Steve Clemons: Fitz has his own source inside the WH

The implications of this are mindblowing. If Clemons is right, the special counsel has had a template to the who, when, and why of the Plame outing since the early days of the investigation. That means that Fitz has been watching these guys self-destructively commit perjury and obstruction of justice. If the source for this insight were anyone other than Clemons, this scoop would almost seems too good to be true.

Who is Patrick Fitzgerald's "Deep Throat" Source? Is there a Counter-Leaker on Plame Case Working for the Side of Good?
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/ November 21, 2005, 3:01pm

There is a high level official in the Bush administration who helped give the "inside scoop" on the earliest moves by the White House in the Valerie Plame investigation -- but who is it? On September 28, 2003, Washington Post writers Dana Priest and Mike Allen clearly note the existence of a source with knowledge about the outing campaign conducted as "a vendetta" against Joe Wilson by senior officials in the Bush White House.

This source clearly had concerns about the behavior of these officials, and to some degree, this Washington Post source appears to be a key "counter-leaker" in the Valerie Plame investigation, i.e. someone attempting to make sure that the real story about the Plame leak and reasons for it were told.

From the Washington Post story on September 28, 2003:

At CIA Director George J. Tenet's request, the Justice Department is looking into an allegation that administration officials leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer to a journalist, government sources said yesterday.
The operative's identity was published in July after her husband, former U.S. ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, publicly challenged President Bush's claim that Iraq had tried to buy "yellowcake" uranium ore from Africa for possible use in nuclear weapons. Bush later backed away from the claim.

The intentional disclosure of a covert operative's identity is a violation of federal law. The officer's name was disclosed on July 14 in a syndicated column by Robert D. Novak, who said his sources were two senior administration officials.

Yesterday, a senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. Wilson had just revealed that the CIA had sent him to Niger last year to look into the uranium claim and that he had found no evidence to back up the charge. Wilson's account touched off a political fracas over Bush's use of intelligence as he made the case for attacking Iraq.

SNIP

A source said reporters quoted a leaker as describing Wilson's wife as "fair game."

The official would not name the leakers for the record and would not name the journalists. The official said there was no indication that Bush knew about the calls. It is rare for one Bush administration official to turn on another. Asked about the motive for describing the leaks, the senior official said the leaks were "wrong and a huge miscalculation, because they were irrelevant and did nothing to diminish Wilson's credibility."

(Clemons continues)

Stepping back for a moment, it seems that this source noted above would not be the source that Bob Woodward has suggested -- not if Woodward is being truthful that the information about Plame was passed off as a side-bar in a larger, longer conversation. Clearly, the source for Dana Priest and Mike Allen knew that the information on Plame was secret -- and was angry about its promulgation.

Thus, there is a political personality out there -- who is on the side of good -- who is part of this story. Who is it? And is this person a "Deep Throat" source for Patrick Fitzgerald? Is this source helping guide Fitzgerald through the terrain?

SNIP

So many stories about what Fitzgerald was planning didn't pan out last time. I'm not believing it until I hear it from Fitzgerald's mouth.

actual witnesses.

Fitzgerald isn't allowing leaks. Everything we hear is speculation, and it wasn't too accurate last time.

understand. Then again - I didn't go all the way to the link - I just read the extract.

Nope, I meant I didn't think anyone who was predicting what Fitz would do (such as Larry Johnson) was dishonest. I think they were honest estimates, but they turned out not to be true.

...if that didn't piss him off bad, it certainly should have.

She's been on TV and radio lately saying "everyone knew" about Plame-Wilson's CIA status. I don't think she's working for good.

She could just be inking the waters to confuse the Bush Administration. If she's operating on strict orders from her superiors to say those things, then she has no personal liability.

Personally, I think what she says is so outrageously false, that I don't really believe she believes it.

At least, no one in a position to have independent knowledge of what went on in the White House.

I'm reminded of the story Tucker Carlson wrote about Karen Hughes telling him that * didn't use foul language when they'd both been in *'s presence when he did. She not only knew it was a lie, she knew he knew it was and even knew that he knew that she knew.

Ack, did I just morph in to Donald Rumsfeld? :evilgrin:

"We don't really take each other seriously." Meaning that among conservatives, they're aware that truth has nothing to do with what they're saying. It's all about selling the politics.

I doubt that he was in the loop regarding who Rove or Libby called. I don't think he was trusted enough by them for them to tell him. And besides, Powell had the opportunity to condemn the leak and the leakers when he was on the Larry King show last month and failed to do so. He also also failed to criticize the administration in any palpitable way.

he wants the hell out of there!

One bark for Rove, two barks for Rumsfeld, a sniveling whimper for Bush, and peeing on the leg for Cheney.

those poor dogs! It's the humane thing to do.

>Is this source helping guide Fitzgerald through the terrain?<

I'm settling in for a long wait. As another DU'er said the other day, they're all turning on each other like rats in a coffee can.

They underestimate Patrick Fizgerald, and they are about to reap the whirlwind, IMHO.

Julie

what are the chances there is a supremely informed Secretary/Personal Aide? You know, secretaries can be really cool people and fly way under the radar... who works in Cheney's office?

throw each other under the bus. What's the old saying, "there's no honor among thieves." I'm glad I don't have to trust one of this bunch to stay out of jail.

for the side of saving his own ass.

Hmm, recursive counsels, this could be a full-employment for lawyers program.

?? .... it seems to me you'd better watch your back BushCo, it could be anyone even the person you would least think... it usually is that way isn't it? Everyone has an Achille's heel or breaking point... better watch out for those "Smiling Faces"...

O8)
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Someone in that rat hovel who knows the difference between right and wrong? HA!

