karl... you bastard!

[semiotic_pirate]

NEW YORK Now that Time Inc. has turned over documents to federal court, revealing who its reporter, Matt Cooper, identified as his source in the Valerie Plame/CIA case, speculation runs rampant on the name of that source. Lawrence O'Donnell, senior MSNBC political analyst, now claims that at least two sources have confirmed that the name is--top White House mastermind Karl Rove.

O'Donnell first offered this report Friday night on the syndicated McLaughlin Group political talk show. Today, he went beyond that, writing a brief entry at the Huffington Post blog:

"I revealed in yesterday's taping of the McLaughlin Group that Time magazine's e-mails will reveal that Karl Rove was Matt Cooper's source. I have known this for months but didn't want to say it at a time that would risk me getting dragged into the grand jury.

...

"Since I revealed the big scoop, I have had it reconfirmed by yet another highly authoritative source. Too many people know this. It should break wide open this week. I know Newsweek is working on an 'It's Rove!' story and will probably break it tomorrow."


link: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000972841

Comments

[chr0nocidal.livejournal.com]

I read this yesterday and it pissed me off too. He's such a big bastard anyway; it doesn't surprise me.

"Outing" a CIA operative is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine, and I hope he gets both. I have also heard some call it treason! I don't know if I'd go that far, but I don't know enough about it (assigning treason) to be able to say.

I'm still very upset at Time for handing over Cooper's notes. That sets a very bad precedent.

[semiotic-pirate.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it is a treasonable offence - at least, that is what I've been led to believe. I've been reading about it for a bit now, checking to see what other articles are saying and who is covering it so far.

I don't like the SCOTUS decision either, but, if you consider it from a treasonable offence standpoint it makes sense. Slightly. Reporters have voluntarily worked with various legal factions over the decades to get someone who is breaking the law in a major way. You usually see this in investigations and so forth where the reporter is targeted as the "voice" of the person breaking the law.

This has taken a long time to come out though. Can you imagine if it was allowed to come out when it happened? That Karl Rove (with maybe the knowledge of Bush and Cheyne) outted an undercover CIA agent?? That he purposely put her, her family, her contacts, etc. in mortal danger just for the sake of ... why exactly did he do it? I can't even remember the reason now that it was done. Was it a distraction tactic? Was it so that whatever she was doing (undercover) was derailed? Was it done as "revenge" on her husband who had spoken up against something the administration was perpetrating elsewhere? Gah!

[jandriel.livejournal.com]

I'm not terribly up on the particulars of the situation, but I've been wondering when we'd all find out.

I also don't suppose you're really surprised by any of this, eh?

[semiotic-pirate.livejournal.com]

me? surprised? i'm surprised you had to ask. ;)