This will be a bitter pill for some conservatives to swallow. CIA Director Michael Hayden personally reviewed and okayed Henry Waxman's opening statement for Valerie Plame's testimony today. Furthermore, Hayden took pains to set the record straight: Plame was indeed a covert agent up until the day Robert Novak revealed as much to the public. You see, many on the right (including some here at The Stump) have spent a lot of time trying to convince us otherwise. They never fail to use quotation marks when referring to the administration's "outing" of Plame so as to suggest that no such undercover status ever existed. While Patrick Fitzgerald may not have believed he had enough evidence to prove that a crime was committed, there was really never much doubt that Plame had covert status.
In fact, Plame's testimony proved illuminating on a number of fronts. Under oath, articulate, and forceful, she laid to waste a veritable forest of myths that the right has erected against her. No, she wasn't a mere pencil pusher, she'd undertaken undercover missions to foreign countries over the past five years. No, she hadn't been the one to select her husband to go to on his fact-finding mission to Niger. No, she didn't talk to Nicholas Kristof (or others in the media) about her job at the CIA. But most importantly, in the words of the man who now heads the CIA, she was very much a covert agent.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 11)
31. What a Joke. If she ever was undercover for the CIA, I can't believe she thinks this is a "Hit to the Gut". Where have you been Honey. As an Ex. I can say she was a report "Gossip" and "Party Talk" diplomatic wife that no one expected anything from but misinformation and don't do anything stupid. A hit to the gut is a common place thing for agents, from all sides. It's the occupational disease.
Patrick at 3:13PM on Mar 16th 2007
32. This is just another "Political Nothing" driven by the Drive by Media and other Socialist Bloggers..
RonBo at 3:06PM on Mar 16th 2007
33. It's difficult to understand the denial expressed in the previous comments. When the Director of such an agency speaks for the record on identifying agency personnel, it's going to be accurate. The only people who could possibly not believe this information are political dupes or political operatives who have a vested interest in the status quo. The real question is why provisions of the Patriot Act have not been invoked to get to the bottom of this farce? Does anyone seriously believe that Joe Citizen would survive outing someone working for the national defense?
jack at 3:09PM on Mar 16th 2007
34. A desk job in Washington is NOT a covert operation.
Plame was not operating as a covert agent and NO crime was comitted.
JE DeBarth at 3:00PM on Mar 16th 2007
35. George W. sent two democrats to Niger on a fact-finding mission. He got what he deserved.
John at 3:02PM on Mar 16th 2007
36. This whole farce about Valerie Plame being a "Covert" agent of the CIA is really kinda wacky...doncha think? My God, the way the Democrats talk about this and they way they pushed it being such an act of Treason...one would have thought Valerie was something close to being a female James Bond! Covert Operative, My fanny !
And , as someone else mentioned on this blog, it would be almost comically improper for the wife of an diplomat to be involved in espionage, no matter what level of spying she operated on. And I'll bet the closest thing she carried to a weapon in this supposed old secret agent game was a nail file ! Give us some credit for having brains out here in John Q. Citizen-Land...We're not a stupid as these idiots would think we are.
Where the Hell is Gordon Liddy when we need him to speak out against such idiocy !
Sign me as...
Scratching my head in Cow Hampshire !
Chuck Black at 3:04PM on Mar 16th 2007
37. We are ready to judge the culprit who exposed Valerie Plame. Apostle Paul said, "Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."
"So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."
Alan Klaus at 3:06PM on Mar 16th 2007
38. The bush Klan has really destroyed democracy!
saxman at 3:06PM on Mar 16th 2007
39. This woman is a not case, who should not ever been in the CIA as anything. She is moved by her own gain, not whats best for the US. That her lieing husband would not testify at the trail and he and she know they would be charged for lieing.
Jim Krieger at 3:18PM on Mar 16th 2007
40. This woman is a not case, who should not ever been in the CIA as anything. She is moved by her own gain, not whats best for the US. That her lieing husband would not testify at the trail and he and she know they would be charged for lieing.
Jim Krieger at 3:19PM on Mar 16th 2007
41. THIS IS NOTHING BUT A POLITICAL AGENDA BY THE SOCIALIST PARTY. THIS WOMAN WAS GOING IN AND OUT OF THE CIA BUILDING EVERYDAY. DON'T YOU THINK IF ANYONE WAS OPERATING "COVERT AGENT" WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THAT BUILDING AT ALL COST???? ACCORDING TO KOVAK ON THE NEWS FRIDAY 03/16/07 SHE ALSO CONTRIBUTED $1,000 TO AL GORE'S CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT. THIS IS ALL POLITICAL B.S. BY THE SOCIALIST PARTY.
James at 3:09PM on Mar 16th 2007
42. This whole farce about Valerie Plame being a "Covert" agent of the CIA is really kinda wacky...doncha think? My God, the way the Democrats talk about this and they way they pushed it being such an act of Treason...one would have thought Valerie was somethin close to being a female James Bond! Covert Operative, My fanny !
And , as someone else mentioned on this blog, it would be almost comically improper for the wife of an diplomat to be involved in espionage, no matter what level of spying she operated on. And I'll bet the closest thing she carried to a weapon in this supposed old secret agent game was a nail file ! Give us some credit for having brains out here in John Q. Citizen-Land...We're not a stupid as these idiots would think we are.
Where the Hell is Gordon Liddy when we need him to speak out against such idiocy !
Sign me as...
Scratching my head in Cow Hampshire !
Chuck Black at 3:08PM on Mar 16th 2007
43. This pure show attempting to bash the Bush Administration once again. Waxman calls witnesses and won't let them speak. It is time the American Right stood up to these lying Democrats and set them straight. Note to all future witnesses,BE READY TO TAKE YOUR FIGHT RIGHT TO THE CAMERA. DO NOT LET THE DEMOCRATS WALK ALL OVER YOU. REMEMBER HOW OLIVER NORTH DID IT!
Larry at 4:42PM on Mar 16th 2007
44. VALERIE PLAME A COVERT AGENT. GET REAL. STOP WASTING OUR MONEY ON LAWYERS. JUST ANOTHER BLAME BUSH. I SICK OF THIS. GROUW UP. THIS IS FOR MS.PLAME AND WILSON TO GET MORE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
MARGARET at 3:14PM on Mar 16th 2007
45. What a pathetically biased article to perpetuate the lies. The woman who wrote the act about revealing covert agents said that Plame didn't meet the criteria! But what does the truth matter to flaming Libs who can't tell the difference between truth and lies. Get back to Journalism you jerk.
Dave at 3:14PM on Mar 16th 2007