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Bob Woodward's Confession: Vanity? Need for Limelight? Or Just Stupidity?
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Today is one of those overflowing with so much news and commentary that it's hard to know where to begin.
First of all, Bob Woodward has revealed new information in the Valerie Plame case that could be staggering in its importance. But the only problem is it's difficult to validate what Woodward is saying -- and some of the best reporters in the Washington Post that Woodward has spun into his tale say he's got the story wrong.
Woodward said that he heard that Valerie Plame Wilson was a CIA covert operative a month before Scooter Libby divulged that information to New York Times reporter Judith Miller.
In part, Woodward's story must be, at least in part, true because a source reporting to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald brought it to the investigator's attention. This new theatre in the Plame case was seemingly not promulgated by Woodward.
But here is some of the more disturbing context for Woodward's revelations. The Post reports that Woodward never mentioned this high level contact of his and involvement in the Plame outing to Washington Post Managing Editor Leonard Downie until a month ago:
Woodward never mentioned this contact -- which was at the center of a criminal investigation and a high-stakes First Amendment legal battle between the prosecutor and two news organizations -- to his supervisors until last month. Downie said in an interview yesterday that Woodward told him about the contact to alert him to a possible story. He declined to say whether he was upset that Woodward withheld the information from him.
Woodward has apparently testified that he passed on what he knew to Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus, who denies this. I happen to know Pincus -- and this veteran reporter is meticulous with detail. From the report today:
Woodward's statement said he testified: "I told Walter Pincus, a reporter at The Post, without naming my source, that I understood Wilson's wife worked at the CIA as a WMD analyst."Pincus said he does not recall Woodward telling him that. In an interview, Pincus said he cannot imagine he would have forgotten such a conversation around the same time he was writing about Wilson.
"Are you kidding?" Pincus said. "I certainly would have remembered that."
Pincus said Woodward may be confused about the timing and the exact nature of the conversation. He said he remembers Woodward making a vague mention to him in October 2003. That month, Pincus had written a story explaining how an administration source had contacted him about Wilson. He recalled Woodward telling him that Pincus was not the only person who had been contacted.
But the MOST OUTRAGEOUS statement by Bob Woodward follows, and I credit the Washington Post for exposing this man's vanity and idiocy. The Post reports that Woodward pooh-poohed the Fitzgerald investigation into the Valerie Plame/CIA case -- even though he had vital information that was relevant to the investigation all along -- and knew it.
The President put his credibility on the line regarding this CIA case. The first White House official in 130 years was indicted because of this case -- and Bob Woodward is saying that it is an insignificant matter. And now he has a "smoking gun"?
From the Post:
Woodward, who is preparing a third book on the Bush administration, has called Fitzgerald "a junkyard-dog prosecutor" who turns over every rock looking for evidence. The night before Fitzgerald announced Libby's indictment, Woodward said he did not see evidence of criminal intent or of a major crime behind the leak."When the story comes out, I'm quite confident we're going to find out that it started kind of as gossip, as chatter," he told CNN's Larry King.
Woodward also said in interviews this summer and fall that the damage done by Plame's name being revealed in the media was "quite minimal."
"When I think all of the facts come out in this case, it's going to be laughable because the consequences are not that great," he told National Public Radio this summer.
Woodward's celebrity-status has seriously blinded him and affected his judgment about quality journalism and his responsibilities to the public. He should never have been making such comments on television about the Plame case if he was, in fact, involved. He should have RECUSED himself in such discussion.
Now, his revelations must become central to the Plame story -- and they threaten significantly the direction that Fitzgerald takes in the investigation.
Woodward should tell what he knows -- and he should be responsible to what really occurred -- but he must be held ACCOUNTABLE for his irresponsibility in the Plame case.
Tomorrow, the Post -- in an editorial penned by Leonard Downie -- better make clear that Bob Woodward gets no "Judy Miller"-like protection or nod of support from the reporting staff of the paper. He has violated the public trust by both withholding information he had in a key investigation, while playing pundit on Larry King, and now upending things late in the process.
