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Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilson Suit

Media Matters has a round-up of the reporting on Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame Wilson's lawsuit against Rumsfeld, Rove, Libby and others as yet unknown. Prime offenders:

  • ABC's World News Tonight and CBS Evening News ignored the lawsuit while devoting airtime to Shakespeare and the Kentucky Derby.
  • On CNN, John King and Darren Kagan repeated false statements by Republicans about Wilson's trip to Niger. echoed Republican falsehoods on Wilson's trip to Niger. [corrected on my part to reflect John King, not the other King.]

Crooks and Liars has the video of the Wilsons' news conference yesterday. It's the first time Valerie Plame Wilson has spoken publicly about the damage done to her by the leak of her identity and employment, and she's very impressive. If you'd like to lend a hand to the Wilsons, contributions to the Joseph and Valerie Wilson Legal Support Trust can be given here or sent to P.O. Box 40918, Washington, D.C. 20016-0918.

Update: Attaturk, writing at Firedoglake, has a primer on Bivens lawsuits.

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    Of ALL the conceivable uses, political or otherwise, one could put money to good use, giving it to Wilson would rank about with ritual burning in the belief it will bring harm to one's enemies. I'll pass.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#2)
    by Repack Rider on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 08:31:06 AM EST
    Wilson and Plame are both charismatic and so much smarter than their adversaries, not to mention being actually RIGHT in this dispute, that the truth of this despicable attack on patriotic Americans will make good press. It's unfortunate that it comes down to being good TV rather than merely an application of justice, but we'll take whatever works. In the charisma contest between Valerie Plame and Dick Cheney... It's close, but I'm giving Valerie the edge.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#3)
    by Liberal Heart on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:03:33 AM EST
    I donated via the Net and it went through, but a friend who tried to do so today told me she got a message that they are not (or are at least unable) to accept donations at this time. Any idea what happened? I am hoping it just means the system is overwhelmed by the number of donations.

    I am just wondering. Is the fact that a prosecutor is not working on a contingency basis at an indication that the prosecutor does not have a lot of faith in the result?

    It's plaintiffs' counsel not prosecutor in a civil case. As for your question sure, lawyers use contingency fees where they believe there is a substantial likelihood of a settlement or judgment (which can be satisfied at least in large part by the defendants) that will be large enough to cover both substantial expenses and costs and provide a fee that is at least in the ballpark of what could be obtained doing other work. A case like this is a little different because of the "free advertising" and "rainmaking" potential it brings with it. I'm guessing that it is understood the Wilsons will be expected to contribute nothing beyond what they can raise from people irrationally detemined to part with THEIR monety and (extremely extremely extremely unlikely) any fees the court might order the defendants to pay.

    Before Media Matters makes a claim about Republicans misrepresenting Plame's role in her husband's trip, they should look more carefully at the Senate report they link to. Specifically pages 39 & 40.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#7)
    by Molly Bloom on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 02:32:43 PM EST
    Not so fast Resipse, reread what said to be the false claim. The was no conclusion found by the committee that Plame sent her husband to Iraq. Moreover read page 443 of the report.

    A lot of misinformation has been published in the MSM and the blogosphere concerning this lawsuit. I would like to try to comment on a few aspects of the lawsuit in a more objective manner. [TL: Thank you for your commentary. It is far too long for a comment here, and TL requests the comments not be used to reprint articles published elsewhere. I encourage readers to visit the commenter's blog (linked in his name) to read his thoughts.]

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#10)
    by Repack Rider on Sat Jul 15, 2006 at 10:01:59 PM EST
    I believe any compensation for the abuse dealt to them will be donated to charity. The Wilsons were not hurting for money before they were attacked by a treasonous administration for speaking an inconvenient truth. They are a wonderful example of the kind of people we need in public service. We could use thousands more like them, but people of this quality are difficult to find. Since they had not committed any crime, the abuse directed at them by those who buy into the Wilson-is-evil bullsh!t (see above example) is a good reason to sue the despicable, treasonous people who put them in that position. Why do you hate patriotic Americans?

