“Kevin Drum links to a Washington Post story that suggests the investigation is gathering momentum”

Oh gosh, when will some people read Ludwig Von Mises’ scathing writings concerning bureaucracies? This investigation is merely a political witch hunt and the assigned government officials must simply carry our their duties to the bitter end. Common sense often has little to do with these sort of decisions. No laws were broken and therefore nobody can be charged with a crime. At most, the White House person who blurted out what was already widely known by Washington insiders will be forced to resign.

Oh by the way, which magazine published a picture of Joe Wilson and his wife? Isn’t that solid proof of the lack of concern these silly folks have for national security? I still adamantly believe that this non story would have never seen the light of day if Bill Clinton was still in the White House. The liberal dominated media should be ashamed of itself.

No laws were broken and therefore nobody can be charged with a crime.

Um, no. It is illegal to expose an undercover agent, even if (and I haven't seen any evidence to support this) it was "already widely known by Washington insiders".

But yeah, this would undoubtedly have gotten as little coverage as the Vince Foster (who?) affair if Clinton were in the White House.

“Um, no. It is illegal to expose an undercover agent, even if (and I haven't seen any evidence to support this) it was "already widely known by Washington insiders". “

I don’t have the patience to humor you. Why don't you google the statutes pertaining to the outing of a CIA foreign agent? Better yet, Daniel Drezner also posted these statutes on this very blog. If you do this, you will quickly find that no applicable laws were broken. However, I have no intention of doing your homework for you.

I’m convinced that if Bill Clinton were still in the White House that this is how the story would have been handled (my imagination is going great guns this afternoon!):

reporter: “Bob Novak mentioned that Valerie Plame is a CIA secret agent. Dosen’t that violate the “outing” law?”

editor: “Don’t be ridiculous. Everybody in this town knows that Mrs. Wilson hasn’t been a field agent for at least five years. The Washington insiders have been well aware of her past activities for years. What do you have against the Clinton administration to make a big deal out of this silliness? But if it really floats your boat---we will publish a story somehwere on page 32A. Now get the %$#@ out of here and get a real story!”

It gets even better. A short time after the magazine published the picture of Joseph wilson and his wife:

reporter: “I feel like a total fool. Did you see that picture of the Wilsons driving around in that automobile? Joe Wilson even bragged that ‘it makes me look really cool in a convertible - like I'm the spy with the mysterious woman, that is.’”

editor: “Sucker. Next time, you should be more careful of falling for someone merely trying to damage an existing President. Wilson had an agenda and you should have been more wary.”

It is illegal to expose an undercover agent

Well, there goes Playboy's "Women of the CIA" issue. . .

How can anyone know if anyone laws were broken in the absence of a complete investigation? It seems that the point of an investigation is to demonstrate guilt or innocence of the parties involved.

I will admit that from the start this whole story has been one of the more disturbing tales to come out of the Bush White House for me. I think that if GWB were really serious about honesty and integrity the whole story would have been told.

Being open and honest and sticking to the letter of the law are sometimes very different things though, and my ill feeling is not a legal indictment. But I am certainly not willing to let this whole thing fade away until I hear what an investigation finds.

And to say that the "liberal" media would just let this fade away if Clinton was in the White House is fine. If by "liberal" media you are refering to the Village Voice. If you are referring to the New York Times than I suggest you visit your local library and read through the volumes that were written about Whitewater in that little paper. And I am sure that if there was a Democrat in the White House that Fox News would be really laid back in dealing with any whiffs of inpropriety.

I thought it was obvious, but evidently not: The Vanity Fair article and photo were published *long* after Valerie Plame's outing, when keeping her CIA relationship secret was moot. Apparently this is difficult to understand, but the idea is this: once she was outed, the article did no further damage because it happened *after* the outing.

I thought it was determined awhile ago that Aldrich Ames outed her in the 90s?

Bay Mike - the Vanity Fair photos utterly destroy the basic premise of the Plame affair - that the "outing" of Valeri Plame endangered her life. There were no public photos of her before the article; if being outed genuinely endangered her, if her position at the CIA was so sensitive that it endangered her now, then there is no way in the world that she would agree to these photos.

The VF article also show up her husband as the media whore that he is.