-- Steve Clemons
UPDATE: Atrios has transcript of Woodward exchange with Larry King. Woodward crossed lots of lines.
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Steve:
I am amazed by this. I don't understand what this means, quite frankly.
Do you think it's possible that BUSH told Woodward about Plame during one of their cosy book interviews?? is it possible that Bush becomes one of Fitz' unindicted coconspirators?
this is a deathblow to the credibility of a journalist who was venerated for exposing the rot within the Nixon administration, now covering up the same in Bushco's.
Libby told Miller about Wilson's wife "on or about June 23, 2003". Woodward's source told him in "mid-June 2003". That is not a month's difference, and was probably just a few days earlier, and at a stretch, the same day. Fitzgerald has the date and name; the rest of us can merely speculate.
Could Woodward's "telling" Walter Pincus be his version of Tim Russert telling Scooter about Valerie ? Could it be a lie to establish a timeline of events that would be favorable to s source if only it were true ?
Woodward has gotten one insider book out of this administration and is working on another. Is he so in bed with these folks that he needs to do this in order to keep those channels open ?
Is he suffering from Hostage Syndrome, relating with his captors ?
Something really stinks and the POST better get to the bottom of it. They don't want to get played like Miller played the Times !
Ok the irony of Woodward being involved like this is
making my head spin. Instead of being a pioneer to
uncover the truth of a corrupt President, this time he seems
to be protecting these people.
I think behind the scenes their is a " coo" of sorts to get the VP to
resign and to bring down Bush. My guess would be the old Bush 41 guards
and Colin Powel working behind the scenes for the good of the country.
All this can't be a coincidence.
OK I know I sound like a nut-job, BUT I have watched politics all my life and things
like this just don't " happen" to a President.
Somebody inside is leaking to the Press...or multiple people are.
June 12, 2003 seems to be the pivotal day in this leak case. LA Times reported that on that day Richard Armitage (of Iran Contra infamy) then Deputy Secretary of State under Colin Powell (also of Iran Contra infamy) got involved in the ferreting out of information about Wilson. Armitage is a CIA Black-op agent and would be just the person this neo Reagan administration would use to attack a political adversary. Someone should ask what Armitage's involvement was in the whole thing.
And, don't forget, Condolezza Rice and Karen Hughes were also on the White House Iraq Group. What did they do? Why is no one talking about their involvement?
Other members of WHIG included George W. Bush’s chief of staff Andrew Card, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice's deputy Stephen Hadley, legislative liaison Nicholas E. Calio, and Cheney lackey and communication strategist Mary Matalin, and James R. Wilkinson.
Hang him f***ing High.
If questioned - oops, when questioned - will Woodward pull a Judy Miller? If so, hopefully a good judge will put him in Miller's old cell.
Americans are tired of this political crap being put ahead of the good of the nation.
Woodward is an empty suit who channels dead people. Amazing how few people seem to have figured that out yet.
I've said it from the very beginning: this will turn out to be a media scandal more than a WH scandal. And it's a long time coming.
Back up guys! SC writes: "Woodward said that he heard that Valerie Plame Wilson was a CIA covert operative" - wrong. Woodward says he was told by an administration official that "Wilson's wife worked for the CIA on weapons of mass destruction as a WMD analyst." Note: "analyst", not "covert operative."
this was all planned, in advance of libby's indictment, by cheney and his defense team. the object of the sham is to make fitzgerald look as though he prematurely indicted libby, in an effort to show something else going on here, something other than what it actually is: the investigation into a morally reprehensible crime against our national security by those trusted to protect it. it is a violation of the national trust. no big deal. idle chatter. unless you don't think war is effective diplomacy. woodward has broken bread with monsters for so long that he has lost his humanity, not just his credibility as a journalist.
Wow. Everyone who even gets near this administration ends up smelling like shit.
