What can one say but...wheeee!
Turn, turn, turn... Raw Story reports that a second figure in Cheney's office -- David Wurmser, one of the world's most bloodthirsty neocons -- is cooperating with the Fitzgerald probe.
Has Colin Powell fingered Cheney? Right now the story is little more than rumor. To be specific, it comes from a blogger (previously unknown to me) who claims to have "secret sources." Supposedly, Powell, while aboard Air Force One, showed Dubya and Dick (and no-one else) a memo containing information on Wilson and his wife; the memo discussed her CIA status. Cheney, we're told, took a special interest in that passage. Powell later blabbed about Cheney to the Grand Jury.
This allegation strikes me as quite doubtful. But then again, the rumor mill has had a rather good track record in this scandal. (Recall that Hannah's "turning" was once mere rumor.)
"...and when did he know it?" The New York Daily News reports that Bush and Rove got into a huge row over the Wilson/Plame matter in 2003. But on June 24, 2004, Bush testified that Rove had denied involvement at that time. Reconciliation of the two stories requires a formidable degree of force-fitting -- and Senator Charles Shumer has asked the president to undertake that very task. (Neither story strikes me as believable, but that's a separate matter.)
Can Fitz acquire testimony from the New York Daily News' source?
Interesting side-note: The author of the NYDN piece is Thomas Frank, who was close to Bush the elder. Y'know, deep in the murkiest tar-pits of conspiracy buffdom, you can find a few souls who believe that GHWB has quietly turned against W....
Do I share that belief? No. But mulling the idea over has a certain entertainment value.
The Gannon connection: emptywheel, who has done such remarkable work on this story, offers some deep-dish research and rumination on the origins of the infamous INR document. C'mon -- you remember: This is the State Department document which Rove may (or may not) have shown the he-ho before his attempted "gotcha!" interview with Wilson.
By the way, Gannon's writing a book! He doesn't have a title yet. Considering his close ties to this administration, I suggest "Inside Man."
Finally, this oddity: No doubt you are aware that Judy Miller wrote down Valerie Plame's name as "Valerie Flame." Strangely, Robert Novak also used the "Flame" nomenclature when writing about the matter in October of 2003 -- after his original article appeared.
Coincidence, or were they working from the same document? Perhaps the Powell document mentioned above? I know, I know: That's too much to hope for.
Still, the use of the name Plame/Flame instead of Wilson (she changed her name when she married) suggests that a crib sheet of some sort was floating around.
1 comment:
"Interesting side-note: The author of the NYDN piece is Thomas Frank, who was close to Bush the elder. Y'know, deep in the murkiest tar-pits of conspiracy buffdom, you can find a few souls who believe that GHWB has quietly turned against W.... "
Joseph, it's official, we are in a mind-meld. I was just thinking abut this today. You're right, it's a tough idea to swallow, but...well, I have this tendency to be occasionally drawn to the most unbelievable ones. It's not so much that I've wondered if 41 has turned against 43 in anger or hatred...I just wonder if he hasn't been persuaded to sort of move him out of the way a little. For the good of the long-term mission. Yeah, though, looking at that. Long shot.
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