Contrary to the opinion of some in here, especially in this thread, the Karl Rove-Judith Miller issue is far from resolved. Miller is in jail for doing that a reporter is supposed to be doing. There have been clear implications that Rove - or one of Rove's employees - was involved in the leak.
And the spinning going on - as I explained here is enough to make one dizzy.
There is one person who probably knows some of the answers but he's not talking. There was an attempt to perhaps get him to talk but he blew up, cussed and stormed off the set. You can watch the actual video here. He reportedly says a naughty word too.
I was so saddened he has ignored a letter I wrote at my blog. Maybe he just needs to see it at a site with more exposure:
Dear Robert Novak:
You don't know me. I'm one of those readers who has never liked you but reads you once in a while to see what the columnists transcribing the Republican party line are saying this week.
You come off, on TV and in your columns, as grumpy and close-minded.
Where my opinion of you went from "annoying boring idiot" to "mean vengeful party hack" was when you blew the cover of CIA operative Valerie Plame.
You acted like you did nothing wrong. And what makes matters worse you yourself have asked journalists to reveal their sources when a story broke that made Republicans look bad.
I didn't think my opinion of you as a slimebag could get much worse but, congratulations, you have now sunk lower.
You cooperated with the investigators on the case but have never revealed why it is that you are not in trouble with the law and they are. You come off like someone who broke the rules (and possibly a law or two) and then cooperated.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Maurice
You know this story is stale.
2 - Nancy
Nice try, Maurice: if you can't bury a story, then denigrate it as "stale"; yeah, a new Republican wrinkle. Thanks for keeping us up on Novak, Scott. Somebody needs to, altho Publicans are hoping it will go away.
3 - Scott Butki
Stale only in that it's been replaced on the front pages by hurricanes.
Try telling Judith Miller her imprisonment is a stale topic.
4 - Al Barger
It's not that the story is stale, but that there was absolutely nothing of significance to it in the first place, other than more demonstration of left wing demagoguery. Plame wouldn't have been covered by the law in question, even if Karl Rove had absolutely been intending on spitefulness.
And how was supposedly "outing" Plame some kind of act of vengeance? How would it even have been intended to hurt her or her lying two bit husband?
5 - Richard Ward
Media types who have set their hair on fire over the jailing of Judith Miller don't get it. Judith Miller is in jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury about a crime she witnessed. She is not in jail for writing and article or for speaking out. This is NOT a first-amendment issue. Moreover, Miller is not protecting a whistleblower. She is protecting those who broke the law to punish a whistleblower.
Richard Ward
6 - Silas Kain
Stale? Miller has been in jail 3 months. Paul McMasters has an interesting op-ed piece in today's Detroit Free Press. There's also an interesting story in last week's Editor & Publisher about her visitors list. It seems embattled U.N. Ambassador John Bolton is among the 99 people who have visited Ms. Miller in jail. The only reason the story may seem stale is because the news corporations can't spin the Miller story into something sexy that will grab ratings. I'd love to see Zogby do a poll to see how many Americans even know that Miller remains behind bars. We Americans are a fickle bunch with the shortest attention spans. Here today, gone tomorrow. That's sad.
7 - Scott Butki
Considering I've satirized the situation I wouldn't describe myself as having my hair "on fire."
While she is not a poster child for good journalism (she got used by the Bush administration to justify the war) she is still in jail for not revealing her sources and that is indeed a first amendment issue.
It's true she is not protecting a whistleblower - more like she is protecting a source from the administration such as Rove. But that doesn't stop making it a first amendment issue.
8 - Al Barger
The Miller story is not stale, she's still in jail and it's absolutely ridiculous that she was ever there in the first place.
That's a whole different story, though. It ultimately has nothing to do with Plame or Rove, but some jackass prosecutor bound and determined to get someone.
9 - DJRadiohead
Republicans don't have to hope this story will go away. It already has in most corners.
If Rove or someone in his office committed a crime, why haven't they been tried and convicted. All of this appears to have been much ado about nothing which is why it has faded from the consciousness of most people.