It's been obvious for years now that Woodward is nothing but a shill for the administration. I'm assuming his high level source is Bush or Rove, and that Rove's twelfth-hour conversation with Fitzgerald has something to do with this new trun of events. Woodward certainly isn't going to start telling us, dear readers, the truth now out of some kind of sense of duty and honor as a journalist. So how does his latest blabbering help his pals? Cui bono?
chris, perjury and obstruction, the two things Libby was actually indicted on, don't go away for him no matter how they spin the actual outing of Plame.
Andy Card's head must be spinning through all of this. He is from my home town (Holbrook, MA) a small town far removed from Washington.
Andy comes back from time to time to see his old stomping grounds and touch base with folks back home.
A year or so ago he came by to hang out at the town ball fields and watch the kids playing. Of course he has his full security contingent. But my Dad went over to say hello but also told him point blank Iraq was a bad war they got us into.
Andy's reply was simply, "the President thinks he is doing the right thing". Not a ringing endorsement.
Andy is loyal to the Bush family, particularly GHWB. It would be interesting to know how he would act if GHWB dropped dead tomorrow.
Andy is from a small town and I believe he still holds those small town values in his heart. I pray that he does. He is also a moderate not a neo-con.
Up to this point he has put his loyalty to GHWB over that of the country. Powell, Wilkerson, etc... have also done this and continue to do so. I pray that Andy snaps out of it for the good of America. The Andy I know will.
Woodward's revelations are most interesting to say the least. In an effort to play devil's advocate, I've attempted to analyze this situation from a variey of different angles. I've come up with many different results, but I'd like to throw this one out to the rest of you. Is it possible - and this is complete conjecture on my part - that Woodward is in bed with the Administration (of course, figuratively speaking) and he withheld this information until, now, in an effort to take away any and all steam from Fitzgerald's entire investigation. 1. As Steve's noted, he publicly berated Fitzgerald before he testified. 2. He even publicly minimized the overall damage from the investigation. 3. Then, Woodward waits to go public until after Fitzgerald indicted Libby and until after Fitzgerald completed his seemingly never endless news conference, knowing full well, the longer Fitzgerald spoke the deeper the hole Fitzgerald was digging for himself. 4, Additionally, by making his statements about Pincus, Woodward threw into question any and all statements made by various media professionals in this case.
Remember, Russert's statements are the most damning to Libby. What an expert way of minimizing any journalist's involvement by having one of them offer evidence that may, perhaps, destroy Fitzgerald's case. Perhaps, this was Libby's plan in entirety. Just a thought, though...
anyone who read len colodny's book about woodward can't be surprised by any of this. the guy was in Naval Intelligence before he was at the Post. his contacts have always been from being an insider, not from being a muckraker. i'm sure bernstein had to suck it up and deal with the fact that woodward could "get to" people that carl couldn't because woodward was basically (or maybe something more than that?) a spook. Booby's muckraking rep was never earned, not even in watergate. that was all bernstein.
the guy deserves to be fired, period.
Woodward has always been a hack, but unlike Bernstein -- the actual reporter of the duo -- he has WASP-y connections (and possible CIA ties through his Navy days) in addition to a sycophantic nature, so he was able to parlay this into great personal wealth.
Will Woodward be fired? Obviously he should be sacked immediately, but will the Post take that step?
Heh! X-post with Robert Green!
Yeah, just type "woodward naval cia" into Google. You'll come up with some interesting stuff.
For a further note of weirdness, recall that back in May, Woodward was promoting speculation that Cheney, bad heart and all, might run for president in '08. He did that in a May 10 speech in Denver, and did it again later that week on the Chris Matthews Show.
Woodward, Russert, Novak, Miller, Matt Cooper (and most likely more) are all caught in Fitzy's nets, all revealed as shills and zampolit for BushCo and the RNC.
If nothing else happens, TreasonGate has destroyed forever the "liberal media" myth.