    troll comment deleted, this commenter has finally stepped over the line with name-calling and personal insults and is banned.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#11)
    by Slado on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 08:01:54 AM EST
    Repack, I don't hate the Wilsons. They just happen to be wrong about several things. They were not the victim of a conspiracy. Joe Wilson wrote about the president publicly. He was then refuted by the WH and talked about in a newspaper column. Its as simple as that. Robert Novak claims that she was outed long before he wrote the column and if she hadn't been he would have outed her. For anyone to believe any of thier claims Robert Novak must be a liar. Is that was the pro-Wilson camp believes? Novak is lying, the president, Libby, Rove, Cheney and anyone else who doesn't support the Wilsons. Did Fitzgerald totally bungle the investigation. Etc... So many things have to be swallowed in order to believe the Wilsons. They my believe it themselves because they have to now but that doesn't mean we should and just because we don't doesn't mean we hate them. This will all end soon. Fitzmas only comes once a year.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 08:46:57 AM EST
    Slado - Yes, that's what they believe. et al - I'm sure the Repubs want you to give all you can to this wonderful cause. That way you won't be able to give as much to your local candidates running for congress.. I mean they might actually do some good with it. Of course that doesn't feel as good... Molly Bloom - Here is what the CIA's "reports officer" said.
    The CPD reports officer told Committee staff that the former ambassador's wife "offered up his name" and a memorandum to the Deputy Chief of the CPD on February 12, 2002, from the former ambassador's wife says, "my husband has good relations with both the PM [prime minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity."
    Who should we believe? The CIA or our lying eyes?

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#14)
    by Repack Rider on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 09:48:28 AM EST
    They were not the victim of a conspiracy. Joe Wilson wrote about the president publicly. He was then refuted by the WH and talked about in a newspaper column.
    Whe Joe Wilson saw the president tell a lie in the SOTU speech, a lie that he had personally researched and discredited, a lie that the CIA had taken out of several previous speeches because it was untrue, being a patriotic American, he called the president on his lie. Joe Wilson was and is probably the most expert diplomat in the area where he did his research, a former ambassador to the region, friendly with local officials, and fluent in French. He didn't ask for any pay other than his expenses, and he made the trip pro bono. Nowhere did the WH "refute" his statement. If they wanted to do so, they would have produced his report and responded to each aspect, but they HAVEN'T shown us what he told them. Instead, they attacked his credibility by exposing his wife's status as part of the plan to claim that she had somehow sent him to Niger. Then they spread the lie that Wilson claimed that Cheney's office had sent him, although they could have just read his op-ed and known that he hadn't made that claim.
    Its as simple as that. Robert Novak claims that she was outed long before he wrote the column and if she hadn't been he would have outed her.
    Robert Novak is a well known shill and conduit for smears. He has changed his story so many times (Wilson hasn't) that he has no remaining credibility. Next.
    For anyone to believe any of thier claims Robert Novak must be a liar.
    Did you figure that out all by yourself?
    Is that was the pro-Wilson camp believes? Novak is lying, the president, Libby, Rove, Cheney and anyone else who doesn't support the Wilsons.
    The record reflects the fact that these guys only tell the truth by accident. So yeah, the fact that they are well-known liars works against their credibility.
    Did Fitzgerald totally bungle the investigation. Etc...
    We haven't seen the evidence from that investigation, but already it has revealed that many of the WH staff lied. No one has shown Joe Wilson to be a liar, and certainly his testimony would have been scrutinized.
    So many things have to be swallowed in order to believe the Wilsons.
    Fortunately, only about 30% of Americans (and still dropping) believe the president. I guess you are part of that number.
    They my believe it themselves because they have to now but that doesn't mean we should and just because we don't doesn't mean we hate them.
    You talking about the White House? They have cornered themselves with their lies.

