Plame Convictions

Kelly Garrett wrote:
> Jack Lebowitz wrote:

JL: Why isn't the act of publishing this information in a national opinion column the major "per se" violation that occurred, if the purpose of the law is to prohibit divulging the identity of covert operatives such as Valerie Plame?

KG: Because the major violation was by those in the administration who divulged the information, those who ordered the information divulged, those who condoned the divulging, and those who are still covering it up -- NOT by those to whom it was divulged.

OK. Fine Kelly. Still, why isn't Novak being subpoenaed to tell his source? After all, he knows the same evidence that Miller does.

KG: That seems so obvious to me that I don't know why it even needs to be discussed, but this must be the fourth or fifth go-round on the topic here and the consensus (on a journalists' list!) still seems to be that the journalists are at fault rather than the thugs in the White House.

The consensus the other day was on the Blind Sheik BS. That's a whole different story, different issue and on this issue, I believe a different opinion.

KG: The situation would be comical if it weren't so threatening. The administration attempts to manipulate the press in the pursuit of illegal political vengeance, and then goes after the reporters it couldn't manipulate, sparing the one it could. And, as usual, they get away with it. The activist right doesn't give a damn because they support anything the administration does. The great masses don't give a damn because you can't eat it or drive it or watch it on television. And the activist left doesn't give a damn because they don't like Judith Miller or the New York Times, which to them is apparently the more important issue.

I don't see that. I see people who are wondering aloud how the prosecution of these reporters, minus Novak, can possibly be this transparently selective and still be considered to be "blind".

It seems to me that all good journalists should be taking CNN to task, promising to boycott (or to even mislead) CNN of any future information and/or their journalistic efforts unless they start to publicly question this serious breach of an issue that goes right to the heart of the American judicial process.

Am I naive in thinking Big Media gives a sh** about what a bunch of journalists think? Will they just in turn blacklist those persons who stand up against this crap? Possibly. But you gotta do what you gotta do. This is bullshit.

The lot of you all have wanted to slap Novak's smarmy mouth for a long time. Here's your chance.

Gary Williams