because he didn't like what Wilson wrote in the New York Times. "Rove" attempted to co-opt six journalists in this endeavor. Only Novak complied. The others are witness to "Rove's" criminal abuse of power.

The language in the Newspaper Guild's proposed shield law shows that in this case "Rove" is the exception to the rule:

"The proposed national shield law we are supporting would allow exceptions, including for national security and if information necessary for a criminal investigation can't be gotten any other way."

"Rove's" attempted intimidation of a whistle-blower did jeopardize national security, and the information on each separate count of revealing Plame's ID cannot be gotten any other way than by testimony from each separate witness. "Rove" is culpable each time he revealed the classified information. Each time.

"Rove" is not a source. "Rove" concocted a criminal scheme and tried to drag journalists into it . He does not qualify as a source, much less a whistle-blower. But "Rove" is not above hiding behind that nomenclature, and behind all of the journalists who buy his spin and seek to protect him.

[aquart]

1. This cannot be repeated too often.

[Inland]

2. Recommended for Greatest nt

[Castilleja]

3. Agreed!

Kick!

[Old and In the Way]

4. There is a distinction.

Our government cannot attack us by hiding behind the cloak of reporters who are using their positions to do this administration's business.

[Stephanie]

5. Precisely!

The govt is attempting to USE journalists to attack citizens. Why should journalists protect the govt in that case?

[AuntiBush]

24. Sorry. I have no Sympathy for any Journalists Protecting this Adm.

Not this adm (*)/Rove, and his croonies.

Question to all: If Miller does not talk, and obviously she isn't going to, will we ever get the truth "or" is this all another big puff of smoke?

[SteppingRazor]

6. If he leaked Plame, then yes, he is a source by definition...

But certainly not a whistle-blower. And any journalist with a passing familiarty of their own rights is well aware of when they may be required to burn a source -- a criminal investigation, if there is no other way to get the information and the need is pressing, per the Supreme Court's decision some 30 years ago.

Since the leak itself is a criminal investigation, forcing the journalists to burn a source in this case is simply following legal precedent.

[proud patriot]

7. for political partisan purposes

nothing could be lower

[WillyT]

8. Right On Stephanie !!!

Spot on!

[il_lilac]

9. thank you for framing this correctly

We must keep repeating- Rove is NOT a source, he is a traitor!

[Cleita]

10. We may know for sure soon. Cooper has agreed to testify. n/t

[AgadorSparticus]

11. I cannot agree more. This needs to be shouted from rooftops and

emailed to as many people as we can muster. What shameless propaganda it is to equate "rove" with whistleblower.

[AuntiBush]

26. Do you think "this" is why Watergate Came-out, now?

To make Rove & these reporters look like "heros" of sorts?

So sick of this administration's filthy, dirty, traitor-like antics, and on the American people at that.

Family keeps asking/saying: "Does * & CO. HATE us?"
Makes you wonder...

[AgadorSparticus]

37. I'm not sure if it is tied with the timing of Plamegate or not (is that

what you mean?). But I am concerned about Cooper's little comment that his source or something or other has given him the green light to speak. Gave him the green light? So, what should we expect? More spin and embellishments? or craftily constructed arguments to carefully convolute the truth?

That rubbed me the wrong way and I'm a little hesitant to celebrate right now. I'll wait a little longer...

[converted_democrat]

12. I agree.......

The person that is being shielded committed a crime and should not be protected.

[paparush]

13. We should all chip in and buy Coop

some body armor. He's going to need it. Those who go up against Rove often have **AHEM** unfortunate accidents.

[longship]

14. You've got it precisely correct

Recommended.

[librechik]

15. well said! I worry about some clueless liberals who defend Miller

in a seemingly kneejerk defense of the first amendment. I'm thinking of some "liberal" talking heads on CNN and MSNBC. They should think through what is actually taking place here, and who needs to be protected from retaliation. Certainly "Rove" doesn't need protection, he is the criminal. We need to protect the witnesses against "Rove." That would be Judy and Matt.