Chris from Boca... that's ridiculous. Libby is still indicted and this doesn't change that. It's now obvious to any idiot that the White House, in the form of high administration officials (Libby, Rove, and now Woodward's Mr. X), knew who leaked Valerie Plame to the press. They've know all along. They've stonewalled and lied to the FBI and Fitz for two years.
Bush said over two years ago that he would get to the bottom of this matter. It's obvious that he didn't. One of these scenarios is true: Bush didn't care and didn't even try to get to the bottom of this.. or.. Bush asked his staff if there was a leak and they lied to him.. or... Bush knew what was going on and didn't fire those responsible for committing a crime, and may have even explicitly or tacitly participated in obstruction and cover-up. All are absolutely terrible for the White House.
Whoever Woodward's source was is still there. He should be revealed IMMEDIATELY by the White House. No more obstruction, no more cover-ups, no more lies.
Pheonix Woman... re. the liberal media myth. Go try to tell it to those jokers over at Brent Bozell's "Newsbusters." What a career to have....
how exactly would this "destroy" fitzgerald's case?
it has nothing to do with the crimes that libby stands accused of. nada.
There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for the Post not to fire this guy immediately. This is a real moment for the WaPo to demonstrate what they are about.
woodward wouldn't need to be told point blank that Plame was covert. from his intelligence background, he would have known that WMD's and counter-proliferation meant just that. but then he wrote in the first book how he was exposed to classified materials by Bush.
"Andy is from a small town and I believe he still holds those small town values in his heart. I pray that he does. He is also a moderate not a neo-con."
My experience of growing up in a small town is that the first rule of small town culture is "I am loyal to my family and childhood friends". This transcends any of the claptrap about honesty, integrity, decency and morality that the media likes to play up as "small town values" - if your brother robs a house, you cover up for him; if you have a family member on the police force, go ahead and drive drunk; if your aunt works at the county records office, your ability to steal undeveloped land is nearly infinite; if you rape someone, your high school pals will say the girl got you drunk and took you home.
Andy Card's willingness to be the administrations ass monkey makes perfect sense in that regard now. Its how he was raised.
So if the consequences of the Plame issue are not that great than no crime is committed? Hmm lets try that with an every day occurance in America...Bank Robbery. If a robber only gets $1,000 it's nto that big of a deal. But if they get $100,000 then it's a crime? I think in both cases the seriousness of the crime is evident and punishable. If the plame leak caused minimal or no damage it is still serious because it could have caused great damage.
And how just does Woodward know the damage was minimal? Did he learn it fromt he same source that told him Plame was an undecover agent? If that is the case, Bob needs to take a serious look at who his sources are.
I seem to remember Woodward making some fabulous claims about deathbed interviews with former CIA Director Bill Casey. I don't know if they were ever independently verified, but I've certainly questioned his credibility ever since.
Haven't read throught the comments beyond Susan's yet, but want to say that I've never seen Woodward as a venerable reporter. We never got to the bottom of the rot that surrounded Nixon but may not have been attached to his administration alone.
Also, I don't understand how we can make the connection between what Woodward has now said about being told Plame was an WMD analyst and his having been among the earliest to know of her covert status. Have I missed something about how the contradictions between "analyst" and "operative" have been cleared up?
For Woodward's statement on his deposition, the WaPo article and all the latest articles, briefings, timelines and documents can be found in:
"The PlameGate Scandal Center"
"I remembered.
From the Washington Note:
[A] short while ago -- one of America's top journalists called me to ask what I knew about Fleitz. He said rumors were swirling everywhere and that a "really wild rumor" was that Bob Woodward had a piece appearing in tomorrow's Washington Post focusing on Fleitz. Realize -- NOTHING substantiated here.
Part of the rumor is that Fleitz is on leave.
I just tried to track that down. I just called Fred Fleitz, but got his answering machine and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I then called Under Secretary of State Bob Joseph's office and talked to a person who told me that Fleitz was on leave for two days but would return to the office Monday morning.