    The Structure of Lies Joe Wilson was all about determining the facts. The Administration "refutation" was all about ad hominem attacks. Nothing has changed in the past 3 years. That's still exactly where things stand today. And the BushCo echo chamber here adds not one jot to the story. This has been the typical Bush/Cheney pattern since the "won" the Florida election by attacking Gore as a sore loser, despite massive, multifaceted voter suppression and fraud on their part. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#16)
    by jondee on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 11:23:28 AM EST
    People with a fondness for accusing others of having a preference for metallic headgear seem to be suggesting that there was some sort of co*spir*cy that originated within the C.I.A to (rather redundantly) discredit the Administration and forstall "regime change in the M.E" (for purely "political" purposes of course). Or am I reading it wrong?

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 12:11:14 PM EST
    Dadler - The point, of course, is that is the denial that is significant. If she had said yes, I did it because..... then it would be different. But the denial makes it the first of what I call shading.... It was further shaded when Wilson didn't admit that Mayaki had told him about the Iraqi contact in his NYT article. Reason? Who knows, but it is easy to conclude that he did not because it greatly weakened the tale he was telling. As for the rest of your blatherings, I note that my comments have all had links. You may not like them, but they exist. On the other hand, you have nothing to offer except blind belief in the "cause." As for Bush's lies, I still ask that you provide some examples that do not fall into the category of him re-stating information. And I will not hold my breath. BTW - The "lying eyes" comment refers to you, the reader, believing the CIA or your own "lying eyes." It is a take off from the old joke about a guy being caught in bed with another woman. His defense was: "Who you going to believe? (CIA) Me? Or your lying (Dadler/reader) eyes? It's no fun if you have to explain'em. ;-) BTW - You wrote:
    proves NOTHING other that she believed, rightfully, that he was as qualified as anyone,
    First you assume that she is qualified to determine the qualifications needed to be a successful CIA agent. That you have nothing but a claim is obvious. Secondly, it is astonishing when you think that the CIA sent what was, at best, an amateur instead of an agent. Thirdly, it furthers boggles the mind that he was not required to sign a non-disclosure. Repack - What Bush said in the SOTU was:
    The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa
    This is what the Sentate Intelligence Committee said:
    Mayaki said, however, that in June 1999,( ) businessman, approached him and insisted that Mayaki meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss "expanding commercial relations" between Niger and Iraq. The intelligence report said that Mayaki interpreted "expanding commercial relations" to mean that the delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales.
    Now, we know that Wilson included the above information in his debriefing by the CIA because from the same link we have:
    ( ) The CIA's DO gave the former ambassador's information a grade of "good," which means that it added to the IC's body of understanding on the issue........He said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting.
    So I ask you, as I did Dadler. Why didn't Wilson include this information in his NYT article? He could have still disagreed, etc. BUT, it would have greatly weakened his disagreement. BTW - The British have not disavowed their report. Paul R - If your comment about "facts" is correct, perhaps you too can tell me why Wilson did not put the meeting in his article?

    I hate to use bandwidth again, but let's remember what Fitzpatrick said at his press conference:
    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.
    As for PPJs'inanities:
    High ranking CIA officials told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that they disputed the claim that Plame was involved in the final decision to send Wilson, and indicated that the operations official who made it was not present at the meeting where Wilson was chosen. And Newsday reported the following: A senior intelligence officer confirmed that Plame was a Directorate of Operations undercover officer who worked 'alongside' the operations officers who asked her husband to travel to Niger. "But he said she did not recommend her husband to undertake the Niger assignment. 'They (the officers who did ask Wilson to check the uranium story) were aware of who she was married to, which is not surprising,' he said. 'There are people elsewhere in government who are trying to make her look like she was the one who was cooking this up, for some reason,' he said. 'I can't figure out what it could be.' 'We paid his (Wilson's) airfare. But to go to Niger is not exactly a benefit. Most people you'd have to pay big bucks to go there,' the senior intelligence official said. Wilson said he was reimbursed only for expenses. (July 22 2003)

    Wilson wrote: "Apart from being the conduit of a message from a colleague in her office asking if I would be willing to have a conversation about Niger's uranium industry, Valerie had had nothing to do with the matter."

