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September 30, 2003

Un-fucking-believable

Glenn Reynolds has a rather bizarre comment on the Plame scandal:

THE REAL WILSON SCANDAL: Forget Valerie Plame, the big scandal is why anyone in the Bush Administration would ever have tasked a guy with Wilson's views with an important mission.
Whatever views may be held by Wilson, there's no excuse for what the White House did. Perhaps Wilson wasn't the best choice to send on this mission. For the sake of this discussion, I'll even grant Glenn that point. It still doesn't excuse anyone for blowing his wife's cover.

If there was an issue with Wilson's view or his suitability for having been sent on the mission, that's the argument that should have been made. Have the critics point out what they find objectionable in what he's said. Point out every reason why he was unqualified to go to Niger. Show why his conclusions are wrong. Those are all perfectly fair and justifiable ways of countering his criticism of the Bush White House.

But releasing classified information about his wife, putting her, her missions and her contacts in danger, and committing a felony in the process? No, that is not something that should be forgotten. Regardless of what Bush's supporters may want you to think, that is the real scandal, and to try and dismiss it on the logic that Wilson shouldn't have been sent in the first place is reprehensible. It's also childish. "He shouldn't have gone, so it doesn't matter what we did. Nanner-nanner-boo-boo" Sorry Glenn, it doesn't work that way.

True, we wouldn't have this scandal today if Wilson hadn't been asked to go - but that's only because he wouldn't have been in the public eye and wouldn't have been in the position to say anything that would incur the wrath of the White House. But he was sent, he did speak out, and someone - apparently someone in the White House - decided that the best way to try and discredit him as well as scare others into keeping quiet was to take a very serious shot as his wife, and there's nothing about Wilson or his trip that can justify that kind of reaction.

Posted by thorswitch at September 30, 2003 04:46 PM

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Comments

Thanks for the quote, Rayne - very nice! And on contributions, filchyboy, I was amused to read that Drudge had posted the information that Wilson gave $1,000 to the Kerry campaign, and once he was contacted with evidence that Wilson had previously donated to Bush campaigns, he didn't own up to it and post both bits of info - he just took down the info on the Kerry donation. Pathetic.

Kynn, I know I shouldn't be surprised, but sometimes total depravity does that to me. I read that paragraph and it just sat me back on my heels because it was so totally ridiculous and such a transparent attempt to change the subject without admitting that that's what he was trying to do. Wilson's own personal credibility is irrelevent at this point. The CIA found enough to think it should be investigated, and the FBI has made it a full criminal investigation. That should be enough to demonstrate that, whether they can find out who was behind it or not, "somebody done somebody wrong"...

Posted by: kriselda jarnsaxa at October 1, 2003 03:53 PM