Christopher Hitchens takes on the McCarthy leak, and taunts those whose outrage over the Plame affair was as cynical and manufactured as, well…whatever their previous cynical and manufactured outrage was. Honestly, there have been so many that it’s impossible to keep them straight without a flow chart.
But I digress. Here’s Hitchens:
[…] instead of being rewarded for her probity, Mary McCarthy has been given the sack. And the New York Times rushes to her aid, with a three-hankie story on April 23, moistly titled “Colleagues Say Fired CIA Analyst Played by the Rules.” This is only strictly true if she confined her disagreement to official channels, as she did when she wrote to Clinton in 1998. Sadly enough, the same article concedes that McCarthy may have lied and then eventually told the truth about having unauthorized contact with members of the press.
Well! In that case the remedy is clear. A special counsel must be appointed forthwith, to discover whether the CIA has been manipulating the media. All civil servants and all reporters with knowledge must be urged to comply, and to produce their notes or see the inside of a jail. No effort must be spared to discover the leaker. This is, after all, the line sternly proposed by the New York Times and many other media outlets in the matter of the blessed Joseph Wilson and his martyred CIA spouse, Valerie Plame.
I have a sense that this is not the media line that will be taken in the case of McCarthy, any more than it was the line taken when James Risen and others disclosed the domestic wiretapping being conducted by the NSA. Risen’s story is also the object of an investigation into unlawful disclosure. One can argue that national security is damaged by unauthorized leaks, or one can argue that democracy is enhanced by them. But one cannot argue, in the case of a man who says that his CIA wife did not send him to Niger, that the proof that his wife did send him to Niger must remain a state secret. If one concerned official can brief the press off the record, then so can another.
It has long been pretty obvious to me that the official-secrecy faction within the state machinery has received a gigantic fillip from the press witch hunt against Lewis Libby and Karl Rove. What bureaucrat could believe the luck of an editorial campaign to uncover and punish leaking? A campaign that furthermore invokes the most reactionary law against disclosure this century: the Intelligence Identities Protection Act? It was obvious from the first that the press, in taking Wilson and Plame at their own estimation, was fashioning a rod for its own back. I await the squeals that will follow when this rod is applied, which it will be again and again.
Hitchens is right in noting that the media, in one of their fits of zeal to damage the President and find a scandal that will stick, has made the bed it will soon be subpoened to lie in.
And like him, I am enjoying watching the media’s initial contortions as they try to wriggle and spin away what is an obvious partisan double-standard—one that they cannot possibly hope the American people are too stupid to recognize (though so far, that appears to be where they are pinning their hopes). Of course, what they can count on is that many Americans will recognize the double-standard and simply ignore it, justifying it away as serving the greater good.
Those Americans will be wrong, of course—and in the process, will show themselves to be intellectually dishonest and morally craven—but that’s almost to be expected nowadays, such is the poisoned partisan atmosphere in this country.
As for the argument that democracy is enhanced by unauthorized leaks, I have noted that, given the whistleblowing protections available to them, those who engage in unauthorized leaking have no claim to martyrdom; and those who publish the leaks have ceded the moral highground when they don’t first make absolutely certain that the behavior being revealed is both clearly illegal and will not jeopardize national security in such a way that a good many citizens are put into material danger.
When you guys read the Hitchens piece, make sure to click on the link to his 1999 takedown of Boy Clinton.
The estimable (jk) Mona has already taken precisely that hypocritical stance which she declined to justify because after all its so difficult to explain things to non-lawyers!
Reagan leaked!!! Follow CraigC’s advice everyone…its delicious at the other end of the rainbow.
Hmmm.
I think we’ll find out that McCarthy didn’t actually leak to Dana Priest at all. That in fact McCarthy used the same pipeline that Valerie Plame did, i.e. her husband Joe Wilson.
The issue is the polygraph tests that all CIA employees have to deal with. If you’re leaking to reporters then you’re likely to get caught in short order. But if you’re talking to other CIA officers, then you’re in the clear. Now if that other CIA officer, Valerie Plame, now accidently leaks to her husban, Joe Wilson, then Valerie Plame is still in the clear because Joe Wilson isn’t a reporter or journalist and Joe Wilson, as a former ambassador and CIA temp employee, has had , or may still have, security clearances.
Joe Wilson on the other hand is not a current employee of the CIA and is probably not on the list of people that would be required to undergo polygraph tests. As a member of the CIA’s IG, McCarthy would definitely know this.
What didn’t happen (IMHO):
McCarthy -> Reporters
What did happen (IMHO):
McCarthy -> Valerie Plame -> Joe Wilson -> Reporters
sw: I am the second coming of Mr. Ed.
