Wilson-Plame lawsuit ignored by ABC's World News Tonight and CBS Evening News
Neither ABC's World News Tonight nor the CBS Evening News reported in their July 13 broadcasts that former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV and his wife, ex-CIA officer Valerie Plame, had filed a lawsuit against Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and White House senior adviser Karl Rove. By contrast, NBC's Nightly News did report on the lawsuit.
While ignoring a lawsuit against the vice president of the United States and two top White House aides in connection with a matter that has been the subject of great media interest over the past three years, CBS featured a segment on the sale of an original printing of William Shakespeare's works, and both ABC and CBS devoted a segment to Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro's worsening health.
As Media Matters for America noted, Wilson and Plame are accusing Cheney, Rove, and Libby of leaking Plame's identity as a CIA operative and effectively ending her career. Wilson and Plame contend that the Bush administration officials were retaliating against Wilson for criticizing the administration's justifications for invading Iraq.
From the July 13 edition of NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams:
WILLIAMS: News out of Washington this evening, Valerie Plame Wilson, the ex-CIA agent whose cover was blown after her husband criticized the Bush administration claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, is suing Vice President Cheney, his former chief of staff Scooter Libby and presidential adviser Karl Rove. This lawsuit says they all conspired to discredit, punish, and seek revenge against the couple. It claims their constitutional and legal rights were violated. A spokesman for Karl Rove says the allegations are, quote, "absolutely and utterly without merit."
We'll take a break here this evening.
so now the media should report when someone files a lawsuit, how about waiting until the lawsuit is settled and then if it's newsworthy, report it. nbc went with it, the other's did not. so what?
Is as usual right off, as in the mark, that is. It is wilful ignorance pushed to the extreme. In right off's world it is normal and an every day occurence that the vice president is sued in a civil suit.
Pathetic.
Just like the two big networks not reporting it. If only the press was as interested in investigating the Bush administration as they were in the private sexual activities of Clinton and the possible stains on a blue dress.
Those were the days.
The truth is, Plame is only doing this for SOME sort of oversight. In other words, NO ONE in the GOP or the Bush Admin is going to police themselves! For an outright treasonous act? No way. And, save that bs about Plame and Wilson now being 'celebrities', 'selling books', blah, blah, blah... I don't think you work for the CIA b/c you want to be famous. And, she just wasn't some sort of 'clerk' or low-level dope... well, we know the story don't we?
Again, RO... you prove my point about being an apologist for the Bush regime ...every time you post. As far as you're concerned, there has to be a proven verdict ... even to begin a trial!
Your comment made me remember a bumber sticker I saw the other day: "Clinton may have lied, but no body died" Wonder how the news media would report and explain that approach to this administration...and make it sound like Clinton was still the bad guy of politics? Possible Mr. Clinton should have taken the route of being misunderstood...as this administration seems to every time there is a glitch in one of their decisions.
Gee.. lets see... Valerie is writing a book.. yeah.. lets file a lawsuit, maybe we can get on the cover of the Rolling Stone? (Vanity Fair, been there. done that.) Lets generate some more publicity for our book sales.
I have nothing but contempt for the both of them. Wilson was a low level, and dismissed bureacrat, and a nobody when he went to Niger because his wife recommended him. He is nothing but a self promoter. Unfortunately being a liar and blowhard has brought him fame and will bring him fortune.
What a great country!
And, a fool. Thanks for repeating (verbatim) every word you've heard from FOX or every other right wing propaganda 'news' site. Congratulations.
That your ranting talking points have nothing to do with the facts of what happened. Or what is called reality. But then, when has that stopped some ignorant conservative before.
You have nothing but contempt? Read this from Wikipedia on Wilson:-
Wilson was a member of the U.S. Foreign Service from 1976 through 1998. From 1988 to 1991, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. He was hailed as "truly inspiring" and "courageous" by George H. W. Bush after sheltering more than one hundred Americans at the embassy, despite Saddam Hussein's threats to execute anyone who refused to hand over foreigners. As a result, in 1990, he also became the last American diplomat to meet with Saddam Hussein (Wilson, 2003). When Saddam sent a note to Wilson (along with other embassy heads in Iraq) threatening to execute anyone sheltering foreigners in Iraq, Wilson publicly repudiated the dictator by appearing at a press conference wearing a homemade noose around his neck and saying "If the choice is to allow American citizens to be taken hostage or to be executed, I will bring my own ****ing rope." Saddam offered a public apology for the diplomatic note.
Wilson later served as U.S. ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe under President George H. W. Bush and helped direct Africa policy for the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton.
