Where is young Ptolemais anyway? He issued his challenge like a clarion call to battle, yet now… silence.
I sure hope he’s not one of those execrable Yellow Elephants we keep hearing about; all wind and bluster, signifying nothing. Still, as the hours grow longer, I begin to wonder.
Please come back Ptolemais. Defend Mr. Rove. Defend your president. Defend yourself. Stand up for what you believe.
Or are you, so soon, merely a dog who’s been beat too much? 
My personal favorite excuse, “Well, we didn’t say her name. We just said ‘Wilson’s wife.’”
Dumbest rationalization EVER.
Leaving the territory of reasonable analysis and venturing into the lush wilderness of the WAG…
I don’t think its Bolton. Clearly, this presents some sort of threat quite beyond the importance of either Mr. Rove or Mr. Bolton.
I think it has something to do with the Great Senatorial Backstab. They agreed, on a bi-partisan basis, to investigate only the intelligence gathering, strictly avoiding any expeditions into the analysis and applications of that intelligence. Which expedition, you will recall, was to be the basis of Phase Two. But a deal was struck in our conclave of cocksuckers, and now there will be no phase two. The Bushiviks are free to mourn the dreadful state of misinformation, innocent lambs that they are.
Did GeeDub read Wilson’s report? Was it even forwarded? How about Richard “Big Dick” Cheney? Surely he read it, or was at least advised of its contents? Did they send a follow-up investigator? Who? What was his report? And if not, why not? With so many experts expressing doubt and disagreement, how is it that they never doubted their certainty? Why would anyone trust “Cueball”? Why would anyone trust Chalabi?
That’s why. They are desperate not to remind you that the nuclear threat from Saddam was how they got the ball rolling, despite expert testimony to the opposite. They had no doubt when doubt was precisely what was called for. They are either fools or scoundrels.
So, the question: who read Wilson’s report, and why. And who did not read it who should have, and why? They want us to believe that it was perectly reasonable to ignore Wilson’s report because he was so lame, biased, and partisan. Well, all right then, did they send someone else? Or did they simply rely on Feith based intelligence?
I’m pretty sure I know the answer to that question.
Nobody dares speak the Name. Must be Voldemort 
Nitpick: Dumbest rationalization SO FAR.
It’s pretty dumb, but to me it’s a close second here. The dumbest by far is "She was already out, because Wilson had her name on his web site!
It was not classified information that a woman named Valerie Plame existed; it was classified that she worked for the CIA.
Is someone assembling a list? 'cause it’d be a pretty funny thing to read after the fact, I think.
Supposedly, there’s a disagreement on the part of the CIA over Mrs. Wilson’s role in sending/recommending Mr. Wilson for the trip. (ie They say she didn’t)
I’ve not been able to find the document yet, though I have seen two references to it, and heard one reference to it.
Has anyone seen it?
Here’re the print references to it
http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2005/07/14/plame/print.html
The three-page addendum by the ranking Republicans followed the now well-worn attack lines: “The plan to send the former ambassador to Niger was suggested by the former ambassador’s wife, a CIA employee.”
The CIA subsequently issued a statement, as reported by New York Newsday and CNN, that the Republican senators’ conclusion about Plame’s role was wholly inaccurate.
and
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/16/AR2005071601364_pf.html
CIA officials maintain that Plame never ordered up the trip.
I’d like to see the actual CIA response, or failing that, the news articles discussing the CIA’s response. If anyone has seen either of these and knows where to direct me, I’d be much obliged.
No, it wouldn’t. Reading such a thing and attempting to reconcile it with logic could possibly burn out brain circuits, dude. Don’t you watch television? Compiling that much irrationality and falsity in one post is dangerous to those who are allergic to *bad lies. Remember what happened to that android in Star Trek? That could happen to us! I mean, come on now.
But in all seriousness, there’s a disquieting desperation that seems to have taken over the administration and its legion of spin regurgitators. Their attempts to undermine Wilson–when legally, ethically, and professionally this has nothing to do with him–are a blatant display of this desperation. Wilson could be Bobo the Fool for all I care; why does that justify Rove’s actions with respect to classified information? No one who is convinced of Rove’s benevolence has explained that.
I mean, like, if Wilson’s report was so inaccurate and stuff…WHY NOT SIMPLY SAY THAT AT THE TIME HIS REPORT WAS PUBLISHED!! Why waste precious energy on discrediting someone if you are on the side of truth? Unless you aren’t on the side of truth…and you can’t discredit the information. Then its all too clear why you’d rather discredit the person rather than the info that they are reporting. Hmmmmmm.
And maybe I’m dumb or something but the whole “his wife is a CIA agent working on WMDs” angle severely underconvinces me that Wilson lacked credibility. It sounds as much as a non sequitur as “You don’t know anything about being rich, 'cause your daddy is Bill Gates”. Okay? Are you trying to make my head explode? 'Cause its gonna if you keep that shit up.
Toddler? You’ve got a mind like a steel toddler?
Or a Jack Russell. Same diff.
Who else is getting a feeling today of “Well, this Rove shit isn’t working out as planned, so we better do something big. . .I know! Let’s nominate a Supreme Court Justice!”
I’ll bet there’s an uber-conservative nominated to draw more energy towards protesting that instead of going after Rove.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, President Stay-The-Course is backpedalling on what it will take to get rid of any treasonous wretches who dare to reveal a covert CIA operative’s identity:
So, I suppose if Rove (or Libby, or whoever else in his administration) is indicted, then the criterion will be conviction. If convicted, then no rush to judgment until all appeals are exhausted. That should do the trick until Jeb runs.