    Link There are some folks outside the government doing the same thing, and why they are doing so doesn't make any sense, unless they are BAK.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#19)
    by jondee on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 12:27:32 PM EST
    ppj - I'll take that as a yes.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#20)
    by squeaky on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 01:08:43 PM EST
    ppj-Your senate report is utter BS. It is pure propaganda made possible by a republican controlled committee led by the biggest partisan hack of them all, Senator Pat Roberts. The fact that he has stonewalled Phase II of the report says it all:
    Also, it is important to note that while Bush continues to falsely claim that the Senate Intelligence Committee found the administration had not "manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war," the Intel Committee Senators say just the opposite:
    The Committee staff work on two other sections of the investigation is not finished: whether public statements were substantiated by intelligence information and the use of intelligence information provided by the Iraqi National Congress.
    think progress This LA Times editorial sums up Robert's committee rather well:
    That the United States Senate has a body called the Intelligence Committee is an irony George Orwell would have truly appreciated. In a world without Doublespeak, the panel, chaired by GOP Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, would be known by a more appropriate name - the Senate Coverup Committee.


    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#21)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 01:10:40 PM EST
    Dark Avenger - That a civil servant would deny making a questionable decision is hardly unknown. The link is the link, what was said was said. BTW - As you will remember, Wilson had gone to Nigeria before:
    For most analysts, the information in that report lent more credibility, because the ambassador himself came back and said that in 1999, Iraqi government officials visited Niger and sought commercial contacts
    As to who sent who...in addition to my link...
    The ambassador has said that his wife had nothing to do with recommending him. And when we interviewed... our committee interviewed his wife, she then... she was asked specifically if she had... who had recommended the ambassador go. And she said that "I can't remember exactly whether I recommended him or my boss did." And other people... other agents reported that it was on her recommendation that the ambassador was sent.
    Link So we have agents remembering, and her not sure. Can we just admit that she did? I would think any wife would remember that. And then:
    SEN. KIT BOND: Well, the simple fact is, when the president submitted six different reports, his speechwriters submitted them, and then submitted the state of the union address in which the 16 words were included, at that point the Central Intelligence Agency cleared that report. MARGARET WARNER: May I just... SEN. KIT BOND: So all the president has to go on. Now the ambassador is going around on the John Kerry Web site and saying the president misled the nation. I'm told that he has written that the president lied. And that is an egregious political charge. It's not a literacy flair. It's a hoax and a fraud.
    Jondee - No you may not. I am not claiming a conspiracy. What we have here is just people of the same belief going in the same direction. Just like flocks of ducks flying along together.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#22)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 03:49:35 PM EST
    Squeaky - My links to the Senate Report are direct quotes from the report, not a conclusion by Senator Roberts. I trust you are capable of understanding the difference between the two actions. Your comment then, to put it bluntly is horse hockey.

    That a civil servant would deny making a questionable decision is hardly unknown. That you think you have any proof for your general assertion being true in this case is risible, so keep up the good work. The link is the link, what was said was said. As was this:
    The former ambassador's wife told Committee staff that she only attended the meeting to introduce her husband and left after about three minutes.
    Also: CPD concluded that with no other options, sending the former ambassador to Niger was worth a try. Unless you can show that Plame had some influence with the CPD in this matter, you've just been hoisted by your own link on this subject. Now, that you quoting Kit Bond, R-MO in your latest excerpt and taking his word over that of the report of the whole Senate Committee, tell us where your prejudices lie in this matter. It also raises the question why, if Bond is telling the truth, he didn't make sure of the same for the report of the whole committee contained that info, but you no doubt have a logical, reasonable explaination for this seeming contradiction(not). SSDD TTFN.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#24)
    by squeaky on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 05:16:12 PM EST
    PPJ-
    Squeaky - My links to the Senate Report are direct quotes from the report, not a conclusion by Senator Roberts.
    That report has been disputed. It was the product of a republican dominated committee. Pat Roberts might as well have written it himself. The Phase II part has been intractably stalled by Roberts. It was supposed to have been completed over two years ago. The only thing that can be concluded by this partial partisan report is that it is a bunch of propaganda.
    As Media Matters for America has previously noted, although the Senate Intelligence Committee's "Report on the U.S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq" concluded that the administration had not exerted "pressure" on the intelligence community to arrive at certain conclusions -- a conclusion that has been challenged by some senior intelligence officials -- it postponed an investigation into the administration's use of intelligence until after the 2004 presidential election. As Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant reminded viewers later in the NewsHour segment, it was the as yet uncompleted "phase two" of the Senate Intelligence Committee probe that was to determine whether the administration had manipulated or distorted prewar intelligence.
    Media Matters Here are more links debunking the partial report.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#25)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 05:44:01 PM EST
    So, you are claiming that the quotes from CIA officals, which I quoted, didn't happen? Which CIA offical are you calling a liar? Squeaky, when all you can do is claim a conspiray you have no argument.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#26)
    by squeaky on Sun Jul 16, 2006 at 10:02:21 PM EST
    ppj-From the SSCI report:
    Conclusion: The plan to send the former ambassador to Niger was suggested by the former ambassador's wife, a CIA employee.
    and this:
    The former Ambassador, either by design or through ignorance, gave the American people and, for that matter, the world a version of events that was inaccurate, unsubstantiated, and misleading. Surely, the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has unique access to all of the facts, should have been able to agree on a conclusion that would correct the public record. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so.
    The only problem is that only three of the eight SSCI members approved the statements you repeat over and over. Russert caught Novak out. He made the same claim you did about Plame sending Wilson, and Novak backed off changing it to "The Republican Majority" which is also untrue. There is a host of other malarky from Roberts, Bond, and Hatch in the link. You will love it as it is pure propaganda. link via empty wheel

