John Kerry Outs CIA Agent. and so it starts...

[maxrandb]

I urge us all to follow this story. It should be a classic example of how the "right wing noise machine" works. First I heard of this story was from Neal Boortz' rabid right wing "so-called" news site, Neal Nuze. Sorry to post a link to Boortz' site, but that is how this stuff works.

http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html

Shortly after that, New Republic Online picked it up. It's made it to Drudge, and now an AP Story. Only the AP story points out that Republican Senator Richard Lugar used the name of the "supposed" CIA agent as well.

From there, I took a quick sneak peak into our "friends" at Freek Republic and sure enough, it's on the "breaking news" section, or as I like to call it, the "breaking wind" section.

Watch this story folks. Watch it grow legs and become fodder for all the cable news shows. I am also curious to see if we will wait as long to respond as we did with the Swift Liar ads.

By this afternoon I guarantee you that Laura Ingram will have talked about it for 2 hours, Neal Boortz will have talked about it for 2 hours, Rush will have talked about it for 3 hours, and Hannity will have talked about it for 3 hours. Tonight it will be on Faux. Then there will be such a huge cry that the MSM is ignoring it due to liberal bias, that you will see it on CNN, MSNBC, and eventually the three nightly news shows of ABC, CBS, and NBC, where pundits (a majority from conservative think-tanks) will call repeatedly for John Kerry to step down, be charged, or apologize. They will even have some bomb throwers like Levin or Coulter that will demand that Kerry be charged with treason. The more sensational the better. When it's front page in your local paper you will know that it has made it's way through the right wing noise machine and will be given almost 24/7 coverage. Consider it the Gary Condit of 2005.

Who wants to bet against me?

[bryant69]

1. No that's a pretty good description of how it works

We'll see if it has legs, but yeah, this is right up their ally. So I have no doubt they will push for a couple of days at least.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[underpants]

2. Google news search turns up a Guardian article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4930339,00.html

[KoKo]

12. Guardian article is linked from AP though...I'm surprised they ran with it

since I look to the Guardian for better...:-(

[TayTay]

3. Talk Left has debunked this already

I saw this on DKos:

http://talkleft.com/

At least one right wing blog is suggesting Sens. John Kerry and Richard Lugar blew the cover of a CIA operative referred to as "Mr. Smith" at today's Senate Hearing. The person they referred to was Fulton Armstrong.

Only Fulton Armstrong has been a publicly identified intellgence officer for years. He was the CIA's national intelligence officer for Latin America. Kerry didn't out anything. Even the story about him being forced out of the CIA has been in the media.

[FreedomAngel82]

These people make me so mad

They talk about shit they no nothing about and the talk shows will talk about it and won't listen to anybody. God I hate these people!

[maxrandb]

11. My Point is that it Doesn't Matter if it's Been Debunked

The "right-wing noise machine" does not care if it is true. They don't care if the facts prove them wrong. See how quickly they all were to apologize when it was proven that the "leaked" Schiavo memo came from Mel Martinez' office, other than the story they were peddling, that it was Democratic Party dirty-trick.

They could care less about truth. Their tactic is to simply yell louder and longer than anyone else. If it helps their political agenda, then the "truth be damned".

Sorry, but simply de-bunking it on some left wing web-site that, maybe, 50,000 people even know exists, is not the same as drilling a lie into 20 million radio listeners 24/7.

Prominent people need to come out and smack this down. And no mealy mouth response is good enough. You need someone who will grab this story by the throat and rip it's jugular out.

[Just Me]

33. Seriously!!! NO MORE LIES AND DECEPTION!!!

:grr: It's not going to stop unless an aggressive stand is taken against such rumor milling crap!!!

[KoKo]

13. Are they trying to take down Lugar too? Sounds like it. He's been

commended by the Dems for conducting hearings in a fair way... So, they want his head, too. Disgusting ...the lot of them and the Media for running after lies once again.

[whometense]

14. Thanks for clearing that up, TayTay.

Nice to know there are still some folks operating in the reality-based world. :-)

[TahitiNut]

4. It's pretty difficult to "out" a CIA agent whose employment at the CIA ...

... is a matter of public record. People who buy into this kind of lying propaganda and overt deceit are more brain-dead than Terri Shiavo.

[Brotherjohn]

8. That's EXPLAINS IT! They were afraid their OWN feeding tubes...

... would be removed!

[Brotherjohn]

5. Another Google search shows dozens of sites that identify Armstrong...

... as an "intelligence analyst" for the CIA.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Fulton+Armstrong+intelligence+analyst

Not very "undercover", huh?

Edited to add:
But then, throwing out ridiculous charges that can be easily proven false by quick Google searches are nothing new to these guys. That's how they start wars (Uranium from Niger, anyone?).

[mainer]

9. Including on Newsmax!

2003. Well, looks like the rightwing news service is guilty of treason.

[Virginian]

15. Here's a paragraph from Salon - Jan 2004

(I found it on another thread on this topic)

Put it this way, with this White House, I see an outright pattern of bullying: Gen. Eric Shinseki, the former Army chief of staff, warned that the U.S. was going to need several hundred thousand troops in Iraq, and he's attacked for that, and basically told that he doesn't know what he's talking about -- and he's fired essentially a year before he's out of that job. When it's time for him to retire, not a single senior representative of the Department of Defense or White House leadership is there for his retirement. Then there was Thomas White, the secretary of the Army who was forced out. There was a senior CIA analyst by the name of Fulton Armstrong who was attacked, using leaks to the press, which alleged that he was disloyal and somehow under the influence of the Cuban government. There was a prosecutor the Department of Justice who had warned that John Walker Lindh's father had hired a lawyer and that needed to consider the Miranda rights.