Bush senior seems to think this guy is a bit of a hero. So have you done anything like this? Or has W or Rummy? or Limpbow?
I've asked these guys to give me good reasons why they hold Plame and Wilson 'in contempt'. Even better, I've asked for good reasons why Plame was 'outed' in the first place. Haven't gotten an answer yet. Seems to be a stumper.
20 years. Back away from the koolaid it is having a deliterious effect on your cognitive functioning.
I have nothing but contempt for the both of them. Wilson was a low level, and dismissed bureacrat, and a nobody when he went to Niger because his wife recommended him. He is nothing but a self promoter. Unfortunately being a liar and blowhard has brought him fame and will bring him fortune.
What a great country!
- anotheramerican / Friday July 14, 2006 07:57:47 PM EST
What exactly has Wilson or Plame lied about? It totally amazes me how supporters of this administration will cling to ANY talking point no matter how many times it has been proven false. It seems as if there is a certain percentage of the conservative populus that no amount of proof will change their viewpoint. They are always right and those who they support are also always right.
Read it and weep: [link to www.washingtonpost.com]
FITZGERALD:Before I talk about those charges and what the indictment alleges, I'd like to put the investigation into a little context.
Valerie Wilson was a CIA officer. In July 2003, the fact that Valerie Wilson was a CIA officer was classified. Not only was it classified, but it was not widely known outside the intelligence community.
Valerie Wilson's friends, neighbors, college classmates had no idea she had another life.
FITZGERALD: The fact that she was a CIA officer was not well- known, for her protection or for the benefit of all us. It's important that a CIA officer's identity be protected, that it be protected not just for the officer, but for the nation's security.
Wilson lied about who sent him to Niger. He denied his wife had anything to do with it. Seems there is a memo from her recommending him.
Wilson's famous claim that he warned the Administration of the forged documents when they didn't show up until 8 months later.
He says he warned the Administration when his so called report was inconclusive.
Those are just off the top of my head. There are probably more.
Why do you think when this came to light he was dropped like a bad habit by the Kerry campaign?
I would have thought you would already know all this.
Why do you believe as gospel everything that Fitzgerald said? did you believe the same about Star and his case against Clinton?
Could Fitzgerald have an agenda? When did he say the quote? Why have no indictments been handed down? Could it be there was no law broken and contrary to Fitzgerald claim, that Plame was no longer undercover? Some say her cover was blown byh Aldridge Ames years before.
Why don't you offer up that same sort of optimism to the contrary... that is, how about imagining that these crooks outed a prominent CIA operative for their own political agenda? How about that? NO! Not these darling Republicans. These self-purported purveyors of morality and security. Again, you're a liar. Even at the expense of real national security.
okay Pretty funny Peet.
I give you three instances off the top of my head where Wilson has been caught lying and you call me a liar?
Open up your eyes. Plame was/is not a prominent CIA operative. She worked in Langley. There is evidence that she had been 'outed' years before and even then was not a deep cover agent. It is the fool Wilson who wrote an Op-Ed in the NYT that caused the administration to try and figure out who he was and how he got to Niger. What would you do if you were attacked in the press, being undermined in the war effort by some unemployed hack trying to make a name for himself.
The fact that it even got to an investigation is all political. The Dems forced this to further their canard that Bush lied. I don't believe Bush and Co. are crooks. You are entitled to your opinion.
I suggest you get your name calling straight next time. You look foolish calling people liars without backing it up.
You’all can continue the mental masturbation and coddle these ridiculous tidbits… continue to denegrate an Ambassador and a CIA operative – who were BOTH actively working on matters of national security, nuclear proliferation (god, the freaking irony)… act like the outing of a CIA operative didn’t happen…or was, somehow, inconsequential.
But, I’ll tell you one thing I haven’t heard from any of you cheerleaders… that is, a good reason why? Why’d they do it? How is any of this in our best interests? Let’s hear it.
Who do you think sent Wilson to Niger? He just went on a whim? The Bush Admin denies any knowledge of this and you immediately accept their word. It's not funny. It's unfair.
Your facts, as you call them, sound like the info the Bush people want out there... you've gobbled it up. Good work. That's that ol' 'liberal bias' in the media we keep hearing about...
Well, my info -- interestingly -- seems just as prevalent. And with references... Brewster Jennings, Plame's work as a NOC, etc., Wilson's rationale for being in Niger.
[link to en.wikipedia.org] [link to en.wikipedia.org]
Now, you tell me what information I should or should not believe? Because that's what it boils down to doesn't it?
----"You look foolish calling people liars without backing it up."----
Funny coming from you, since you were the one who called Wilson a "liar"--with nothing to back it up (as show in the responses you've gotten).