Or at least that person's identity is known to Fitzgerald. Otherwise, we'd have been hearing about Fitz leaning on those two reporters as he did Judy In-bedded.

I'm Fitzgerald's deep throat source! :evilgrin:

You can have Fitzgerald if I get to be Wilson's deep throat. :evilgrin:

I heard her on Imus the other day, and she sounded as though she were drunk on the Kool Aid. She was beating the same old tired drum, and sounded a lot like Woodward before he got called out as being a withholding, duplicitous schmuck.

Then again, she should be nervous, she has young kids, a dyslexic husband with severe ADHD, and she can't help with homework or pack school lunches from a jail cell...

So maybe, she's a better actress than we know from her K Street days--playing the "shore up the Monkey card" for public consumption, and squealing like a stuck pig to the GJ!!!!

The source on that could have well been Chris Matthews; the leaker, Rove. He has since said, on air, that Rove told him that Wilson's wife was fair game. He even called Wilson and told HIM that Rove said it!!!

But the original source within the WH...that's the real question. Whoever it is has a conscience, apparently...surprising, in this administration of evil GOP cyborgs...

From "The Politics of Truth," by Ambassador Joseph Wilson, Chapter One, "The Sixteen Words":

"'Wilson's wife is fair Game.' Those are fighting words for any man, and I'd just had them quoted to me by MSNBC's Chris Matthews. It was July 21, 2003, barely a week since a column by Robert Novak in The Washington Post had named by wife, Valerie, as a CIA officer, and now the host of Hardball was calling to tell me that as far as the White House was concerned, they had declared open season on my family.

" ... Matthews was blunt: "I just got off the phone with Karl Rove. He says, and I quote, 'Wilson's wife is fair game'" Before bruptly hanging up, Matthews added: "I will confirm that if asked."

It has never been exactly a secret who originated that remark. During his extended commentary on this Plame Affair, Matthews knew one of the leakers, but, like Tim Russert, perhaps fearing a subpoena, Matthews played his cards close to his chest and did not share this telephone call with his viewing audience.

The thrust of this thread, however, suggests the informant in the White House is the originator of that remark (at least that's how I interpreted it). Obviously, Karl Rove is not Fitzgerald's informant, so if there is in fact a 21st-Century Deep Throat, who is it? My money would have been on Andrew Card -- until immediately following Libby's indictment when Bush* retired quickly that weekend to Camp David, and took Card with him! Perhaps it was not for advice as we assumed, but for a direct confrontation. We know that Bush* tolerates no act of disloyalty, and if The Washington Post subtly implies there is a turncoat, Bush* will move heaven and earth to uncover him or her (never mind unearthing the potential indictees for possible felonies -- that's not important -- find the one who betrayed the man who sits in the Oval Office -- that's of the utmost importance!).

It has been whispered Card wants out. It has been rumored Card is anti-Rove.

It just seems to me if there is an informant, that informant did not originate the "Wilson's wife is fair game" remark. Rove is many things but he is an echo chamber for no one. He's the one that spits into the wind to start the fight.

Card is actually, for a Republican, a reasonably decent guy. His wife is a minister! And his job, as Chief of Staff, does not deal on a day to day basis with the politics side of things, or the running of government--his schtick is more the running of the White House. He is rather like a glorified admin officer.

Card is supposed to be appointed as Secretary of the Treasury, a GREAT job, easy hours, and you get to see your name on all the currency--this was supposed to happen sooner, but it is looking like it will not happen until next year.

It's obvious that he is burnt out. He has been in that job longer than anyone else, I think.

YA NEVER KNOW....

country, to be loyal to this Republic, its Constitution, and the office of President rather than to a political party, an ideology, or a person. May my prayers be answered.

Regarding this section of the article:

Another potential person is Richard Armitage, who is as publicly loyal to the President as one can be -- but who deploys brilliant knife-in-hand tactics against others inside the bureaucracy and administration whom he thinks are undermining the nation's interests.

Of course, Rich Armitage was Colin Powell's Deputy at State. It is unclear to me how much Armitage would have known about Libby's and Rove's campaign against Plame -- but his sources throughout the Bush White House, in the national security and intelligence communities are legendary -- and Armitage is one of the few people who would have had early warning about the Libby/Rove efforts. So, is Armitage secretly helping Fitzgerald?


I'll try to find H20 Man's post on this subject. I'm pretty sure he talked about it sometime in July.

Not sure what the continuity in personnel there has been.

in the future please limit your snips of articles to 4
paragraphs as per the Democratic Underground
copyright rules .

the rest (about 4 paras) are his quote (at-length) from the WashPost.

I'm trying to be good. :hi:

I don't want to see you get dinged, especially after sharing such wonderful prose with us.

Kickin' for the truth!

http://www.republicansforhumility.com

Maybe he wasn't SUPPOSED to inform Bush about the WTC2, during "My Pet Goat". After all, it IS what put Bush in the headlights, whereas WAITING (since he had done nothing after the FIRST attack, anyway)to tell Bush would have shielded him---if not his aides---from the criticism he eventually did get.
Except I guess Andrew would be gone by now. Ah, well.

Maybe the informant is someone we've never heard of, an Alexander Butterfield-type.

And so does Pat.

But I can't jeopordize my confirmation hearings.

The Right Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
(the A stands for Awesome.

Shame shame.

She was the conduit for a lot of communications and was right there in the den of wolves.

Interesting discussion, but you guys are all forgetting that the head of the Central Intelligence Agency is appointed by the president, is part of "the administration" and is a "senior administration official."

I'm a professional journalist who knows the language of "unnamed sources," and I'd be willing to bet my life savings (not very much..heh) that it was Tenet. He was dealing with anger from within the CIA over the Plame outing, and so he was sending a signal to his people.

"Senior administration official" doesn't just mean White House.