V. Plame: What was the administration thinking?

In My Humble Opinion
1

The one thing I don’t understand about the whole Valerie Plame thing is this:

How was leaking the fact that his wife was a CIA operative supposed to hurt Joe Wilson’s credibility? In a related question, is there ANY evidence or indication that it did so?

I can see it as an act of retribution…destroying her career a punishment for disloyalty to the administration. To me, though, the fact that his wife was a CIA agent working on anti-proliferation, just strengthens the case that he damn well knew what he was talking about.

Ethics aside, wasn’t this just a really, really stupid thing to have done?

2

I think they were trying to establish that the trip to Niger was a junket, his wife sent him, and it was not something either official or to be believed.

It’s not clear who would want to go to Niger for fun.

3

Yes, this is it, in a nutshell.

It’s a sort of ad hominem: “Look, nepotism! How scandalous! Why would you believe him, anyway? The only reason he was there is because he’s sleeping with a CIA operative; he isn’t properly qualified to make these kinds of judgements.”

4

There’s also a hint of “look who’s wearing the pants”, which seems to be a common tack against male political enemies.

5

Thinking??? Whatever makes you think they were–or even capable of it?

6

It might well have been a warning to anyone else who dared to publicize facts inconveniently contrary to the Official View.

7

BTW, there was an excellent article in the NY Times Magazine yesterday on this. It’s supposedly about how information flows in Washington, but it used the Libby case as an example, and was the clearest exposition of what was going on I’ve seen.

Sorry, no link - I get my fingers full of newsprint.

8

:dubious: Niger, please!

:wink:

9

Successful (in terms of ultimate practical results) election campaigns in 2000, 2002, and 2004.

Nobody ever called Karl Rove stupid.

10

The difference is that people have finally stopped drinking teh stoopid.