E&P: 'NY Times' Hinting That Cheney Is Key Woodward Source?

[sabra]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001523755

'NY Times' Hinting That Cheney Is Key Woodward Source?

NEW YORK In an article for Thursday's New York Times, reporter Todd Purdum, through the process of elimination, leaves Vice President Cheney still standing as a high ranking Bush administration official who has not denied being Bob Woodward's newly revealed key source in the Plame/CIA leak case.

Woodward provided sworn testimony to the federal grand jury on Monday, but said the source that mentioned Valerie Plame's CIA job to him in mid-June 2003 had still not authorized him to disclose his or her name. This "set off a frantic new round of guessing about who that source might be and a wave of public denials by spokesmen for possible suspects," Purdum observes.


Then he ticks them off: "A senior administration official said that neither President Bush himself, nor his chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., nor his counselor, Dan Bartlett, was Mr. Woodward's source. So did spokesmen for former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, former C.I.A. Director George J. Tenet and his deputy John E. McLaughlin.

....

"Vice President Cheney did not join the parade of denials. A spokeswoman said he would have no comment on an ongoing investigation. Several other officials could not be reached for comment."

[GetTheRightVote]

1. I have heard and read that it was Hadley who was his source

but Cheney works for me as well... they are all in it together, WHIG.

:kick:

[sabra]

2. conspiracy?

[Scout1071]

20. Of course it's conspiracy. The entire WHIG group was involved

in the smearing of the Wilson's and selling the war.

Indict them all.

[11cents]

3. In a blog, this would be intelligent speculation ....

...but when a NY Times reporter goes all coy and hint-y like this, it's often because he knows something that he can't quite say yet.

[Lex]

4. I agree.

And Cheney is *pointedly* not on the list of who it is NOT.

[FreedomAngel82]

15. I found that very interesting

Why would they not include him?

[buddysmellgood]

5. Shouldn't Woodward be in jail? I don't get it. Judy wouldn't give her

source and went to jail. Do I have this right? Woodward is not telling the grand jury who his source is?

[marbuc]

9. I have been assuming Woodward told the grand jury

but will not tell the public.

[buddysmellgood]

10. That must be it.

[MADem]

17. Yep, otherwise he'd be looking at the world through bars

And he wouldn't be able to handle that.

So much for journalistic integrity--he's having it BOTH WAYS! The miserable rodent.....

[H2O Man]

19. Woodward told Fitzgerald.

He gave a deposition, which can be introduced in any further grand jury hearings.

[David Zephyr]

6. I would bet that it is Cheney and not Rove.

It just makes sense.

[David Zephyr]

7. Kicking and Nominating.

Great story. I think that Todd Purdum is on to something...and maybe big!

[Garbo 2004]

8. Woodward is as self-serving & slippery as Miller, but if his own account

is accurate both as to substance and chronology and not deliberately deceptive, it would appear that Cheney wasn't his source.

Woodward says he talked to three Admin officials in prepartion for his book Plan of Attack during the critical timeframe. These officials waived confidentiality at least for purposes of testifying in Fitz's investigation.

The first official "casually" told him about Wilson's wife. No big deal. Woodward does not give a specific date, keeps it vague and only says "mid June."

Next he talks to a second official (Andrew Card?) on June 20 but this isn't supposed to be relevant to Plame since Woodward claims that to the best of his recollection and according to the audio taped conversation, Wilson's wife was not discussed.

Third official is Libby by telephone on June 23 (same day Libby meets with Miller btw) and Woody tells him he's gonna give him questions he wants to ask Cheney:

I also testified that I had a conversation with a third person on June 23, 2003. The person was I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and we talked on the phone. I told him I was sending to him an 18-page list of questions I wanted to ask Vice President Cheney. On page 5 of that list there was a question about "yellowcake" and the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq's weapons programs. I testified that I believed I had both the 18-page question list and the question list from the June 20 interview with the phrase "Joe Wilson's wife" on my desk during this discussion. I testified that I have no recollection that Wilson or his wife was discussed, and I have no notes of the conversation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/15/AR2005111501829.html

Woody then states it's not until July 27th he meets with Libby and gives him the questions for Cheney.

This suggests, again if the chronology is correct and Woody is not deliberately misleading in his statement, that Woodward had not yet talked to Cheney and Cheney was not his source.

Now the media is on the Cheney's a bum bandwagon and one only has to ask why? I'd suggest it's not just because Scooter worked for Libby, but that the media's been getting all sorts of helpful leaks from a number of folks and their attorneys pointing the way. And while the focus is on Cheney and the VP's office, who are all the other folks whose potential knowledge and involvement is completely ignored? It's a pile on. Perhaps not as orchestrated as the Wilson leak itself, but c'mon this is the stenography corps we're talking about.

