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September 08, 2006

"Oops! Silly Me!"

So now Armitage is saying he made an innocent boo-boo

In July 2003, Armitage told columnist Robert Novak that Ambassador Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, and Novak mentioned it in a column. It's a crime to knowingly reveal the identity of an undercover CIA officer. But Armitage didn't yet realize what he had done.

So, what exactly did he tell Novak?

"At the end of a wide-ranging interview he asked me, 'Why did the CIA send Ambassador (Wilson) to Africa?' I said I didn't know, but that she worked out at the agency," Armitage says.

Armitage says he told Novak because it was "just an offhand question." "I didn't put any big import on it and I just answered and it was the last question we had," he says.

So for 3 years we've had all this crazy shit going on in the press, all this diversion from the task at hand, and he hasn't come forward to 'fess up until now...why?

That was nearly three years ago, but the political firestorm over who leaked Valerie Plame's identity continued to burn as Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald began hauling White House officials and journalists before a grand jury.

Armitage says he didn't come forward because "the special counsel, once he was appointed, asked me not to discuss this and I honored his request."

"I thought every day about how I'd screwed up," he adds.

Armitage never did tell the president, but he's talking now because Fitzgerald told him he could.

When did he tell this Fitzgerald that he was the source? How much money has been wasted on this witch-hunt, and how much political damage has been done for no good reason? Why didn't Fitzgerald immediately reveal him and end the inquiry?

This whole thing stinks to high heaven.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at September 8, 2006 06:59 AM

Comments

So for 3 years we've had all this crazy shit going on in the press

Yeah. Three years in which Fitzgerald already knew it was Armitage.

Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at September 8, 2006 08:52 AM

Exactly. WTF is up with that?

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at September 8, 2006 09:07 AM

Exactly. The NPR piece on it we heard last week said Armitage had trotted right off to Fitzgerald the second he realized where the info might have come from. So WHAT the F*CK was the problem? Were they supposed to wait until Joe and Val got a shot at their Vanity Fair cover?

And how many gazillions poured down this STOOPID rabbeet hole...

Posted by: tree hugging sister at September 8, 2006 09:15 AM

Armitage and Fitzgerald.....two friggin' idiots.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at September 8, 2006 11:13 AM

The State Department is filled with un-fire-able Govt. Employee Union lifers who are staunch anti-administrationists and have succeeded in monkey-wrenching many policies and initiatives - wonder who tipped the NYT to the NSA stuff and the money-trail investigations? IMO State appears to be trying to establish itself as a fifth branch of Government.

Posted by: DirtCrashr at September 8, 2006 02:05 PM

I'm with you, DirtCrashr. I have a cousin in the State Department who fits your description exactly.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at September 8, 2006 02:11 PM