Plame Out

The New York Times on page A12 of the (August 30 edition) reported that a lawyer, somehow involved in the CIA leak case, admitted that Richard L. Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State was the source of the leak. (Other news sources reported the same several days earlier based upon a book that disclosed this fact. However, it’s never official, until The Times weighs in.)

It was widely assumed that the White House (take your pick as to who in particular) was responsible for identifying Valerie Wilson (nee Plame) as a covert employee of the Central Intelligence Agency. That fact, classified under the Intelligence Identity Protection Act, was revealed to the columnist, Robert Novak, which made its way into one of his columns. As one can understand, once your cover has been “blown” – your utility is somewhat limited. (Ms. Plame, however, was never in any mortal danger.)

The White House was suspected because it was assumed that the Bush Administration was punishing Mrs. Wilson’s husband – Joseph Wilson – for an op-ed that he authored in the New York Times. The op-ed countered an argument made by President Bush that Iraq (under the Saddam Hussein) regime was attempting to acquire materiel for the development of a nuclear device from an African country. It was later revealed that Ms. Plame had a role in the selection of her husband. (As to the utility or lack thereof of Ambassador Wilson’s trip see here.)

As per law, the leak had to be investigated. (Robert Novak – who made Ms. Plame’s secret employment a matter of international knowledge – has been treated with kid gloves. Which begs the question – why?)

Patrick J. Fitzgerald was appointed as a special prosecutor to the case. Oddly, it was known by investigators that Mr. Armitage was the leaker before they began. Nonetheless, time was spent, money was wasted, cable news was consumed and the Administration was stymied all due to this investigation. In the end, Vice President Richard Cheney’s chief of staff, Lewis (Scooter) Libby was indicted on a procedural technicality. (As a result, the Mr. Libby resigned, depriving the Vice President of the counsel of a trusted aide.) Rumors were rife that President Bush’s political advisor, Karl Rove, would also be indicted. Much to the dismay of the President’s critics, this shoe never dropped.

Mr. Armitage was one of the protagonists in James Mann’s Rise of the Vulcans, a portrait of the key players in the Bush foreign policy team. To me, he never seemed a proper fit with the likes of Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice. Armitage, was part of the group because he was a cohort of Colin Powell – who really never fitted in with the Administration’s mindset. (General Powell, although well-qualified for the post, was primarily selected for his star-power and certainly he was more well-known that Vice President Gore’s likely choice, Strobe Talbott.) Armitage, was more of the dutiful foot-soldier than a grand strategist.

So what now?

For Mr. Armitage, it’s time to come clean with a big-time mea culpa. He’s pretty much a spent force for any future government position (who trusts a blabbermouth?) whether it’s run by a Democrat or Republican. Further, it’s one thing to be gossip; it’s another not to be man enough to admit your fault publickly. He’d be better off going on the Sunday morning shows (especially during the Labor Day weekend) and ‘fess up. Otherwise, he’ll be haunted by his incident until he’s buried.

For Mr. Fitzgerald, it’s time to pack up the tent and head back to Illinois. Unless he draws his jurors from the Democratic National Committee, he’s going to have a hard time convincing 12 people that Mr. Libby was guilty of anything. (After all, wasn’t this a leak investigation?)

For Mr. Lewis, it’s time to play offense. Request depositions from everyone on the 7th Floor at State who worked with Mr. Armitage – share the discomfort. Further, have your legal team hit the cable TV news programs often to discuss how the case lacks merit. There’s no law that says your attorneys cannot try the case in public. Lastly, you may want to set your legal cross-hairs on Mr. Armitage – there has to be a price to be paid for being a cowardly gossip.

For Mr. and Mrs. Wilson – I hope you enjoyed your fifteen minutes. You certainly overstayed your invitation.