Melanie Morgan, GOP. Al Sharpton. Monday, 6/26
Transcript:
MATTHEWS: We now know on the record, that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby both talked to two reporters and gave away the identity, the undercover identity of a CIA undercover agent. Should they face any criminal time for that?
MORGAN: Chris, I know that you have been fixated on Karl Rove.
MATTHEWS: We‘re talking about 20 year sentences. I‘m just asking should they suffer any penalty their behavior?
MORGAN: I am trying to tell you that they broke no laws when there was absolutely no evidence whatsoever by saying that name out loud, that she was even covert.
SHARPTON: They talked to two reporters. That‘s not treason?
MORGAN: That‘s their job.
SHARPTON: Oh, so they can talk to reporters and confirm or give or in
some way discuss names -
MORGAN: You know ...
SHARPTON: I didn‘t interrupt you. They can discuss with the press what they want that is classified but it‘s treason if Bill Keller or somebody does? This is obviously a different standard.
MORGAN: No it is not. There is a 1917 law that is on the books that deals with media responsibility, in terms of leaking classified secrets.
SHARPTON: What about government responsibility? What about a president in the White House leaking or confirming the name of a CIA operative? There‘s no laws on the books to protect that?
MORGAN: It was a covert CIA operative and there was no evidence that Valerie Plame was ever a covert operative.
MATTHEWS: OK. We‘ll be right back with Melanie Morgan and the Reverend Al Sharpton. You‘re watching HARDBALL on MSNBC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MATTHEWS: Welcome back. Treasury Secretary John Snow has sent a scathing letter to “New York Times” editor Bill Keller just now, saying the Times decision to report on the terrorist-finance tracking program was “irresponsible and harmful to the security of Americans and freedom loving people worldwide.” We are back with former presidential candidate Al Sharpton, and radio talk show host Melanie Morgan. I should say there‘s an interesting portion of this letter that went to Bill Keller at the Times from the secretary of the treasury, “you have defended your decision to compromise this program by asserting that terror financiers now know our methods for tracking their funds and have already moved to other methods to send money.
The fact that your editors believe themselves to be qualified to assess how terrorists are moving money betrays a breathtaking arrogance and a deep misunderstanding of this program and how it works. While terrorists are relying more heavily than before on cumbersome efforts to move money, such as cash carriers, we continue to see them using the formal financial system, which has made this particular program incredibly valuable.” Your response to that Reverend Sharpton.
SHARPTON: Again, I think this administration speaks out of both sides of its mouth. I think the American people has a right to information. I the press has a right to report it, and I certainly don‘t think an administration that has had serious accusations of releasing names of CIA operative and the only defense she can with is there‘s no evidence she was covert. I mean, come on, then why was there an investigation? If she was not an operative, then that‘s even more of a reason why the vice president and Karl Rove should not have been putting her in that light as they had conversation with the media. They want to manipulate the press and I think the American public should not stand for that.
MATTHEWS: Melanie?
MORGAN: You know, the shocking shallowness of the reverend‘s argument, astounds me. If all he can bring up is Valerie Plame and Plamegate, it shows how bereft you people are of any kind of patriotism or any kind of ...
MATTHEWS: Who are you people?
MORGAN: The people on the left. That‘s who I‘m talking about. The people who think that it‘s more important for a Pulitzer prize to be awarded to “The New York Times” for a so-called get story than it is to protect American lives and prevent another 3,000 deaths, like we saw after September 11th. It is stunning to me that we are having this argument.
SHARPTON: Melanie, you do not believe that by protecting operatives of the CIA ...
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: I‘m not going to discuss Valerie Plame or any of that.
SHARPTON: Of course you‘re not because you can‘t defend it.
MATTHEWS: We now know on the record, that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby both talked to two reporters and gave away the identity, the undercover identity of a CIA undercover agent. Should they face any criminal time for that?
MORGAN: Chris, I know that you have been fixated on Karl Rove.
MATTHEWS: We‘re talking about 20 year sentences. I‘m just asking should they suffer any penalty their behavior?
MORGAN: I am trying to tell you that they broke no laws when there was absolutely no evidence whatsoever by saying that name out loud, that she was even covert.
SHARPTON: They talked to two reporters. That‘s not treason?
MORGAN: That‘s their job.
SHARPTON: Oh, so they can talk to reporters and confirm or give or in
some way discuss names -
MORGAN: You know ...
SHARPTON: I didn‘t interrupt you. They can discuss with the press what they want that is classified but it‘s treason if Bill Keller or somebody does? This is obviously a different standard.
MORGAN: No it is not. There is a 1917 law that is on the books that deals with media responsibility, in terms of leaking classified secrets.
SHARPTON: What about government responsibility? What about a president in the White House leaking or confirming the name of a CIA operative? There‘s no laws on the books to protect that?
MORGAN: It was a covert CIA operative and there was no evidence that Valerie Plame was ever a covert operative.
MATTHEWS: OK. We‘ll be right back with Melanie Morgan and the Reverend Al Sharpton. You‘re watching HARDBALL on MSNBC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MATTHEWS: Welcome back. Treasury Secretary John Snow has sent a scathing letter to “New York Times” editor Bill Keller just now, saying the Times decision to report on the terrorist-finance tracking program was “irresponsible and harmful to the security of Americans and freedom loving people worldwide.” We are back with former presidential candidate Al Sharpton, and radio talk show host Melanie Morgan. I should say there‘s an interesting portion of this letter that went to Bill Keller at the Times from the secretary of the treasury, “you have defended your decision to compromise this program by asserting that terror financiers now know our methods for tracking their funds and have already moved to other methods to send money.
The fact that your editors believe themselves to be qualified to assess how terrorists are moving money betrays a breathtaking arrogance and a deep misunderstanding of this program and how it works. While terrorists are relying more heavily than before on cumbersome efforts to move money, such as cash carriers, we continue to see them using the formal financial system, which has made this particular program incredibly valuable.” Your response to that Reverend Sharpton.
SHARPTON: Again, I think this administration speaks out of both sides of its mouth. I think the American people has a right to information. I the press has a right to report it, and I certainly don‘t think an administration that has had serious accusations of releasing names of CIA operative and the only defense she can with is there‘s no evidence she was covert. I mean, come on, then why was there an investigation? If she was not an operative, then that‘s even more of a reason why the vice president and Karl Rove should not have been putting her in that light as they had conversation with the media. They want to manipulate the press and I think the American public should not stand for that.
MATTHEWS: Melanie?
MORGAN: You know, the shocking shallowness of the reverend‘s argument, astounds me. If all he can bring up is Valerie Plame and Plamegate, it shows how bereft you people are of any kind of patriotism or any kind of ...
MATTHEWS: Who are you people?
MORGAN: The people on the left. That‘s who I‘m talking about. The people who think that it‘s more important for a Pulitzer prize to be awarded to “The New York Times” for a so-called get story than it is to protect American lives and prevent another 3,000 deaths, like we saw after September 11th. It is stunning to me that we are having this argument.
SHARPTON: Melanie, you do not believe that by protecting operatives of the CIA ...
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: I‘m not going to discuss Valerie Plame or any of that.
SHARPTON: Of course you‘re not because you can‘t defend it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13578557/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
