> Let's say the White House DID want to get revenge on Wilson; *Why* would it > choose outing his wife as the way to do it?� Wouldn't there be countless > better, more direct, more subtle, less *traitorous* ways to do so?� You know, > get him tax audited, get a friendly journalist to write a character > assasination article,� or something?� Is the White House so powerless that it would > need > to resort to compromising national security to get a petty revenge, and so > uncaring about national security that it would actually do so? > Sounds about right to me. I'm not saying this was the best way to get back at Wilson or even a good way. My opinion of the Bush II White House is that they are so arrogant and convinced of their own sanctity (and the timid press and toothless Democrats) that they figure they can do pretty much anything and get away with it.
You're probably right that incompetence plays a big part in this. But I think you're discounting malice too quickly. They did something very stupid for very malicious reasons. > How do you know he hasn't ordered his staff to 'fess up?� What if the > person(s) who did it (intentionally or through error/stupidity) acted alone, > and won't confess? > If that's the case, then Bush is not running his own shop. If he really and truly wanted to get to the bottom of this (rather than just get credit for appearing to be trying to do so) he could and would put the fear of God into his staff and make damn sure the guilty party was found and punished. Otherwise, all the jokes about how he's a figurehead would turn out to be true. > My question is: don't a bunch of journalists *know* who told them the > leak?� > Why don't they spill the beans and put an end to this whole thing?� This > isn't a case of them protecting some confidential informant whistleblower,� > it's a traitorous leaker who *used* them. > True, but that's putting the onus where it strongly does not belong. Also, without evidence, anyone they name will simply deny it. Someone in the White House committed a crime. If the press wants to out the miscreant, fine. But everyone should be angry and pressing the White House to come clean. I repeat: Either Bush knows, and is lying; or he doesn't know, and is incompetent at managing his own underlings. Neither should fill anyone, even - especially - a Bush supporter, with confidence in the man supposedly in charge. Tom Beck www.prydonians.org www.mercerjewishsingles.org "I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I never dreamed I'd see the last." - Dr Jerry Pournelle _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