The Dems forced this to further their canard that Bush lied.
Please get your facts right. The CIA were the ones who raised the charge. Please do your homework.
Thank you for your contribution.
Wrong, Sir. The forged documents were flaoting around long before Wilson's trip. The truth is that the trip was prompted by Dick Cheney's request to the CIA that they provide him with more information about the alleged Niger/Iraq yellowcake matter which he read about in adaily intelligence brief. Dick Cheney has said so. Technically, Cheney may not have "ordered" the trip but the investigation and trip were ordered as a result of Cheney's request. Or didn't you know that?
Speaking of the forged documents, why were the circumstnaces of the forgeries never fully investigated? Could it be because fingers pointed to Bush's right wing operative, Michael Ledeen? Hmmm....
Thanks for asking. Of course I knew the VP office wanted to find out if there was any evidence of uranium being purchased by Iraq from Africa. It is rather well known.
But Cheney's office didn't tell the CIA to send Wilson as Wilson tried to lead everyone to believe. As I understand it, Cheney's office didn't even know who Wilson was until the NYT op-ed came out. Do you have any evidence they knew of Wilson? The misinformation that Wilson implied is tha he was working with a direct order from Cheney's office. We all know that he did this to make himself look more important. Seems he purposely mislead everyone as to his wife's role in getting him the job. Nepotism doesn't make you sound very important, does it? Do you dispute that his wife recommended him?
I haven't done a lot of investigation into the forged documents, but it is widely known that the documents didn't get to the CIA till months after Wilson's report, contrary to what he claimed (ie. lied). As to why it wasn't investigated, it may be because they already knew they forgeries to start. Did you consider that? Sometimes false documents are distributed to find spies. I'm not saying this was done here, but we don't know. I just wondered if you considered that?
Okay, enough with the silly questions... I just fell into your pattern of 'consider this'. It felt good but please don't feel the need to reply point by point.
Thanks for the discussion.
Really? Hmmm...
Actually that's incorrect. We now know that American intelligence was made aware of the alleged Iraq/Niger yellowcake connection in the summer of 2001. In October of 2001 the CIA was vriefed on the forged documents by French intelligence. The State Department conducted its own investigation at the same time. In February 2002 (well before Wilson's op-ed) Dick Cheney read excerpts from the forged documents in the president's daily brief. He has said that it disturbed him so much that he immediately contacted the CIA and asked them to investigate. As a result of Cheney's request the CIA investigated further, including sending Joe Wilson to Niger. The extent of Valerie Plame's involvement was that she wrote an internal memeop to her superiors saying that her husband knew some of the people who might shed light on the matter... a true statement.
What we now know more fully is that the CIA repeatedly attempted to dissuade Bush from publicly stating that there was an Iraq/Niger yellowcake connection. We also know that Bush retracted his statements about such a connection... because they were false.
For a concise summary see an article in the July 2006 issue of Vanity Fair.
By the way, whom do you suppose would have had a motive to create a false impression, through forged documents, that Iraq was actively involved in securing yellowcake from Niger? Just asking...
It is clear you just dont know what you are talking about Wilson NEVER claimed Cheney sent him nor did he IMPLY any such thing. Wilson described EXACTLY the mechanism that sent him to Niger and Cheneys EXACT involvement. That is Cheney made it known through his office he wanted more information on the issue. Thats what happened and its ALL Wilson said. As long as you keep repeating these propaganda parrot talking points you will continue to show you have no idea what you are talking about.
However your brainwashing was obviously a complete success. Wilson was NOT even wrong much less lied about who sent him, we have been over this a dozen times. What he said about who sent him. That the Vice Presidents office made an inquiry and they sent him is EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
While we didnt have the documents in our POSSESSION they were well known in intelligence circles when he want, it might have been phrased badly but that is far from a lie.
He DID warn them his report stated it was highly improbable that Iraq tried to get uranium from Niger and that is not only true but an understatement. Strike three, you whiffed badly and didnt even come NEAR a lie.
he won't have to back up his claim his court.
So really, he can say anything he wants.
The civil suit could be the more entertaining one, since they will be on the attack against Wilson and Plame. Hope it is on Court TV.
is a million times more newsworthy and beloved that these two clowns out to make a buck.
These two patriotic Americans are about to expose Dick Cheney and Karl Rove for the lying, petty frauds they are, and make them accountable for abusing their power. Remember, they can't claim the same sort of protection against lawsuits that the president does. Let's let ALL the facts hang out. Or do you have a problem with that?
I don't have a problem other than, (IMHO,) it is a frivilous lawsuit.
It'll be another spectacle.