See? This way also protects journalists.

Arrest Rove immediately!

[Tiggeroshii]

16. I like how that flows in my derogatory talk about Republicans.

Just rolls off the tongue... "Rove"

"hehe, you Rove!"

Wait, that's not what you mean...

[bloom]

17. It's also why

Novak seems guilty of something besides just reporting. I'm not sure how much a fight he put up (getting "dragged" into it and all).

[ClintonTyree]

21. Right as rain....

Novak knowingly aided and abetted a traitor to our country. Why this crusty old bastard isn't hanging from a tree in Washington already will always mystify me.

[BelgianMadCow]

18. No source, no whistle blower. Just a whistle blown on him

This needs repetition, well-framed!

[AuntiBush]

29. Hard Story to Understand. Do you mean 2 Reporters Did Nothing Wrong?

I realize Rove made the calls to 6 reporters. But don't get it.

Wouldn't take make him a leaker of highly sensitive info on a fed level? Placed CIA agents in harms way, not to mention an Ambassador (Wilson)? Payback or not.

Obviously, Rove doesn't get a rats a## about these reporters, but in my eyes they are protecting */Rove, not the American people.

And how did Novak get away w/this? I tell ya, this whole bunch makes me sick. If we don't get a grasp on paper ballots or non-partisan voting firms we're screwed.

[ComerPerro]

19. Exactly. We cannot overstate this.

[JanMichael]

20. Yes. Disinformation, slander and revenge, are NOT whistleblowing.

[bigwillq]

22. I like your post.

Good job.

[donheld]

23. Thanks Stephanie

I had not thought of it that way but you're exactly right.

[Nexus7]

25. Yeah, I posted as much a while ago

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[David Zephyr]

27. Kick.

[dogday]

28. He is going down

[goodboy]

30. whoever the 'source' is....is a TERRORIST! In outing Plame, this

terrorist undermined her work in tracking down WMD's which endangered the lives of every single Murkan.

Chimpy said, "you're either with us, or you're with the terrorists..."

It's high-treason, and this person is a terrorist.

[Historic NY]

31. May not be the source but he did conspire to see that the identity was

released into the media.....When 2 or more people gather for a nefarious purpose in this case to see that a news story was released with a CIA agents cover being blown it is a conspiracy. Remember, Watergate, it wasn't the burglary that got Nixon it was how he conspired with others to cover-up and obstruct justice.

[JetCityLiberal]

32. These points

You and David Zephyr are making on these forums about this are very important.

Thank you.

[staticstopper]

33. Kick for the Frog March (KFFM)

n/t

[LonelyLRLiberal]

34. See also post by D. Zephyr - Miller same as Gannon

He presents the analysis of why Judith Miller should not be allowed to assert journalistic protection of a "confidential source" in this instance. In essence, she is just a shill for the Bush administration, and as you say, Rove was not leaking, but planting a story as political revenge.

[dmr]

35. KICK

[stickdog]

36. The First Amendment was not written to allow high ranking federal

executive officials to commit felonies that endanger national security in order to STIFLE whistle-blowers.

[Disturbed]

38. Rove and Scooter Libby, the top Cheney guy.

"obviously she isn't going to'? Talk? She might after three months in jail. Prolly not since that would lessen her heroin status and off shore bank account funneling.

[Algorem]

39. Speaking of Rove,he was supposed to be on an NPR talk show,but isn't.

Which might make it seem like he has something to hide.Friday morning on her NPR show,Diane Rehm announced that Rove told her he'd be a guest on her show sometime this week.Of course,the Lawrence O'Donnell revelation on the McGlaughlin Group aired on Friday night.The Rehm show filled in the last space on this week's schedule on their webpage last night,which was today at 10 AM.I was waiting to see if it would be Rove.It's not.

http://wamu.org/programs/dr /