Whether or not Wilson was qualified is really a matter of opinion. I just give them the benefit of the doubt and assume for the sake of argument that he's very qualified so the discussion moves on to the important stuff.

It is relevant whether or not he was qualified to be an objective, knowledgeable observer, or if he was qualified to be a biased, agendized hit man for the anti-Bush crowd at the CIA. It seems to me that is the entire point.

Suweet. It looks like the anti-Miers backlash has reminded Republicans of who elects them.I'd say they've actually grown a pair for once if this goes through

Wilson's qualifications - or lack thereof - are a place to start. Possibly the CIA can explain why they used a political activist with a predetermined agenda rather than a professional spy. Perhaps they can explain the irregularities in his employment.

Wilson appears to have been chosen to do exactly what he did - conduct a cursory sham 'investigation' in order to create the illusion of credibility, and then return home and go on the offensive against the administration with a mix of lies and half-truths.

It'd be poetic justice to have Plame frog-marched out of the white house.

The fact that he's a political activist is the main problem.

When people talk about "qualifications", I usually think more of the sort of things he'd write on his resume.

Yeah, and I'm still waiting for that bike I asked Santa Claus to bring me when I was 8...

Are you all listening to Ace on Hoist?

Great. Have the Senate Millionaires Club Intelligence Committee investigate the Wilson/Plame/CIA shenanigans. Turn Jay Rockedollar loose to pontificate about the eee-vil Republicans. Has anyone ever wondered how an organization like the Seante can allow Jay anywhere near anything remotely connected to intelligence when he so obviously has none of his own?

... but that the CIA's criminal referral to the Justice Department is possibly a felony, if the CIA had reason to know no crime was committed. (Which no crime was, of course).

You forgot to say how you know this. I'm curious to know how you got access to classified information.

When people talk about "qualifications", I usually think more of the sort of things he'd write on his resume.

Wilson addresses this point in his letter, which I produced entirely in another thread. How about addressing the facts, since they are available?

If you want to eliminate political activists (Wilson gave to republicans, was praised HIGHLY by Bush sr.) from politics... good luck. Wilson was a diplomat and ambassador.

Bush just appointed 9 political fundraisers out of 16 for a serious intel policy committee. He thinks our security is a fucking joke, just payback positions for fundraising. Ambassadorships have always been that, but now it's raised to the most serious positions.

Heckuva job you're doing, George!

I just paid $2.13/gallon for gas.

Yeah, momentum is building. The Republicans totally have the Democrats on the run. If you ignore the fact that Reid is schooling Frist on a regular basis, and the Republicans have to deal with the fact that it looks like one of their own leaked information that Cheney provided only to Republican Senators (wait till they dig into that one) and that the Administration is starring in Voyage to the Bottom of the Polls. But wait!. Four ballot measures in Ohio were defeated! Can't you hear the thundering hoofbeats?

You guys do have a talent for continuing to declare victory even as the opposing General is breaking your sword over his knee.

You guys seem to think that still another article full of suppositions and half truths is somehow a great leap forward. Babbin mostly goes over a lot of tired ground. And I can't believe you guys are so dense that you haven't gotten it yet, so we'll go over it again. It doesn't matter if what Libby told the reporters was true or not. He's not charged with lying to the reporters. He's charged with lying to the Grand Jury and the FBI. You can continue to smear Wilson all you want. It doesn't change a thing about Libby.

And I do find it interesting that the only people that can actually come forward and claim Wilson told them about his wife's work are partisan right wingers. He sure picked a funny bunch to confide in.

Babbin's article is full of a lot of speculation and suppositions along the lines of "I can't think of another reason why something happened, so it must be the reason I can think of."

And I notice he plays investigative reporter with all of his suppositions about who authorized Wilson's trip. Can't you guys keep your story straight? Plame did. Jesus, don't back away from that one now. You almost had me believing it.

And I notice he plays investigative reporter with all of his suppositions about who authorized Wilson's trip. Can't you guys keep your story straight? Plame did.

Chris, here's the deal: in one story, Plame was a nothing clerk in the CIA - so no real outing occurred. She couldn't authorize purchase of paperclips.

In the other story, Plame had the high level CIA status you would need to authorize an international trip with sensitive diplomatic implications -- and her status was secret.

The wingers want to claim the second (nepotism!) AND the first (no crime!), even though neither one is consistent with the evidence, or Libby's indictment.

It's a tough road for them. So they fall back on sliming Joe Wilson, as though if any of it sticks, that makes it okay to reveal classified info.

Be nice to them. After they dug their holes, they threw the shovels at people like me, so they are REALLY stuck now. And desperate.

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