Another NeoCon Airhead offers his opinion on Rove
- From: "Chuck" <ChuckPAdams2006@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 26 Jul 2005 05:12:08 -0700
Simmons' dismissal of Rove act surprising
Recent revelations that Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove was
deeply involved in the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity
has set off a fierce counterattack by defenders of both Rove and
President Bush.
Their thin claim? Even if it's true Rove told reporters about Plame,
through tedious parsing of the law it cannot be proved that a crime was
committed. The crux of the Bush team's argument is Plame (Mrs. Joseph
Wilson) is not a protected person under the CIA secrecy law, since she
was not a covert agent. She has been mischaracterized as a "desk
officer," or a "9 to 5 administrator."
This volley of talking points, now confirmed to have been circulated by
the Republican National Committee, has backfired. On July 19, the Wall
Street Journal unearthed a 2003 White House memo Rove had access to,
which clearly stated Plame's identity was classified. The very next
day, the Washington Post confirmed the memo was transmitted to the
president with a notation that her identity was protected. The initials
"SNF" were put next to her name, which stands for "Secret no Foreign,"
a clear indication her identity was classified. These events transpired
before the leak of Plame's identity.
On top of that disclosure, 11 former CIA agents (all non-partisan)
issued a scathing statement denouncing the RNC's distortion of the law.
"Thousands of U.S. intelligence officers work at desks in the
Washington, D.C., area every day whose identities are shielded, as
Plame's was when her identity was leaked by Bush administration
officials," the former officers said.
Here in the 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons has sadly
sunk to the depths of the GOP spinmeisters on this issue.
A stunning remark
On July 15, Simmons' stunningly dismissive comment to The Hartford
Courant was the Rove affair is "much ado about nothing." That remark
was stunning. First, he is ex-CIA and should be highly sensitive to the
harm disclosures create; second, because in 2003 when the leak
occurred, an outraged Simmons denounced this behavior in the Courant as
"a matter of life and death."
Why Simmons' stark reversal?
In his follow-up comments to in the July 18 Courant and the July 19
Journal Inquirer, Simmons parroted the Republican National Committee
talking points to a T: "Mrs. Wilson had a desk job. ... it appears the
government was not taking affirmative measures to protect her
identity."
Apparently, Simmons was content with the partisan talking points his 11
former CIA colleagues condemned. Of course, those 11 are not partisan
politicians. Now that the Wall Street Journal has confirmed Plame's
identity was indeed classified, it is clear Simmons' nonchalance about
Rove's actions was premature to say the least.
People in the 2nd District can draw their own conclusions about the
consistency and integrity of these comments. One suggestion I would
make is for all elected officials to put down the spin and recognize:
This investigation is not a partisan game of "gotcha," started by the
enemies of the administration, but rather a criminal referral by the
CIA that is being acted on by the FBI and career Justice Department
prosecutors.
As a former agent, Simmons should know better. And his partisan
sympathies with Rove should come second to upholding the law.
Democrat Courtney, of Vernon, is a former state representative and is
running for Congress in the 2nd District.
Originally published July 26, 2005
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