I know nothing more. But here is what I wrote on Fleitz and the possibility of a Plame connection a while back. . .plus if you use the search function on the site for "Fleitz", you will find a lot of commentary on this website about him. He's an interesting, swashbuckling, rough-and-tough character who kept his CIA WINPAC portfolio despite being seconded to the State Department."
Contact the Washington Post:
Ombudsman
Michael Getler
ombudsman@washpost.com
202-334-7582
http://www.washpost.com/news_ed/ombudsman/index.shtml
The Washington Post Web Contract Page
http://www.washpost.com/contactus.nsf/contact?OpenForm&Generic
The Washington Post Company
Ann McDaniel
Vice President
1150 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20071
202.334.6000
TWPCoReply@washpost.com
http://www.washpostco.com/contacts.htm
I suspect everyone is missing the big part of the story: this is part of Rove's strategy to escape. Remember his lawyer saying that he gave Fitz something that "gave him pause" right before Fitzmas? Guess what that was: Woodward's questions to Cheney! See, here is evidence that Rove did hear it from a reporter: he read it in the faxed questions from Woodward!
Or perhaps he told Fitz that he "miraculously" remembered the reporter he heard it from: Why it was none other than Bob Woodward--although he heard this indirectly via an aide (the one called back). So they talk to this guy, and the trail leads to Woodward, who eventually tells Fitz he heard it from Wurmser, who was not aware it was classified (no harm, no foul).
And they will all conspire to chalk it up to innocent Washington gossip, yes a bit sloppy, but doesn't rise to the level of a crime.
Fuckers. Rove walks!
"Woodward, Russert, Miller, Matt Cooper"
That's four. Weren't there six journalists contacted by Rove and Libby with the Plame story, before they went to Novak? Who're the last two?
This list covers NY Times, Wa Post, NBC, Time. That leaves the networks, Fox, CNN, Newsweek, LA Times or WSJ - who are the last two reporters?
To RickBoston:
I think you're on to something but sometimes ignorance of the law is no excuse. Just because, say Wurmser, reportedly said he didn't think the info was classified doesn't mean it wasn't classified. All this does is remove the "knowingly" from the "knowingly outed" section of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and keep whomever, say Wurmser, from being indicted under that Act which can carry severe penalties, including the death penalty.
But I don't think this necessarily means Rove will walk because I don't think this changes the fact that perjury charges can still be brought against him. It may get him of the hook from prosecution under the IIPA though. So that would save him from death by "lethal injection" LOL FCOTH...
Additionally, Woodward's assertion that he told Pincus is doubtful and because of that doubtfulness, Woodward doesn't have contemporaneous corroboration that he was told at the time he testified that he was told.
How about this. The revelation of Deep Throat was engineered by Woodward to deflect attention from the CIA leak investigation. Remember, this stuff came out just as Rove was identified. I think.
Steve,
If I were you, I would research the ties between Rumsfeld and Woodward very, very carefully.
I think that Woodward went to Libby (or his team) and offered him information that could help in Libby's defense (i.e., that he'd heard about "wilson's wife" from someone else first, and told Pincus about it.)
Libby (or his people) go to this "other source", and tell him that he had better run to FitzG's office ASAP, because they plan to use Woodward in their defense.... and if the source doesn't get to FitzG first, its gonna look like the source was hiding information from the investigation.
Regardless, FitzG's "squeeze play" on Libby is working. He's got another top official trying to explain how HE heard that Wilson's wife was CIA....
My theory is that FitzG knows that Fleitz/Bolton is the originator of the "Wilson's wife" story -- they knew she was covert, but spread the story anyway without telling anyone she was covert. FitzG is working his way backward from Libby, plans to nail Fleitz/Bolton to the wall, and will consider supporting a reduced sentence for them if they implicate others who KNEW Plame was covert, and were involved in her outing anyway.
Clearly Woodward believes he is "different". He thinks he is not a mere reporter. He is not subject to the same rules as a regular reporter. He has earned a place in power Washington hierarchy and therefore he is entitled to his own set of rules.
Woodward has been thoroughly corrupted by money and power. It is a scandal that he is treated as a respected journalist.
