Is Carl Rove Behind the Leak of a CIA Agent?
An MSNBC analyst says that the documents handed over by the New York Times, known as the “Cooper Documents”, reveal Carl Rove as the source in the Plame Case. If you don’t remember the history behind all this, Plame’s husband was critical to George W. Bush before the last election. Soon after, a report was published in the New York Times revealing Plame’s wife as an undercover CIA Operative. Her cover was effectively blown. The Democrats screamed, and Mr. Plame feared for the safety of his wife. I thought this was fairly serious. Who would leak the name of a CIA Operative to the press? I’m quite sure it’s illegal. Bob Novak is the one who wrote the article for the New York Times that leaked the name of Valerie Plame. I haven’t heard much press about Novak though, for some reason. That part of this whole story seems odd.
Back to the main point. If in fact Carl Rove is who leaked the name of Valerie Plame to the New York Times reporters, there could be serious implications for the Bush Administration on the scale of Watergate. I think revealing the names of undercover CIA operatives is a serious mis-step, and could probably prove to be an issue of national security.
Update: Lawrence O’Donnell cites Rove as leaker
Rove’s Lawyer responds!
July 2nd, 2005 at 12:07 pm
It will be interesting to see how this turns out.
On the surface, it just plain doesn’t make sense to me to see Karl Rove do this . . . not with the way the New York times and others have been fighting to keep the sources secret. I mean, obviously, they don’t like these guys in the first place and would do whatever they can to get them in trouble. I don’t see the Times reporters putting their necks on the line for Rove.
July 2nd, 2005 at 2:33 pm
Yeah, I couldn’t see that either. But you have to remember, they’re the press. Some of these guys cherish the right of free press as much as they cherish breathing free air.
July 2nd, 2005 at 2:52 pm
In other words, they’d die if they felt they couldn’t keep their sources secret.
July 2nd, 2005 at 3:31 pm
I’m not saying outright that this is complete B.S., but can we at least question Lawrence O’Donnell’s motives in making such a claim?
The guy, after all, is a big liberal, and even had a hand in creating the West Wing TV show, a tribute as much to Bill Clinton as much as it was to liberalism itself.
Again, I’m not saying he isn’t credible, but I see it as the equivalent of Rush Limbaugh making a similar charge against James Carville.
Or Bewick Cory making a charge against me, LOL!
July 2nd, 2005 at 7:19 pm
I just do not find it believable that Rove would give the New York Times information. Those guys HATE each other. No way Rove would even TRUST that paper to keep his identity secret, much less give them such a great story.
Maybe Rove thought he had a great cover that no one would believe he talked to them…but that doesn’t seem likely.
All in all, Rove is a pretty smart guy, and it would be incredibly bone headed for him to do something like that. There are other ways to leak something like that without doing it personally. Such as handing it to a friendly senator to do the dirty work. In my view, 2 + 2 does not add up. I just do not think this is true.
Regardless of party, if this is proven true, it is wrong.
July 2nd, 2005 at 10:56 pm
Ryan, that’s definitely a good point. That’s why there is some doubt, at lesat with me. I don’t see why the NYT would want to be completely cooperative if it had the chance to undo someone like Rove.
If it is true, then perhaps it might have something to do with some sort of impropriety on the part of NYC with regard to the notes they took of the interview with Rove. Maybe it had something to do with the motives of publishing the article.
July 5th, 2005 at 8:19 am
I dont believe that the Times would have keep the secret for so long, especially against a man and administration they hate so much.
July 7th, 2005 at 3:16 pm
You never know what political promises, fortunes, or even threats of serious harm have been lobbed at the reporter in jail, her company, or whoever else.
Doesn’t everyone remember all the stories of people affialiated with Clinton dying in accidents or disappearing mysteriously. Folks that had secrets on he and/or his wife? Come on… this stuff has been going on for years.
July 25th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
This whole thing stinks of scandal.