Did the New York Times just get set up?

[discopants]

They break the leaked story (with help from Drudge!) late on the east coast.
The story has unnamed source pointing finger at Novak, giving Rove some breathing room.

Later in the evening the Washington Post breaks a new leak http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071500036.html
where Rove says he doesn't remember who or when.


Look for a lot of fingerpointing and screaming at the NYT tomorrow.

[Kagemusha]

1. If Rove said 'I heard that too' then Novak wasn't the first he heard of it

So he just conveniently can't remember where he heard of it first.

Which is probably exactly what Fitzgerald wants to know because, the source of the information that caused the roll-up of a major CIA operation is not a laughing matter to him as it is to Republicans.

[Fridays Child]

3. That occurred to me, too. But the Waqshington Post cleared that up.

Rove has said he does not recall who the journalist was who first told him that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, or when the conversation occurred, the lawyer said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071500036.html

This isn't a setup. It's a suck up. NY Times and WaPo just did their master's bidding.

[discopants]

6. maybe not

Drudge hyped the NYT story for hours before it happened.

The NYT gets slammed for having 'bad sources' -- that's a meme that's going to bite into Miller if her testimony is harmful to the administration.

The NYT will print a story that the GOP will claim is untrue (although it helps Rove in the public opinion) and will become the next smokescreen.

[JDPriestly]

11. I believe Fitzgerald is a Republican, just for the record.

Let's hope he is a "good Republican" if there is such a thing.

[meg]

12. Proving Novak, Rove conspiracy to coverup?

On Oct. 1, 2003, Mr. Novak wrote another column in which he described calling two officials who were his sources for the earlier column. The first source, whose identity has not been revealed, provided the outlines of the story and was described by Mr. Novak as "no partisan gunslinger." Mr. Novak wrote that when he called a second official for confirmation, the source said, "Oh, you know about it."


I see a coverup conspiracy in that column! Sure, let's just say I said ....

[autorank]

2. Let's face it: Rove heard it from *. Thanks, I like NYT and WP fighting.

Sort of like Mike Tyson fighting Arnold Schwarzenegger. You hope it goes on for a while and both of them drop.

[kenny blankenship]

8. Yeah why are they flailing around like this? "I CAN'T RECALL"

Rover "heard it from journalist" but can't remember which of the small pack of possible sources it could have been? That's a just leetle too convenient to be believed eh? I wasnt' the classified info leaker because I only know because someone in the press outed her to me. Since I "can't recall" who it was who first told me, you can't check my story. That's not going to amuse Mr. Fitzgerald for very long.
Are they seriously trying to protect Rove with this flailing BS or is Rover going down to Davy Jones' Locker strapped to this absurdity so that Cheney or Bush or both will be protected?

[kenny blankenship]

4. That will teach all these mediasluts to keep their legs closed

when someone like Karl-Heinz or his lawyer rings them up to use them.

No. Actually I take it back. If they haven't learned by now I don't suppose this episode will learn 'em, either.

[Jane Austin]

5. Oh, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

"Rove has said he does not recall who the journalist was who first told him that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, or when the conversation occurred, the lawyer said."

Gawd, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!!

I can remember conversations I've just been TOLD about, much less incredibly important stuff like this!

(And I'm old!)

[Tigress DEM]

7. Novak still should have "not named" her - HE should fry -regardless source

(In Novak's own words - his outing of Valerie was purely based on political reasons, an apparent attitude that to be "liberal" is enough to make one betray others.)


Novak's Response
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Plame#Exposure_of_Plame_by_Robert_Novak

<snip>
At the CIA, the official designated to talk to me denied that Wilson's wife had inspired his selection but said she was delegated to request his help. He asked me not to use her name, saying she probably never again will be given a foreign assignment but that exposure of her name might cause "difficulties" if she travels abroad. He never suggested to me that Wilson's wife or anybody else would be endangered. If he had, I would not have used her name. I used it in the sixth paragraph of my column because it looked like the missing explanation of an otherwise incredible choice by the CIA for its mission."

<snip>
In other interviews Novak confirmed that his sources warned him not to mention Plame. His motivation to disregard the warnings is suggested by this comment in "The CIA Leak:" "I was curious why a high-ranking official in President Bill Clinton's National Security Council (NSC) was given this assignment." Just four days before he revealed Plame's name Novak wrote, "Bush's Enemy Within." Therein Novak excoriates the Bush Administration's appointment of Frances Fragos Townsend to an important national security post explaining she could later betray Bush because two of her former superiors were liberal democrats and she had served in the US Attorney's office in Manhattan. According to Novak this office was "notoriously liberal laden."

