Pirate's Cove

The Democrats are pulling another political grandstanding stunt. Will the lead actress have her lines down? (from the Washington Post, page A1)

She has been silent nearly four years. Today, the CIA officer whose unmasking fueled a political uproar and criminal probe that reached into the White House is poised to finally tell her own story — before Congress.

Valerie Plame's testimony will have all the trappings of a "Garbo speaks" moment on Capitol Hill, with cameras and microphones arrayed to capture the voice of Plame, the glamorous but mute star of a compelling political intrigue. But while she hopes to clear up her status as an agency operative when her name first hit newspapers in July 2003, America's most publicized spy is unlikely to betray any details in open session about her mysterious career.

Fitzpatrick spent almost 4 years on his investigation, and, since no one was actually charged with violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, including the person who actually released her name, Dick Armitage, I'd have to say that her status has been pretty well cleared up. This whole comedy of errors is just another way that the Democrats can take shots at the Bush Administration, circumventing the law, and grandstanding.

And, the Washington Times continues its oh-she-is-so-sweet-and-special article

She has remained opaque, this willowy blonde with the beguiling smile. Into a factual void the public has poured its imagery of the female spy, from Halle Berry and Eva Green in James Bond movies to Jennifer Garner on TV's "Alias."

Gag. Urp.

For Plame, 43, the repercussions have been intensely personal, including a career cut short. But until now, only proxies — chief among them her voluble husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV — have been able to publicly vent the anger and frustration she has expressed privately. "They ruined her whole career," her mother said, echoing a refrain of several of Plame's former CIA colleagues. "She has no job."

Perhaps Plame shouldn't have pushed to have her husband act as an undercover CIA agent, and instead pushed for a real agent to go on the trip to Niger. Perhaps Plame should have stopped her husband from publishing that false article in the New York Times about "What I didn't find in Africa." Perhaps both she and Wilson should have understood that, yes, the Bush administration gets to fight back. And maybe she shouldn't have allowed Wilson to identify her on his website (since removed.) The Washington cocktail party crowd new she was Wilson's wife. Posing for Vanity Fair wasn't exactly the best idea. And, finally, she shouldn't have used her position for any sort of political positioning.

But, like any good liberal, she blames everyone else, not herself or her husband. She proves where her politics lie, by joining with Democratic politicians. Wilson himself worked directly with the Kerry campaign.

Was it right to "out" her? No. but it was primarily Dick Armitage who did it, and he was no friend of the Bush administration.

My good blog friend The Gun Toting Liberal is, sorry to say, repeating the Democratic Talking Points, ignoring that no one, including Armitage, has been charged with outing her. He implicitly convicts the Bush admin, calling for impeachment. I guess four year of investigation meant nothing.

Others: Scrappleface, Sister Toldjah, Just One Minute

Start of the hearing: It is quite obvious, based on Henry Waxman's opening remarks and pontification, that this will be a political witch hunt, with none of those pesky facts getting in the way. Red meat for the moonbats. They didn't get the outcome they wanted during the "Fitzmas" investigations, so now they will play political games.

Will Waxman call Armitage? Will Waxman smackdown the journalists who revealed Plame's name? They did have a choice in doing that.

Continued pontification from Mr. Davis. Can we maybe here from the witness?

Continuation of referring to Plame as a covert agent.

She was asked "do you swear to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth?" Notice anything missing?

She takes a shot at debunking the cocktail circuit meme, and blames Libby. No mention of Armitage.

Continued yammering and blaming others. Will she mention that she sent her husband to Niger and that he lied?

Hopefully, video will be available, especially of Waxman's bloviation. Also, do not misunderstand me, I think that outing her was wrong, whether she was covered by the IIPA or not, no matter what her politics were.

Time for work.

Last little bit from watching the hearings. First, some Congress Critter, I missed the name, but had to be a Dem, blamed Cheney. Got proof? Cause Fitzgerald sure didn't.

Second, for such an overwhelmingly important issue to the Left, none of the major outlets, cBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, nor ABC, have continued coverage. Have to switch to CSPAN.

Are there actually any Republicans on this committee?

Mr. Lynch just asked if she had recommended that her husband be sent. She said no. She is saying that some other guy in the CIA made the recommendation. But she was involved in getting Wilson involved.

Little more: she actually admitted under questioning that she wasn't covered by the Intelligence Identites Protection Act.

And, from CNN:

Plame Wilson said she had no role in sending her husband on a CIA fact-finding trip to Niger. Wilson said in a newspaper column that his trip debunked the administration's prewar intelligence that Iraq was seeking to buy uranium from Africa.

"I did not recommend him. I did not suggest him. There was no nepotism involved. I did not have the authority," she said.

That conflicts with senior officials at the CIA and State Department, who testified during Libby's trial that Plame Wilson recommended Wilson for the trip.

Actually, the first paragraph contradicts what she herself said today, which is that she was involved.

Late day update: Hot Air has a video of Code Pink moonbats at the hearing.

Tammy Bruce asks "..why are the Wilsons suing everyone except Richard Armitage, the man who did the actual leaking?"

Curt at Flopping Aces says Poor Widdle Valerie Plame

Dan Riehl writes Plame: Recklessly Abused. But by whom? Read and find out

Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive has a lakeside rant

Outside the Beltway wonders about her 4 years silence while doing press conferences, magazine layouts,…..

No one seems to have good video of Waxman waxing on. I'm tempted to find something from the Karate Kid, but that would be trite. Plenty of Mrs. "I'm covert after dropping the rugrats off, getting a latte', then swinging by Langley" Plame out there, just check any of the news services. Maybe CSPAN will provide some in day or two.

Final update: Lord, I hate to link Raw Story, but they have the full transcript of the hearing. No point in excerpting, though I would recommend reading Waxman's opening statement into the farce.