Tell Mona that I have been a member in good standing of the Illinois Bar since 1994. I have tried cases in the State Courts of Pennsylvania and Ohio under adnission pro hoc vice too. She can explain it to me, and I will translate.
And when really pressed, I can spell “admission” correctly too!
It’s always good to adnit your misteaks, Major.
Has Secret Agent Plame had a polygraph?
Attorney note to publicist:
Meet Mary the martyr. A Vanity Fair glam layout worked for Wilson/ Plame, but won’t do for McCarthy. Arrange for Time and O Magazine sympathy pieces about a working woman and government employee who places her “principles” above career and paycheck and is consequently hounded by a corrupt administration. Style her photographs so that she looks dowdy but pleasant with her only jewelry a simple cross necklace. Put little children playing in the background.
Her secret super powers would block the polygraph readout.
Holy Mole is making an early bid to win/close the thread already. Good stuff.
What I can’t figure is why McCarthy didn’t punch the polygraph guy in the chest and then hold a press conference with Danny Glover and Harry Banana Belafonte.
C’mon Mary!! That’s the 44 iso in the playbook. It’s a 1st down play.
Thanks, Major John. You’re an officer and a gentleman, an attorney AND funny. How do you manage THAT?
T/W serious, as in seriously.
Willlllllbuuuuurrr!
McGehee  One of the little know duties of good CSM’s is to proofread their 0-4’s…
Another Hallmark of the True Progressive: The ability to be utterly gobsmacked when the inevitable consequences of their posturing bite them in the ass…
Actually I think you’ll find that McCarthy didn’t leak at all, and I think the CIA doesn’t have a clue (as usual)who did either. Why fire someone ten days from retirement (yet not take away her pension), except to send the usual, “we are getting tough on leakers–but not really,” talk.
Who’s going to get tough with these leakers:
Pat Roberts
Condoleezza Rice
Sorry Fred, you’re going to have to do better than Kos. That’s joints’ credibility is right down there with Mary Mapes.
And Wapo pointing fingers? How ironic.
Yet everyone here jumping to conclusions about McCarthy holds water. Sorry for ya…
Ferchrissakes, Fred. If you’re going to post a link, read the damned thing, would ya?
Actually I listened to it on the way home from work, you got to do more than scratch the surface,
If you listened it also says the CIA hasn’t named that person.
BTW: What in the National Journals artical do you refute, Block?
Michelle Malkin says she gave a radio interview at 10:00PM EST.
Holy Mole,
Easy, you just retreat from the “lawyer” part, and come in from the cold…
Come on, Fred. Please. If you’re not going to be serious, at least be funny.
And keep them getting shot by Afghan militiamen, treading on mines, etc., etc. Not that any particular CSMs have done this for me…well, maybe one has.
Continue ducking, is ok…
Ducking what, Fred? I see the laughing smiley, but not the joke. Would you mind spelling it out?
You do know Murray Waas’ not disinterested involvement in the Plame story, don’t you, Fred.
And I’m not sure what your point is here: McCarthy failed multiple polygraphs. She is now claiming she did not leak the story concerning secret prisons. But from what I understand, she admitted having frequent contact with the press outside acceptable channels.
But she has a lawyer now. So what do you expect her to do but claim innocence?
I’ve told my readers to remain cautious, but to stay on the story. That advice stands.
Your trying to draw equivalence with Condi Rice, etc., is a transparent attempt to change the subject, not to mention tu quoque.
Which, by the way, BILL CLINTON DID IT TOO!
Goldstein:
[…] I am enjoying watching the media’s initial contortions as they try to wriggle and spin away what is an obvious partisan double-standardâ€â€one that they cannot possibly hope the American people are too stupid to recognize (though so far, that appears to be where they are pinning their hopes). Of course, what they can count on is that many Americans will recognize the double-standard and simply ignore it, justifying it away as serving the greater good.
The saturation point has been reached, Jeff. There is now such an overwhelming amount of information, disinformation, actual malfeasance, perceived malfeasance, deafening silences, incompetent management, and intellectual dishonesty that no one can say for certain where we are in this war against the enemies of Civilization.
The punchline, of course, is that I could just as easily be speaking of the Bush Administration as I am of Big Media and its Dhimmicratic pimps.
I am having too hard a time giving a good goddamn anymore.
If it were this Administration’s desire to effectively explain its policies and justify its actions in Iraq and elsewhere in the War against Islamofascism, it could. These are, I still want to believe, intelligent men who generally understand what threats we face. But I now see them as terminally arrogant assholes who will not deign to make their case to the American People in any concerted or systematic way.