10 - Nancy
For the same reasons Abramoff & friends haven't yet been tried & convicted: high-ups hiding evidence. It takes time to bring these sorts of scum to justice, because they're usually protected to the hilt by the other scumbags who've been conniving with them.
11 - DJRadiohead
Because it couldn't possibly be that there isn't enough evidence to sustain criminal charges or that no crime was committed. It would be dangerous to open our minds up to such a scandalous possibility.
12 - bikerdude
Stale? Hardly. The problem is that we still have to wait for the indictments. The good news is that Miller the Martyr has been exposed broadly and Novak has been shown to be a coward as well as a self-grandising blowhard.
This issue is extremely important. Disclosing the identity of a covert spy is often treated as treason. We should severely punish anyone, especially a high ranking administration member, guilty of this offense.
13 - Al Barger
Plame just flat was not a covert spy, thus NO CRIME. What are you all not understanding here?
14 - Baronius
Novak addressed the matter in an August 1 column:
link
As for him not personally replying to you, I'm hoping that you're kidding. That letter was more Inquisition than inquiry.
15 - Scott Butki
Yes I don't expect Novak to care what I or anyone thinks and I doubt he has time to read bloggers opinion (mine or yours or anyone elses) because he's too busy serving as a stooge for the Republicans, outing spys (and yes that is a crime, that's why there is a grand jury prove) and otherwise serving as an
embarrassment to the journalism profession.
The interesting part about that column is that he lifted the shield; he spoke about the issue he'd told everyone he wouldn't speak about - the leaks - and then tried to hide under it again when asked more important questions.
16 - Scott Butki
Jay Rosen does an excellent job explaining the problem with Novak's actions here.
17 - Silas Kain
Judith Miller is free and she testifies today. She was released from jail a bit before sundown last night. We are learning that Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff is one of her sources. Today will be proclaimed White Friday because the truth is about to be told once and for all...
18 - Wayne Smyer
Tell me ! What is the Karl Rove/ Jeff Gannon/Talon News connection on the outing of Valerie Plame??
19 - Wayne Smyer
REGARDS VALERIE PLAME "OUTING"
Did the Grand Jury interview Karl Rove's "Toy Boy" Jeffy Gannon/Jim Guckert and the Talon News Staff? What about the Faux White House Press "Reporter"credentials for Jeffy Gannon, Ace Reporter & White House Stud-Whore
20 - Wayne Smyer
Where was F-You Cheney, the great Halliburton War Hero, when he delared Valerie Plame to be an open target and "fair game" in the White House "Leakers" club. Is Scooter Libby going to take the fall for F-You, until Baby Bush issues his pardon list and "get out of jail free" passes?
p.s. BABY BUSH PARDON LIST:
Little Tommy DeLay
Kenny Boy Lay
Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove
Jack-Off Abramoff
Rep. Bob Ney
F-You Cheney
Bill First (Doc)
Bad Bobby Novak
ANY FURTHER ADDITION???
21 - Maurice
Judy Miller could have been free a year ago. She was given a waiver last year but would not accept it until Mr. Libby himself came to her and personally told her to go ahead and reveal all her conversations with him.
It appears to me she is trying to get her 15 minutes of fame.
Rove had a brief conversation with Cooper. All of this is old. Is there something new about this case that we should all be interested in?
22 - lessool
"Is there something new about this case that we should all be interested in?"
Yes, the fall of the Bush Empire.
23 - Scott Butki
Ha. Great response.
There's some new stuff going on but how it will all play out remains to be seen.
I wrote about some of the playing for my blog earlier tonite.
24 - Scott Butki
Jack Shafer of Slate has written a good piece, picking up some of my points about why Novak owes the world an explanation on his role on the Valerie Plame-Karl Rove-Judith Miller scandal.
25 - Scott Butki
Well, looks like Rove got spared (at least for now) but at least they got Libby.
Meanwhile, other publications are echoing my call for Novak to explain his role in this mess.