As I said before I have no respect for Wilson or Plame.
You betcha... seeing Cheney and Rove exposed as the vindictive liars they are. Hope your side can take it.
I hope the trial is on Court TV. It should be interesting watching.
If you think Joe Wilson is some kind of patriotic victim then I think you are in for a few surprises.
...baseless cheerleading. You know Joe Wilson? You know how bad a guy he is? Come on. You and ANOTHERAMERICAN continually say "just don't like 'em!" ... like that's supposed to mean anything.
Why? Better yet, give me an answer to the question I posed to AA above... Why'd they 'out' Valerie Plame? And, saying that she was already 'outed' isn't an answer (because it isn't true, number 1....) Why'd they do it? What're the reasons? None of it makes sense or really holds water. But, you guys keep on perpetuating the smear. That's almost as interesting to me as the actual issue itself...
Please read... TROBSON's post on the first page
TROBSON/ Saturday July 15, 2006 08:05:30 PM EST
He/she offers up some very nice examples of 'patriotism' by Mr. Wilson. I'd like you to offer up similar acts from your favorite neocons... in particular, "W" (the cowboy), Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Scooter Libby
Thank you in advance. Let's see who the patriots are.
Valerie Plame is the real victim. She was just doing her job. But Cheney and Rove were so upset with Joe Wilson for revealing that Bush's yellowcake claim was a crock that they went after his wife. Big mistake in my opinion. Unless, of course, you buy into the Rush Limbaugh allegation that elements within the CIA (and the State Department) conspired to sabotage the Bush administration... and that wicked Valerie Plame was part of that conspiracy. Unless the Bush hit men can dig up some (relevant) dirt on her I have to say that Valerie Plame looks pretty clean... and I think she'll make a sympathetic witness before a jury. Just my opinion...
---"Barbaro is a million times more newsworthy and beloved that these two clowns out to make a buck."---
Barbaro is a terrific horse, but his sole purpose was, in fact, to make a buck. And Barbaro-unlike Wilson-wasn't interested in getting to the truth of an outright, very damaging presidential lie in a State of the Union speech-a speech delivered by a true Horse's A$s.
This is from Wilson's piece in the New York Times.
"In February 2002, I was informed by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency that Vice President Dick Cheney's office had questions about a particular intelligence report. While I never saw the report, I was told that it referred to a memorandum of agreement that documented the sale of uranium yellowcake — a form of lightly processed ore — by Niger to Iraq in the late 1990's. The agency officials asked if I would travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president's office."
He didn't claim that Dick Cheney sent him. The Republican lies are unbelievable! Also, Wilson's findings had nothing to do with the forged documents. The forged documents simply proved that his conclusions were correct. The real story here is that the Bush Administration knowingly lied about Iraq seeking Uranium from Niger in order to justify this illegal war. The conservatives have the audacity to attack the man who called Bush on his lie.
Regarding the 3 uber-right-wingers who have graced this blog with their POVs...
I cannot imagine those individuals putting up with a Democrat who violated CIA secrecy in order to score political vengeance. One doesn't need an imagination to predict impeachment procedings against such a Democrat.
But when the guilt is on their party, all sorts of stupid illogic is thrown around to distract from the point that the "rule of law" is critical when lying about sex, but the "rule of law" is not important when a Republican administration tramples over our nation's laws.
Sorry to get back to you so late.. it is probably time to move on.. Not that I expect many of you to accept this; Here is one last example of why I think as I do.
It was Wilson himself, who first "outed" himself as a CIA consultant in a melodramatic New York Times op-ed in July 2003.
(I find that mildly ironic, don't you?)
At the time he claimed to have thoroughly debunked the Iraq-Niger yellowcake uranium connection .
Mr. Wilson also vehemently denied it when columnist Robert Novak first reported that his wife had played a role in selecting him for the Niger mission.
But the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report cited the note that Ms. Plame had sent recommending her husband for the Niger mission.
The same bipartisan report also pointed out that the forged documents Mr. Wilson claimed to have discredited hadn't even entered intelligence channels until eight months after his trip.
In addition it said the CIA interpreted the information he provided in his debrief as mildly supportive of the suspicion that Iraq had been seeking uranium in Niger.
About the same time, another inquiry headed by Britain's Lord Butler delivered its own verdict on the 16 words: "We conclude also that the statement in President Bush's State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that 'The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa' was well-founded."
In short, Joe Wilson hadn't told the truth about what he'd discovered in Africa, how he'd discovered it, what he'd told the CIA about it, or even why he was sent on the mission.
If anyone can remember another public figure so entirely and thoroughly discredited, let me know.
see: [link to www.opinionjournal.com]