Did they think to ask Condi and Hadley if they had any sit downs with Woodward? I mean they've been so helpful in providing him with information for his books. Woody's had extraordinary access to extraordinary sources and information, some of it classified. Cheney's not the only one on Woodward's call list.

[CoffeeCat]

11. What about Junior?

Woodward had extraordinary access to Junior when he was researching his book.

Woodward seemed to have an excellent repertoire with Junior and he did portray Junior in a positive light. Woodward leveraged all of the Bush talking points--that Junior was decisive, resolute and that he really believed that it was the right thing to be in Iraq.

Junior trusted and liked Woodward.

Woodward says that someone, in an almost off-hand remark--made the comment about Plame being Wilsons' wife. Woodward made it sound like the comment was made almost innocently--and the person who said it was practically oblivious to how important/sensitive the Wilson/Plame information was.

There's only one person dense enough--and out of the loop enough--to be that oblivious.

Can't you just see this happening? Cheney, Hadley, Libby and the rest of the hard-core evil mongers are at a meeting with Junior. They all begin discussing Wilson and how they will counter his "Yellow Cake" nonsense. They're angry. They plot as Junior makes paper footballs and half listens. Junior gets the basics of the conversation--that Plame probably sent Wilson to Niger, etc.

Later--while Woodward interviews Junior, he "innocently" explains away Joe Wilson's findings (or lack thereof) in Africa.

"Ya see here Bob. That Wilson boy doesn't like me. His wife works for the CIA and we all know they hate me. She sent him to Africa and of course--he's going to come back empty handed. I can't catch a break...will you pass the beer nuts, Bob? Ya getting this all down?"

Just a theory....:)

[fooj]

12. A pretty damn good theory!

Let's not forget Woodward was Ex-CIA and buddies with Poppy!

Peace.:hi:

[CoffeeCat]

22. Great point Fooj!! Also, someone on the board reported

that Junior isn't speaking with Poppy. It seems that the two of them are not getting along these days.

Haven't many DUers said that Poppy may have been the one who helped Woodward bring down Nixon? If Poppy could do it to Nixon, he might just do it to his own son.

There does seem to be quite a dysfunctional relationship between the two. Remember Junior's defensive remarks to Woodward, when Woodward asked him if he consults his father about political advice, "I defer to a higher power!".

Maybe Poppy is one of the trees that has turned. They turn in clusters you know...

;)

[Garbo 2004]

13. Think Bush went to Fitz to tell him about a chat he had with Woodward?

Again, these three intereviews were on confidential background for Woodward. Appeared that Woodward was working his way up the foodchain from staff to principals. And again, if Woodward's statement can be taken at face value:

I was first contacted by Fitzgerald's office on Nov. 3 after one of these officials went to Fitzgerald to discuss an interview with me in mid-June 2003 during which the person told me Wilson's wife worked for the CIA on weapons of mass destruction as a WMD analyst. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/15/AR2005111501829.html

One can readily imagine the only reason this official was having this discussion with Fitz was because someone else (Rove looking to get his fat butt off the hook?) steered Fitz to him. I rather doubt that would be Bush or that Bush would be going to Fitz. When Fitz previously questioned Bush, Fitz went to him.

No, the source may be in the "senior WH official" neighborhood, but I don't think this particular bit is at the executive level. Plausible deniability for one obvious reason.

[FreedomAngel82]

16. Who all is missing who are key players

in Woodword's book? And Cheney has been backing away from Bush lately too. They don't seem to be quite so close anymore. What's up with that? Apparently from rumors Bush only keeps certain people close to him (Rice, Laura and mother). Who is Woodword close to with the administration according to his book? Anyone in particular he mentions a lot with conversations and things like that?

[MADem]

18. I'm thinking that too, it was the first thought that came to my mind

And just because people deny it, does not mean it isn't true.

This administration has a well-founded reputation for bullshitting, prevaricating, and twisting situations to suit themselves.

[GardeningGal]

21. I find it strange that Woodward claims to have had the 18 page

list of questions with him on the June 20 interview, but he has no notes of the conversation. How do you make sure you've remembered accurately if you are writing about it later? He doesn't say whether he had a tape recording.

[understandinglife]

14. I think they're doing a bit more than "hinting":

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5380307&mesg_id=5380307

And, as I note in that post, the New York Times own a very big piece of the death and destruction in this one and they are not going to escape that reality.


Peace.