Probably shouldn’t throw stones…
Never mind that New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who (back when he was Congressman Schumer) was one of only 56 Representatives to vote against the Intelligence Identities Protection Act that’s at the center of the Plame case…
No, today Sen. Schumer is demanding answers from the White House over an anonymously sourced New York Daily News article alleging that President Bush knew of Karl Rove’s involvement in the “outing” of CIA operative Valerie Plame sometime in 2003. The story doesn’t allege that Bush knew of Rove’s conversations beforehand, only that he was furious with Rove’s handling of the situation. In that regards, the story doesn’t move the collective knowledge of the Plame affair forward in any way – regardless of how much bloggers want to project into it…
Schumer writes, “In light of these reports, I urge you to make public the details of Mr. Rove’s involvement, your understanding of that involvement, and an explanation as to why Mr. Rove was neither dismissed nor his security clearance revoked when you learned of his participation in the Plame affair.“
What’s so shockingly hypocritical about Schumer statement is that he has yet to address the exact same questions about his involvement in the case of two of his Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staffers who admitted to illegally obtaining the credit report of Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele in July 2005.
The two DSCC staffers (since fired) used Mr. Steele’s Social Security number to obtain his credit records, reportedly seeking evidence of damaging debts. The first black elected to statewide office in Maryland, Mr. Steele is set to announce his candidacy next week for the Senate seat being vacated by Paul Sarbanes in 2006.
The incident, first reported Sept. 20 by the Associated Press, has lead to felony investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney in Washington.
Other than characterizing it as an “isolated incident,” Schumer has refused all comment (and requests for documentation) related to the incident.
schumer and clinton…I am ASHAMED to say I was born in NY.
Shumer’s staffers have been “since fired”
Who’s been fired as a result of Plame?
Who’s been fired as a result of Plame?
As soon as we find out the facts, we’ll get back to you on that.
Please do. We’re all itching to know if Steele’s life was in jeopardy..
uh, so who’s life WAS in jeopardy?
The incident with Schumer’s staff isn’t something to be proud of. But I think it’s important to remember that the day his staffers came forward with what they’d done, they were fired and the US attorney was voluntarily notified. What more did you want to be done?
Schumer’s been a big mover in this CIA/MSM/DNC attempt to recreate Watergate – Schumer was the one to first request a criminal investigation using David Corn’s exact attack line in U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s July 24, 2003 letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller. The pot calling the kettle black has never been more appropriate.
And they’re getting what they wished for (see last paragraph, in this comment at July 19, 2005 01:03 PM.)
The tables turned: Will David Corn (and Schumer) Eat His Words?
7/16/03 article: “A White House Smear” – revisited:
First paragraph:
“Did senior Bush officials blow the cover of a US intelligence officer working covertly in a field of vital importance to national security–and break the law–in order to strike at a Bush administration critic and intimidate others?”
Last paragraph:
“The Wilson smear was a thuggish act. Bush and his crew abused and misused intelligence to make their case for war . Now there is evidence Bushies used classified information and put the nation’s counter-proliferation efforts at risk merely to settle a score. It is a sign that with this gang politics trumps national security.”
[Or, was it actually the other way around:]
“Did senior [anti-Bush CIA, ex-CIA, and ex-NSC-turned Kerry campaign] officials [contrive the “cover” status] of a US intelligence officer working [at a desk job at CIA HQ] in a field of vital importance to national security–and break the law [we’ll see what the GJ finds; there was certainly incitement to break the law by the ex-CIA VIPS group, as well as CIA-forged Niger memos] –in order to strike at [Bush and Blair] and intimidate others [from further looking into Iraq/Iran/France uranium dealings and Wilson’s own ‘gold mine’ business dealings for foreign clients in Niger]?”
“The Wilson smear [of the Bush WH] was a thuggish act. [Plame/Wilson] and [the rest of the] crew abused and misused intelligence to make their case [for France, against the war and Bush]. Now there is [reason to believe that Plame/Wilson and the cabal gang] used classified information [a contrived 6/10/03 INR memo ostensibly written to brief Powell, then circulated to conservative news outlets as a Trojan Horse] and put the nation’s counter-proliferation efforts at risk merely to settle a score [aka the Bin Laden Delusion Disorder]. It is a sign that with this gang politics [and money] trumps national security.”
The Trojan Horse strategy backfiring. And more details there.
And Chris, the self-confessed moonlighting comedian, are you Matt Cooper?
And Chris, another thing, back there when I asked you how come you’re so familiar with the contents of the INR Memo, and wondered if you were in the INR yourself, I should have asked the above question instead. Is Matt Cooper in possession of the “INR Memo,” or a description of it, himself?
OK, you got me. There’s only one comedian in the world, so anyone who’s a comedian and interested in politics must be Matt Cooper.