On edit Here is a link to the quote:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5585.htm

[wicket]

6. I'm sure Rush will be all over it.

[wildmanj]

7. boortz

is the afterbirth of a baby accidentally thrown away :bounce:

[GiovanniC]

10. Hey, If They Want to Talk About Outed CIA Agents, Let's Talk About Outed

CIA agents.

[ktowntennesseedem]

16. Jesus gave some good advice on matters such as there:

"How can you remove the speck in your brother's eye when you have a beam in your own eye? First remove the beam that is in your eye, then you can see clearly to help your brother remove the speck in his eye..."

God knows Democrats aren't perfect, but isn't it amazing how the Republicans, even with entire lumber-yards protuding from their eyes, are able to not only point out specks in the eyes of Democrats but even see specks that don't exist!!!

(Dr. Frist must have watched a few tapes from C-Span and diagnosed all of the various vision problems afflicting the Dems.)

[wovenpaint]

17. Why is the RW noise machine revving up?

What is the current status of the Valerie Plame case, I wonder....seems like when there's alot of noise in one direction, it's to distract from another, IMHO.

[ktowntennesseedem]

18. Your exactly right.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain...

They sometimes make noise purely for political gain, but more often than not it is to prevent political loss by distracting the sheep from something that could hurt them.

[Mist]

19. Is it possible Kerry did this "accidentally on purpose"

to redirect attention to the Plame case? (of which we've heard so little the last few months).

[wovenpaint]

21. Anything's possible

that's for sure!
I believe that last I've heard, Fitzgerald was indicating that the investigation was being completed. It could be reverse psychology.
Also, maybe we shouldn't be looking in Gannon's direction, either...who knows?

[KittyWampus]

22. More Like Bolton Called Armstrong "Mr. Smith" On Purpose... To Set

Democrats up should they mention what happened.

[seabeyond]

23. i can see plame, delay, election fraud and kerry activity

of late all wrapped up in this. you are right there is a reason, the question is, what, what is this about, lol lol

[htuttle]

20. The NIO positions and personnel are all listed on the CIA's website

http://www.cia.gov/nic/NIC_personnel.html

For example, Joanna Wallace is the current NIO for Latin America (the position in question that Fulton Armstrong held):

Joanna Wallace (Acting)
National Intelligence Officer for Latin America

Joanna Wallace has served with the National Intelligence Council since October 2003. Previously Ms. Wallace served as a Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council (2000-2003).

Since 1973, Ms. Wallace has served in a variety of analytical and managerial positions covering Latin America. She also has served with the CIA's Office of Legislative Liaison and as a manager and instructor in intelligence analysis and management training programs.

Ms. Wallace earned her B.A. from the University of Redlands, an M.A. in Latin American Studies from California State University Los Angeles, and an M.A. in Economics from George Mason University.

Boortz is a big fat idiot, what can I say. :shrug:

[WoodrowFan]

31. good catch! (NT)

[KoKo]

24. Yep...since this was posted the MSM is all getting in line reporting it

pretty much in the scenario you described.

[seabeyond]

25. really i dont watch, even though i have read armstrong was

so out anyway. hm..........seems silly

[KoKo]

29. kick............

[Tactical Progressive]

26. This is good. Democrats should use it

to put the real issue, Valerie Plame, right on the front burner.

First, dismiss the charges against Kerry as proven false.

Then, say that if Repubs think this kind of thing is a big deal, let's talk about Bush and Cheney's treasonous Valerie Plame outing. Talk about that, alot.

Finally, wrap the issue up in the journalistic bankruptcy of the media's new-found ethic of treating contrived corruption as no different from real corruption, as long as someone wants to spew their contrivances loudly enough. Bring up the Smearboat Liars and American journalism's disgraceful 'reporting' there.


This is an opportunity from many angles. If only Democrats don't continue to remain timid about using the truth.

[Generator]

27. You think that's bad, Bush is responsible for 9/11

American errorist.

[flyarm]

28. it was in the guardian uk as well

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4930339,00.html


snip:

During questioning on John R. Bolton's nomination to be President Bush's ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton and members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee referred to ``Mr. Smith'' as one official among several who were involved in a dispute over what Democrats asserted was Bolton's inappropriate treatment of an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him.

``We referred to this other analyst at the CIA, whom I'll try and call Mr. Smith here, I hope I can keep that straight,'' Bolton said at one point.

Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., both mentioned a name, Fulton Armstrong, that had not previously come up in public accounts of the intelligence flap.

It is not clear whether Armstrong is the undercover officer, but an exchange between Kerry and Bolton suggests that he may be.

In questioning Bolton, Kerry read from a transcript of closed-door interviews that committee staffers conducted with State Department officials prior to Monday's hearing.

``Did Otto Reich share his belief that Fulton Armstrong should be removed from his position? The answer is yes,'' Kerry said, characterizing one interview. ``Did John Bolton share that view?'' Kerry said, and then said the answer again was yes.

``As I said, I had lost confidence in Mr. Smith, and I conveyed that,'' Bolton replied evenly. ``I thought that was the honest thing to do.''


sorry if this is a dupe

fly

[KoKo]

30. It is...and it was picked up from the AP Newswire earlier...but we forgive

you. I was sort of put off that Guardian picked up this trash from AP, though...I posted it up in the thread earlier this morning when this was posted. :shrug: Media take over is starting to expand to Great Britain now that Blair's in trouble, I guess.

[seabeyond]

32. suggests and appears

boy, good journalism there. that is what accusing someone of breaking a law. or when it is a democrat anyway. not that we are going to research it to see facts, but it appears, and there is a suggestion, that it may be so