I have the distinct pleasure to have interviewed Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame, two people I consider American heroes. So, when Karl Rove’s memoir was published, I obviously was very interested in anything Joseph had to say about it. I’m pleased that he, once again, has allowed me to publish his writings on TM.com, which he has done many times before. Because of Joseph Wilson’s brave Niger op-ed, a torrent of truth landed on George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, which resulted in an unholy hell being unleashed on many innocent patriots, including Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame. Karl Rove is no longer admired as “Bush’s brain,” as his prediction of a permanent majority lies in the dust, but he does deserve to be remembered in history as the Republican operative in an Administration that lied to get us into war, with Valerie Plame being the pound of flesh Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby and so many others chose was worth serving up as collateral damage amidst their arrogant plundering. It didn’t matter that Ms. Plame was a covert CIA operative working on sensitive material that could impact our national security. Valeria Plame was expendable; after all, she was only a woman. Karl Rove never had to answer for his un-American actions, and neither did Vice President Dick Cheney. Only history will tell the story if their getting away with it will come back to haunt us all.
GUEST POST BY JOSEPH C. WILSON
originally post at Huffington Post
Karl Rove’s book Courage and Consequence is less memoir than hoax. The chapters that relate to the CIA leak scandal are yet another attempt to deflect attention from his central role in the betrayal of Valerie Plame Wilson’s identity as a covert CIA officer.
His distortions and fabrications are consistent with his approach throughout this sordid and criminal affair. Wasting his opportunity to tell the truth, he offers absolutely nothing new, and his selective use of facts and quotes are a transparent effort to continue his long campaign to confuse people, unfortunately consistent with his past behavior.
His book is a pathetically weak defense of the disastrous policies pursued by the Bush administration, involving our country in a war of choice based on false intelligence and badly tarnishing the good name of the United States of America.
Nothing in Karl Rove’s book refutes those facts. His book, however, is illuminating in further exposing his political methods, especially his reliance on personal insults, not simply towards Valerie and myself, but also towards all those who opposed his unprincipled behavior.
If any additional proof to the irrefutable historical record were needed, Rove’s book demonstrates once again the actions of a vindictive, angry and petty man. Karl Rove betrayed his nation; now he has betrayed history.
Courage and Consequence? I think we are still paying the consequence for a lack of courage during that administration……I find it amazing that he nor anyone in that mal-administration still haven’t taken a perp walk yet….oh how I lonnnngggg for the days when we could brand such a person with some formof scarlet letter.
Where’s a secret renditioning crew and plane to a secret prison and about 3 or 4 years of water boardin…OOPS! FREEDOM TICKLING when you need it?
Karl Rove should be banished to the far reaches of Christendom for his part in Iraq, but particularly in destroying a covert CIA operative’s career, someone who was of great value to the US national security efforts. Amen dafederalist and secularh, what you both said times two.
Joe and Valerie Wilson are indeed national heros and the shame beyond Rove and the misbegotten Bush administration is how the MSM enabled what was done to them. They should be shamed for participating which just illustrates the rot at the center of the village.
Guest, perhaps you can answer a question or two for me? Was it or was it not Michael Ledeen (JINSA, AIPAC) who was respomsible for introducing to the Bush administartion the forged documents which indicated Saddam had purchased “yellowcake” from Niger? Wasn’t the fact that Joe Wilson suspected that these documents had been forged and could identify the forger the reason that his wife was outed? Isn’t it true that Plame was (is) an expert on the Iranian nuclear program? Thanks in advance for your answers. Peace
Joe Wilson isn’t able to answer the question right now, but here is my response.
Wasn’t the fact that Joe Wilson suspected that these documents had been forged and could identify the forger the reason that his wife was outed? Isn’t it true that Plame was (is) an expert on the Iranian nuclear program?
It was Wilson’s NYTimes op-ed that brought the house down around Valerie Plame. And, yes, that was indeed part of her portfolio. She is no longer with the CIA, as Rove helped break her cover, though none of it could have been done without VP Dick Cheney and his aide, Scooter Libby, being involved.
It was also Ledeen who brought these nefarious characters together, including Laurie Mylroie, a powerful behind the scenes conspiracy voice on all things Iraq and Saddam, to give them medals. Ledeen is a leading neoconservative whose overall notion of national security is preemptive attack.
Taylor, thanks but I think this whole theme needs to be fleshed out. Without the Saddam, WMD connection Congress could not have been bullied into allowing bush to invade Iraq. Rove admitted that much. The real question is what the end game was? And to whose advantage? Iraq was no threat to the United States. Iraq was a threat to both Israel and Iran. Plame was the expert on the Iranian nuclear program and by extension the Iraqi nuclear program. Cheney blinded that eye. Cheney also took Wilson out of the game, thereby allowing the neocons to forge documents and lie us into a war with Iraq. Iran was (is) no threat to the United States. Iran was (is) a threat to Israel and Iraq. The common denominator is always Israel. Ledeen and Mylroie = neocons = AIPAC and JINSA = Israel, etc. Peace
Well, it’s not like Wilson-Plame and many others didn’t try.
Speaker Pelosi stopped any further investigations on it, with Obama clearly not having the stomach for it.
We’ll never know the extent to which Cheney hobbled the CIA, because Democrats don’t have the taste for political justice, even when it’s warranted.
You’ve now got Thomas Friedman and Jon Meacham of Newsweek, along with Rove, beginning the rehabilitation of Bush. Newsweek’s cover article, Victory at Last, a real slap in the face, with Friedman actually writing this week that Iraqis “craved democracy,’ which is utter and complete bullshit.