[meg]

13. I thought that Rove didn't know her name

Mr. Rove has told investigators that he learned from the columnist the name of the C.I.A. officer, who was referred to by her maiden name, Valerie Plame, and the circumstances in which her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, traveled to Africa to investigate possible uranium sales to Iraq, the person said.


Yet a few days later when Rove talks to Cooper Rove claims he didnt' know her name.

[JDPriestly]

14. How ironic.

I do not recall hearing that any of the appointees of Bill Clinton either revealed or confirmed the identity of an under cover CIA agent at any time. Clinton's appointees were the true patriots.

The Republicans are so convinced that they are the only patriots that they cannot recognize when they are betraying our country. What a bunch of arrogant, power-hungry extremists. They have no humility, and their lack of humility clouds their judgment. The three consistent characteristics of the Bush administration are lying, corruption and lack of good judgment.

Unbelievable. How did we get stuck with these incompetent, double crossing heels. What a bunch of losers. I often ask myself how long will we and our children and our grandchildren pay for the abuses and mistakes of the Bush government. I think it will be a long time. The Iraq reparations alone will be horrendous.

[queeg]

9. Blame it on Bin Laden and the terroristas----

Then declare war on Canada----

[orleans]

16. no, no, no. i believe it's "blame it on clinton" just like they always do

and by the way, rove should be up for a medal of freedom within the next couple months--don'tcha think? (then we attack canada!)

[writes2000]

10. I think this is a case of reporting what you want to hear

Almost all of the same information is in both articles. The NYT just left out the most important part.

Rove did hear about Plame from Novak. (This part TNY reported correctly.)

Rove did not hear about Plame from Novak FIRST. (This part TNY left out.) And by leaving out that piece, it changes the whole story.

The headline on Yahoo says that Rove heard about Plame from the media. Then they go on to explain the full story like the WP.

The Times dropped the ball big time.

[DemInDistress]

15. Yes I agree..

when bob nofacs brought Ms. Plames CIA connections up to rove,he says,"yes bob nofacs i have heard stories about her"..How did rove already know this? I'd like to know..
Last Friday Larry O'donnell of MSNBC went on record as positively identifying rove as the "perp".He stands by his story ....

[natrat]

17. New York Times= Weekly World News

but much sleazier.

[Disturbed]

18. This story is from an anon source.

How do we know it is true? Seems to me this is BS, most likely from a Rethug that wants to shift the story.

[natrat]

21. nytimes=fox news

[emulatorloo]

19. Good Catch - NYT screwed up bad. . .

[DeepModem Mom]

20. kick

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. I think they probably did. Danged liebrul noozpaper!

[skip fox]

23. It doesn't matter. It shows more of the picture: Rove as coordinator!

We know Rove is both a main source (for Cooper) and a confirming source for another (Novak), maybe Scooter Libby if today's other reports prove true. With 6 initial sources and at least 3 confirming sources (both as reported), someone would have to coordinate the operation, assuring the initial callers that no two called the same source, that no one was overly eager, but would "drop it in," and a number of other officials would be ready and willing to confirm.


Therefore at least 2 people(Rove and Novak's initial source) served as main sources. (The fact that one source released Cooper from his agreement of confidentiality but one source did not release Miller also suggests at least 2 sources.) Rove would have to coordinate! To establish guidelines like: No source should call another's contact, Pitch the information off hand, not as the main subject, Make the contact think the source is trying to do him or her a favor ("Don't go too far out on this Wilson thing, I don't want you burnt."), etc. AND Rove would have had to field a group of officials to support the sources stories.

I say Rove coordinated because it is obvious he did so since anyone in the administration in possession of the Plame-Wilson-CIA link would have gone straight to the world master of deceitful politics, and now we know Rove was at least one of the leakers.

So, we could have at least 2 indictments for Rove (exposing and conspiring to expose) and (perhaps) 1 or more indictments for others (Novak and/or Miller's source). Not to mention exposure of those who condoned and confirmed the exposure.

I think the great thing we have going for us on this case is Patrick Fitzgerald. By all accounts a fine prosecutor.


Wow.