|
« Playoffs 2003 |
Main
| A Fine Start »
September 29, 2003
Damage Control Procedures
As the White House attempts to address the quickly expanding Valerie Plame affair, how they deal with the potential scandal will tell us a great deal about the denziens of the current White House.
Let's start out by noting that, despite the gleeful pronouncements of everyone's favorite liberal, Brian Linse, we don't yet know where this is going to end up. Brian is letting his disdain for the administration overcome his common sense, I think, although that doesn't necessarily mean he won't turn out to be correct in the end. (Ed. Ooo, way to take a stand. Hey, I'm willing to admit what I don't know.) Regardless of who informed columnist Robert Novak of Plame's status as a CIA employee, this is a significant problem for the administration, because it certainly presents the appearance of a personal attack designed to undermine the credibility of an anti-administration voice.
So how will the Bush White House address this? This seems like no big deal, in one sense, as there was no real harm done. But then, nor was there any great harm done by the Watergate break-in. That doubtless sounds like a ridiculous comparison, but remember that Nixon went down because of the cover-up, not because of the break-in. The Bush White House can either try to ride out this issue, or they can take the lead and make an example of whoever broke Ms. Plame's cover.
If they choose the first route, this will severely (and deservedly) damage President Bush's chances of reelection, and may well result in some people going to jail. If they choose the second route, it will cause some pain, but it will also demonstrate that they are not willing to tolerate this kind of behavior in the Bush Administration. How this issue plays out over the next few days will be quite interesting, and very informative.
Update: Jim Henley points out that Plame probably was a CIA covert operative, meaning that whoever broke her cover for whatever reason needs to not only be exposed, he/she/they need to go to jail.
Update: Open Source Politics examines the issue from the side of the Democrats, while Dan Drezner and Pejman Yousefzadeh wonder if this scandal hasn't been overhyped.
Posted at September 29, 2003 07:42 PM
I apologize for only allowing authenticated commenters, but comment spam overwhelms the site if I don't use those measures to prevent it. I reserve the right to delete any comment, although generally comments will only be deleted due to use of profanity or personal attacks on people. I have no objection to vigorous argument, but when name-calling begins, I'm putting a stop to it. In the immortal words of Eugene Levy, "People, people, let's stop this before somebody says something untrue!" If you want to call people names, I recommend you get your own blog.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://andrewolmsted.com/mt/pings.cgi/176
Andy, what about the fact that this story initially broke two months ago? That, according to the various reports out there, the CIA had informally asked the White House to do an investigation, but to no avail? I suggest you go to OSP and read a detailed account.
Posted by: Rook at September 29, 2003 09:19 PM
You'll forgive me if I don't find such a blatantly partisan site to be a particularly valuable news source? There's still too many questions that need to be answered here, from the changing descriptions of news sources from top administration officials downgrading to administration officials, etc. As I have already said, this may well all turn out precisely as the left would like it to, with a disgraced and dishonored administration. But before I'm willing to make that call, I'll need more than partisan predictions from either side.
Posted by: Andrew at September 29, 2003 09:57 PM
You're just trying to make my mouth water, aren't you, bringing up Nixon's downfall? ;)
Seriously, what you say is solidly true and it seems to be the one thing we just can't teach Washington to understand. To err is human. To cover-up is the crime.
I don't think the scandal has been overhyped. This is a serious matter. It's common for Washington politicians to bandy around secured or classified materials for favors - knowledge is power. And, in my view, each Administration sees the powerbrokers pushing the envelope on the practice just a little more. That's how politics becomes sleazier and sleazier. Everyone "stoops" just a little lower than the guys before them did.
At some point, someone needs to draw a big, ol' line and say NO MORE and this might be it.
Posted by: Anne at September 30, 2003 10:27 AM
Hey Andy! I noticed you didn't take me up on my C-note bet! We shall, in due course, see...
BTW, I don't think it can be said that no harm was done. It's likely that if a former contact of Plame goes missing or meets a bad end we'd never know about it. That's the point of the laws, really, and it's not up to Novak or us to judge whether or not it's ok in this or any other case. A law like this has to be absolute and strictly enforced or it's useless.
Incidently, I wasn't betting that Rove was one of the leakers, just that this scandal will eventually take him down. If the rumors being reported are true, however, some of the jounalists who were called are spreading the word that Rove was on the other end of the line.
Congrats on the promo awhile back btw! I tried to post back then but comments wouldn't work.
Posted by: Brian Linse at October 1, 2003 01:47 AM
|