Rich - sometimes, all you have to do is read the statute to know that a law was not broken. The law against outing covert operatives only applies (as I recall) for 5 years after their last overseas posting. It is highly unlikely that Plame was posted overseas during this time period, based on her marriage to Wilson. A quick review of her duty schedule is likely all that is needed to put this to rest.

The notion that some complex investigation is required is bogus. We know exactly who has the relevant info - Novak. All that is required to determine the source of the leak is to subpoena him, and possibly a couple of other reporters. The fact that this most obvious and productive line of investigation is not being pursued tells you all you need to know about this "scandal".

R C Dean writes: "if being outed genuinely endangered her, if her position at the CIA was so sensitive that it endangered her now, then there is no way in the world that she would agree to these photos."

The people who were most in danger were always the people overseas she had met with, not she herself.

The people she met with overseas, and their associates, are far more easily accessible, and more valuable for our enemies to apprehend.

R C Dean writes: "The law against outing covert operatives only applies (as I recall) for 5 years after their last overseas posting. It is highly unlikely that Plame was posted overseas during this time period, based on her marriage to Wilson."

I doubt Wilson and Plame would have any particular difficulty being separated while she took a quick trip overseas. She married him after he returned to the US and left the diplomatic service, so his employment would be no barrier.

She would have been able to travel overseas up until her pregnancy, which was less than 5 years ago.

There's no requirement in the law that the time overseas be spent as part of a long-term assignment or overseas residency. An undercover weekend meeting in Brussels would qualify.

"A quick review of her duty schedule is likely all that is needed to put this to rest."

So why is the investgation continuing this long, if a quick review would have obviated the need to disturb the White House?

Do you really think the people at the DOJ would put their careers in jeopardy by missing such an elementary piece of evidence before going on to question White House officials and seizing White House hard drives and emails and documents?

Rich-

How can anyone know if anyone laws were broken in the absence of a complete investigation? It seems that the point of an investigation is to demonstrate guilt or innocence of the parties involved.

I agree completely.

I will admit that from the start this whole story has been one of the more disturbing tales to come out of the Bush White House for me. I think that if GWB were really serious about honesty and integrity the whole story would have been told.

The time for airing this in public is AFTER the investigation.

Keith Johnson

Yawn.

Please please please do not sully my beloved Daily Dish with more of this incessant scandal-mongering of a non-scandal. Keep it here if you must.

Has anyone been watching the covers of Vanity Fair?

Do the investigation to its full and complete finale. Let the chips fall where they may.

If Ames did out her in the 90's, and did it as a part of revealing national secrets, wouldn't it be part of an illegal enterprise? Meaning she would still be covered by the statute? If she was brought in for his transgression, but still kept her cover, wouldn't she still be undercover? If so, wouldn't the statute still cover her?

Why are members of the party of America willing to "pooh-pooh" this away. Had something like this occurred in a Democrat admnistration...HOLY CRAP FLYING EVERYWHERE....

It's amazing to me that Dan seems to keep on taking this thing seriously. I suspect the Justice Department people on the case are among the least productive (if such a thing can be established among a large number of candidates) -- it's a joke, it seems to me, as is the Vanity Fair piece. That should have established it if nothing else did.

“ I suspect the Justice Department people on the case are among the least productive ...”

The Democrats could care less about the enormous sums of money being spent if there is even an outside possibility of damaging President Bush. Sadly, Republicans cannot risk appearing like stonewallers. My guess is that these investigators are bored to death. They are probably tempted to drink a fifth of booze after the end of each working day. I can readily imagine them screaming to the heavens: “God, what did I do to deserve this fate? Can’t I at least ticket jaywalkers?” Common sense dictates that no laws were broken. The relevant statute was written specifically to deal with a Phillip Agee type of CIA secret agent outing. That most certainly wasn’t the case in this particular situation. Someone will likely resign from the Bush White House and everyone will forget Valerie Plame ever existed.

“It's amazing to me that Dan seems to keep on taking this thing seriously”

Our host, unfortunately, should not ignore this silliness. Life is not always fair.
The liberal media dominate much of our national debate. They often choose the issues that hit the headlines. Pretending otherwise is not going to change this reality anytime in the near future.