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#27)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Jul 17, 2006 at 12:08:05 AM EST
    Jim, It was George Tenet who authorized the 16 words. The analysts in the CIA had a much different viewpoint. But they were ignored. I'm kind of curious as to why it is such a big deal in the first place that Plame volunteered her husband. What possible motive would she have, other than the fact that he was eminently qualified, and that the CIA (and the Admin for that matter) used all kinds of non CIA personnel to obtain information about Iraq.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#28)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jul 17, 2006 at 06:31:58 AM EST
    Squeaky - What I am copying is direct quotes. I am not arguing the approval/disapproval of the report:
    The CIA's DO gave the former ambassador's information a grade of "good," which means that it added to the IC's body of understanding on the issue, ( )......The reports officer said that a "good" grade was merited.... but did not provide substantial new information. He said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting.
    See that Squeaky. Are you disputing that the Reports Officer said that? And that is critical, because it shows that Wilson knew about the meeting, knew what Mayaki believed... Yet he did not put that in his NYT article. Why not Squeaky? Why didn't he put all of what he discovered in Nigeria in the article? Then we have this:
    The CPD reports officer told Committee staff that the former ambassador's wife "offered up his name" and a memorandum to the Deputy Chief of the CPD on February 12, 2002, from the former ambassador's wife says, "my husband has good relations with both the PM [prime minister] and the former Minister of Mines (not to mention lots of French contacts), both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity."
    Are you telling us that the memorandum didn't exist? Are you telling us that the CPD reports officer is lying? See for your defense to work, everyone is lying. That works in your world of paranoia, but not out here in the real world. And do you make it such a big point to deny what she did?

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#29)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jul 17, 2006 at 06:36:51 AM EST
    Che - The point is that we have a CIA. Wilson may have known everyone in Nigeria, been able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and loved mint tea. Yet the fact is he was not a trained agent. In addition, a trained agent would not have been able to talk about what he found. So tell us. Why wasn't Wilson required to sign a non-disclsoure? BTW - The President doesn't poll agency staff for their opinions.

    Re: Media Reporting on Joe and Valerie Plame Wilso (none / 0) (#30)
    by squeaky on Mon Jul 17, 2006 at 07:56:43 AM EST
    Nice try ppj. The reports officer's report id full of qualifications a veritable 'he said she said'.
    See that Squeaky. Are you disputing that the Reports Officer said that?
    I have no idea whether the officer said that and it is irrelevant.
    Are you telling us that the memorandum didn't exist? Are you telling us that the CPD reports officer is lying?
    No, what I said, and provided a link for, is that only three of the eight members of the SSCI agreed that that was true. And that was a republican controlled committee too.