They have gotten over on us and will not even do us the courtesy of telling us why we should abide it any longer.
I am demoralized.
Toby, you look to be trying to change the subject as well. Are You?
– McGehee…. I was just callin to ask about your grass….I mean its almost up to your roof…..
– Oh well Fred, you know, the old tractor mower gave out last month…..So you know….. it kind of grows….
– Well we just wanted to be sure you’re alright………………..
……The grass being so tall around your house and all….
……………………………
– H’yep….Really special havin’ friends like you Fred….
Man, I have GOT to see that NCOER…
I’m with Toby on this one. They wimped out on RatherGate and didn’t follow it to the rats under the DNC rock. If Bush wimps out on this one I’m not going to worry about it anymore.
Bravo, Jeff! BTW, duck!
BBH Rathergate was a fraud, not a government leak. I understand you want the administration to be more aggressive with leaks, but as far as RG and MM goes aren’t we mixing apples and oranges?
I am not a farrier either, but I know horse shit when I step in it.
I understand pretty much completely what they are trying to do, perhaps the breakdown of communication is on the recieving end.
Nonetheless, it won’t stop the dhimmicrats (thanks Toby, I really like that) and their allies in the MSM from further lying and manipulation of the facts for political advantage for one minute.
The partisan atmosphere in Washington seems so poisoned at this point that we have one party actively sabotaging this nation’s war effort. The NSA leaks and any other operational leaks are nothing less than that. It is time that this administration and the government in general take very serious action against the leakers, regardless of if they’re in the CIA or the senate. They also need to take serious action against those in the press who would publish such information in a time of war.
I’m waiting to see what happens, but I’m getting a sinking feeling that this will simply degenerate into what passes for business as usual in our nation’s capitol thase days. I hope I’m wrong.
corvan – I wasn’t comparing the details of the two situations, I was stating that the admin had the details that we bloggers had given them in RatherGate that could have taken them all the way back to the DNC if they wanted two go there, and they decided not to pursue it, the general feeling is you don’t want to completely trash a National election, and the damage seemed to be minimal, for all the efforts of the press to make it major. Fine. But if they use some excuse to blow this off, as eggregious as it probably is, then I don’t give flying fuck anymore. You’ll just have to assume the Bush admin is not serious about law breaking or fighting back when its being trashed.
Tim:
[…] the dhimmicrats (thanks Toby, I really like that) […]
Sure. I get a royalty check for that one every week.
I’m afraid, though, that the law of averages says that the Dhimmicrats’ long-term strategy of vilifying the GOP and this President every five seconds and of not having any fucking ideas of their own will have to eventually pay off.
B Moe:
I understand pretty much completely what they are trying to do, perhaps the breakdown of communication is on the recieving end.
Right. Because only an asshole from MoveOn.org would ever think that this Administration has fucked up about a hundred major things in the past 18 months.
Go blow it out your company man’s ass.
I didn’t say they hadn’t fucked up, I said I understood what they were trying to do. You really do have trouble with reading comprehension, huh? And the company man shit is pretty tired. I didn’t vote for W and disagree with him pretty much down the line domestically, but regarding the WoT, which is the point of this thread, I think the objectives have been fairly clear cut to anyone willing to cut through the fog of the opposition.
It’s been a week since I posited, publicly, on a “blog,” that John Kerry was going to divorce Theresa Heinz (-Kerry) and announce his engagement to George Soros. And he hasn’t denied it. So, it must be true, right?
Actually, my riding mower did get messed up, but it was yesterday.
Dang holly stump hid under leaves and as I was riding over—er, I mean, past—it jumped out and bent one of the cutting blades.
Doubt it’ll take a month to get it fixed, unless the credit card bill comes on time again. Dang credit card bills.
Answer to the whodunwhat conundrum:
McCarthy is fired for contacts and sharing information and so forth and gets the ink.
Some other clown leaked the secret prisons story, got fired, but nobody noticed.
I’d say their problem is they don’t have much policy. Instead they have electioneering.
– Yeh that really nails it telephone pole. Apparently the legacy press has spent the last 6 years , countless gallons of printers ink, and a forest of trees in paper, bad mouthing all the things they think is wrong with a set of policies that don’t exist.
– I’ll have the pool secretary type that up and run 200,000 copies for National press circulation. We just can’t let gems like that slip through the cracks.
That would explain the poll numbers.
I understand pretty much completely what they are trying to do, perhaps the breakdown of communication is on the recieving end.
Oh, I understand what they’re trying to do to: its electioneering, not policy work. Look at the social security stuff, the medicare stuff. Did we get much policy out of that? not really.
Yup. Definitely the receiving end.