O'Leary, Good points, but as you point out, the key for the WH is to escape the charges related to IIPA and Espionage acts. Woodward does not really need collaboration from Pincus (and yes, I think Woodie is lying), because he as a contemporaneous FAX to Cheney in which Yellowcake appears, and a copy of his own interview questions with the line "Wilson's wife." Somehow the WH found out that paper existed as of June 20th. Question: Is that because Boob gave a copy at the time to whomever he was interviewing, or did he alert a friend in the WH in late 2005 that he had the questionnaire, and he was willing to disclose that he had it?
As far as ignorance of the information being classifed, I think if someone revealed it not knowing that is was classified (and that is the way Woodie sets up the story), the most likely consequence is that they will lose their security clearance and land a fat job with the RNC or a big-money donor. I am sure there are at least 5 mid-level grunts in the WH willing to take that fall. After all, Bush is sinking, might be a good time to fall on your butter knife, be a hero at the same time you distance yourself from the current crap, and make some serious moolah.
And Rove will get off--if he can raise the reasonable doubt that he heard it (indirectly) from Woodward as early as June 20th, it will be almost impossible to get a conviction of perjury or obstruction of justice--so Fitz will punt.
oh, btw....
I think that Downie is trying to distance the Post from Woodward. Remember that story that came out a few days back, about how the Post negotiated an agreement with FitzG for Pincus's testimony?
Bob Woodward is a phony and fraud and he should be arrested on conspiracy to mislead investigators and Woodward is a criminal. In my book the Washington Post should FIRE HIS ASS NOW!!!! Yes, Woodward embellishes and Bernstein has always been the brains and the gatekeeper of morality and truth even as Woody goes around babbling on Larry King. No wonder Bernstein stays away from the little arrogant runt Woodward. By the way, Woodward's book about Mark Felt bombed and his book on Alan Greenspan was refuted by Ravi Batra who is an economist and Batra laughed at Woodward's idiocy about the Fed and economics. Believe the Woodward at your own peril because the man is a government plant since the day he arrived at the Washington Post to get rid of Nixon. There is much more to Woodward than meets the eye. He is never to be trusted again with anything he says.
Many criminal cases are solved, not because of great investigation, but because the "bad guys" rat on each other. Google "woodward g.h.w. bush".Then, what if: Woodward never was a "real" investigative journalist? The Deep Throat story was conveniently written now because the claimed leaker can no longer refute it? The real Deep Throat is using Woodward in the same old way he always did? The "bad guys" this time are Bush and Bush?
Steve, how likely do you think it is that Bob Woodward's first administration source was Fleitz? Many of us have pondered a Bolton connection in all this for some time. Is this it?
What happens if Woodward actually reports something that reflects badly on this administration? No more access, no more books, no more Woodward-the-star. That pretty much explains his motives.
Don't overlook the possibility that Woodward is the one doing the distancing -- he's concluded that Bush is toast, and is trying to escape legal jeopardy and position himself for the transition of power.
I knew Booby very slightly, pre-Watergate, when he was a cub reporter for the Montgomery County (MD) Sentinel and I was a reporter for the University of Maryland student daily. He was an elitist asshole then and he's been an elitist asshole ever since. It is appropriate that he was chosen as the official court historian of the Worst Administration Ever.
If you look at what woodward is saying to chris from this Atrios bit.
WOODWARD: I don`t know. I think we need -- yes, I think so. But I think common sense would solve the problem.
Look, we are in -- what`s going on in America and the world now? Terror. We are engaged in a war on terror. (my bold)
Whatever he knew or didn't know, woody and all those dc beltway fools like timmeh and chris and dean broder were just scared shitless at losing their wealth and privelege and connections if TERRORISTS attacked, and that's why they blew bushco so fervently, coz he said he'd protect them.
I guess he didn't include protecting them from themselves though.
Woodward should resign in shame (I know, I know) and retire to his estate and write his fucking books til he drops dead.
