Emphasis Added

Monday, September 29, 2003

Frog-Walk Battle Lines Being Drawn

The Administration's defense against the Plame affair is beginning to take shape. Right now, these look like the key points:

"This is an investigation in progress. Let the Department of Justice do its work." Fight like hell to make sure there is no special prosecutor or Congressional investigation. Make the issue about the Administration's capability to police itself, rather than about the substantive charges.
Suggest that Plame's identity as a CIA operative was not really a secret, or that revealing it wasn't really a crime. We'll see where this goes.
Paint this as a partisan attack. Respond to the charges as if they came from Ted Kennedy or Howard Dean, and that this is just more "Bush-hating." Hope it just blends in with the noise and people tune it out.
Suggest that Wilson is some kind of "embittered" fanatic with an anti-Bush agenda. Tarnish his efforts as a fact-finder and whistle-blower.

The Democrats need to be careful not to get drawn into the Bush game plan, remembering that our friends in the "liberal" press will pick up all of these spins as if they were objective fact, not political flack. At this point, the main idea should be to keep the story alive, but don't get ahead of the facts. Let them stew in their own juice for a while if that's what they want. This can't get any better for Bush the longer it goes on.

The whole DOJ dodge seems especially ill-conceived from that perspective. It may take a week for Ashcroft to use up his credibility in this area, or it may take a month, but it will happen, and then there will be new questions of a cover-up on top of the original charges. The culprits can run, but they can't hide. Their identities are known to too many people, and Washington being what it is, they will be revealed sooner or later. Members of the press got cold-called by these clowns - they know who they are, and will spot the phonies through a snowstorm of bluster and spin. It's simply cut-and-dried. I don't know why Bush thinks this will get any better if it happens in November or December instead of taking the hit right away. This is where the D's get lucky in their enemies - Bush's own fear of being caught with his pants down seems likely to impede immediate, clensing disclosure. Or, maybe he has something to worry about himself.

Novak is holding forth on Crossfire right now. Should be interesting.

In the meantime, keep your eye on the ball and don't believe the hype.

1:31:37 PM

Emphasize This! []

The Plame Game: When Denials are Not Denials and Backtracking Isn't Backtracking

Two recent developments in Project Frog-March (or is it "Frog Walk" now?). First, White House minister of propaganda Scott McClellan spun so hard on this subject that he managed to accelerate the rotation of the earth at this morning's press briefing. You can read the full version at TPM, thanks to the intrepid Josh Marshall. The short version is:

The White House is aware of the situation
The only action being taken is the Justice Department inquiry.
The President is not going to ask anyone about this.
The charge that Karl Rove was involved is "ridiculous" and McClellan knows Rove wasn't involved because they've had extensive conversations, although he never asked him about it directly.
The President sees no need for a special counsel (too bad - Warren Christopher or Sam Nunn was waiting by the phone)

In the avalanche of verbosity that tumbled from McClellan's lips on this subject, however, notably absent was a categorical denial of White House involvement. News outlets are characterizing McClellan's statements as emphatic, which they were, and a denial, which they were not, really, if you read it right.

Also new this morning is that Joseph Wilson, the US ambassador and husband of outed agent Plame, said the following on Good Morning America.

In one speech I gave out in Seattle not too long ago, I mentioned the name Karl Rove. I think I was probably carried away by the spirit of the moment. I don't have any knowledge that Karl Rove himself was either the leaker or the authorizer of the leak. But I have great confidence that, at a minimum, he condoned it and certainly did nothing to shut it down.

Some people may be disappointed that Wilson backed off, but personally, I'm glad he said this. There's nothing in the facts of the case that would give anyone reason to believe that Wilson knew who blew Plame's cover, and rather than stick with an educated guess that may prove untrue, Wilson is clearing the air.

The only ones who really know who disclosed the confidential information are the reporters who were briefed, the criminals who conducted the briefing, and anyone they may have consulted and conspired with. Wilson's accusation of Rove is helpful in focussing attention, for sure. If Rove didn't have his hand in this, he's probably personally ready to fire whoever did for not letting him know. But Wilson's speculation doesn't contribute anything tangible to the search for the truth, which must now be conducted in a way that leaves no room for doubt, spin or charges of partisanship.

11:20:10 AM

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Quote of the Day

Courtesy of MediaWhores Online:

"I'm a doctor. I believe if you have a theory and a fact comes along that disproves the theory, you throw out the theory. Republicans believe if a fact comes along that disproves your theory, you throw out the fact."

- Howard Dean, responding to "flip flopping" charge (9/28)

And, Dean could add, find out who came up with the fact and ruin the career of them and their family.

7:49:57 AM

Emphasize This! []