Yes, I met Woodward at school a few years back and thought he was a pompous ass as I thought there was something very strange about him. He seemed like a weirdo and when I asked him what he thought of Gary Sick's book "October Surprise" which talked and brought to the attention of readers that Reagan administration officials most likely supplied Iran with armaments agaist Iraq long before 1982-83. The war started in 1979 at the same time Carter placed sanctions on Iran. Sick explained that the deal made was that for continuing armament shipments on the black market to Iran that the hsotages would not be released while Carter was still in office and that they would be released from Iranian air space after Reagan was sworn into office. It is very likely this happened the way Sick wrote it and that Woody dismissed the story out of hand claiming it was not a strong case. But the conditions of the hostages for their last six months improved as well as Iran in the end taking a less generous offer from Carter's earlier offers. Woodward is not the investigative journalist everyone thinks and that papers such as the Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Chicago Tribune which carried the most fruitful stories about Iran-Contra and not the bigger papers such as the Washington Post, The New York Times, etc. Woodward is a fraud and a phony and the claims of his being some wonderful investigative journalist is a big bag of crapola. I am sure he is one elitist slob as well as being a government inside hack who was planted inside the Washington Post to bring Nixon down for greater motives than any of us will ever know. I did not like Nixon as a president, but Woodward's morals are nothing to ride home about. Woodward needs to resign or be fired in the same way his adversary Nixon was forced out. Funny how one becomes just like their enemies if not worse, and in this sense Woodward has much in common with the criminals in the White House he sucks up to and bends over for. Woodo gets too many Woodies thinking about his lies and lies and lies for access and access just to ramble and banter and foam and yack on Larry King Live!
Is he suffering from Hostage Syndrome, relating with his captors?
No. He has made the Faustian bargain now offered by the modern media savvy pol -- be my propogandist in exchange for insider tips that will make you a media God. And it will just be our big secret.
Woodward is that new form of "journalist" wannabe -- he'd rather be "making" the news than reporting it. Its so much more fun to think of yourself as one of the players.
"Woodward, Russert, Miller, Matt Cooper"....what about that White House favorite....Jeffy Gannon...didn't he "suggest" that he had been privy to inside information on this?
As for Woodward, he lost credibility long ago.....and he had not aged gracefully!
Ari!
So let me get this straight. When Judith Miller was subpoenaed to testify, she did not remember that she did not remember her source until after she spent time in jail. Curious, you'd think she would have avoided jail by saying she didn't remember.
Now, we have a well known reporter/author who didn't remember, back when the investigation began, that he did have a source. Since Woodward thinks Dick Cheney would be a good successor to Bush, I think we can see what his purpose is in now remembering. Just because Woodward wrote Deep Throat, it does not mean that he is perpetually above reproach. I think he has motives for his memory and they do not pertain to the public good so much as his own personal welfare in a future GOP gang at the top.
Isn't it about time that we started referring to him as "disgraced former journalist Bob Woodward"?
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/National_Security_Adviser_was_Woodwards_source_1116.html
Hadley ...
Oh my ....
regarding the 6 journalists--
Novak
Miller
Cooper
Russert
Pincus
were the 5 known, correct? Was there ever public confirmation of #6?
Woody would be it, then. Remember that as you read the rightwingosphere conflating this into "who knows how many journalists knew? It WAS common knowledge, see?"
I agree with RickBoston.
I don't think Woodward actually had this conversation two years ago. This whole revelation has been invented in order to protect someone in the White House. Probably Rove. Maybe even Bush.
Whatever Woodward is doing, it stinks to high heaven. The Post will get rid of him. They have no choice.
The sixth reporter was Greenspan's wife.
Obviously, each of these knew the govt. was passing something off. How many wrote about that?
Only one, Pincus.
Going back to the headline, I suspect, it was a combination of senility and the chutspah that Woodward acquired with his celebrity status. He thought he was above it all. He's been relishing in his uniqueness in the journalism world. It's time to bring him down to Earth.
Will the Real Bob Woodward Stand Up!
Sadly, Bob Woodward's name can no longer be associated as a symbol for truth and a beacon for justice or equated with "scoop" or "I got you journalism" after Woodward finally disclosed that he was aware of Valerie Plame's name in June of 2003, however, and kept quiet about it because he did not want to become involved, which action has helped to through sand in District Attorney Fitzpatrick's eyes.ÂÂ
It is ironic that Woodward once known for unearthing the truth no matter how high the price and for brining down a president, has now come full circle as he secretly and deliberately helped to keep buried the truth, thereby aiding and abetting a president to maintain that office.
Woodward once known for fighting corruption and coverup is now known for lying down with corruption and coverup as he becomes entangled in the current administration's bed of lies and deception.
Woodward a name once synonymous with truth and justice is now synonymous with falsehoods and lies. Woodward is no longer an independent journalist but a talking or non talking advocate for the Bush Regime, the plot thickens.
Oh, What a tangled web we make!
Woodward should really be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. His calculated silence is a prime example of that offense. “ I didn’t want to put anything out there that might get me subpoenaed.†He intentionally withheld relevant information impeding an ongoing federal investigation. (Withholding evidence) If prosecutors for some reason fail to indict this cowardly administration ass kisser he should at minimum be removed from the Washington Post. Mr. Woodward has proven to readers that he has little regard for the Washington Post’s or his own journalistic responsibility to the public. Validity of his future writing will always be legitimately questioned.
Here's my guess on the discrepancy in dates between Woodward and Pincus.
In writing about Bob Novak and Judith Miller's statements about their involvement, I found it helpful to start not with what we know happened, but with what they want to accomplish with their spin: proving themselves innocent of sins they recognize as real and damning in their world-- professional journalism, newsroom culture, collegial opinion.
Thus Miller freely tells us about "former Hill staffer," which is pretty damning, because that's not a sin to her. But she lies and says she cooperated fully with Times reporters, when the Times own reporting says she didn't, because to not cooperate would be damning in the newsroom and she knows it.
Woodward can remain innocent in his own eyes by saying he's protecting his sources, which is okay in the newsroom. But now it's clear that he was sitting on news. Not okay in the newsroom. He does that a lot, but he can still remain innocent because a.) the facts emerge later in his book in the fuller context he provides; and b.) if he learns something newsworthy but it's not part of the book's narrative he provides tips to Post reporters. So: still a journalist, still a "good" colleague, still living by the code.
In this case what he learned about Plame is not part of the book's narrative, so a.) is not going to work. He went to plan b.) "I couldn't use it, so I gave it to Pincus." Trouble is, if he gave it to Pincus in October, he's guilty of what he's trying to avoid by revealing this tidbit-- sitting on news. The date has to be June 2003, same month he learned it, for innocence production purposes.
This is how "no partisan gunslinger" emerged from Novak as a description of his original source. At the time he said that, Novak was trying to prove himself innocent of a particular charge in circulation: being the one who finally bit with the wife info after officials shopped the story to other journalists. No, no, I didn't learn it from one of those political people, Novak says.
I find that if you work backwards from the professional sin they're avoiding you can sometimes learn more.
If Woodward is journalist #6, where does that leave Jeff Gannon? Reps. John Conyers and Louise Slaughter requested and obtained copies of the Secret Service sign-in sheets for Jeff Gannon. Has anyone compared his dates in the WH with the dates of the meetings for the WHIG in June?
I've always put my money on John Bolton being the original leaker because I believe he was involved in the creation of the Niger forgeries and had ample motivation.
The excuse that adminstration officals offer, that they did not know the info they were passing out was classified,just doesn't fly. My answer is that your job required you to know that. If you didn't know, it was your duty to check before doing something. EVERYONE knows that some CIA are covert, so the odds were high the she could be covert, so why not make sure first? Because their intent was to take her out of the field of WMD's so they wouldn't have to worry about her refuting them in other places too.
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