No, I'm saying it is only a crime if the information is classified, if the source finds out about the information via official channels and knows that the information is classified but reveals it nevertheless. In that case, absolutely that is a crime and it should be punished.
I hear a lot of people jumping to conclusions about what Rove knew and how he knew it on the basis of very few actual facts. Let me re-state why I believe Rove will never be charged. There is no proof that Rove learned through official channels that Joe Wilson's wife was an undercover spy for the CIA. On the contrary, the facts seem to be totally at odds with that assumption. Apparently word was "going around" Washington that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. I have heard many journalists on the left and right echo that statement. Apparently Rove learned about this tidbit from another journalist before he shared it with Cooper. The big question on everyone's lips is who was the first person to leak her identity to the press? Because, and here is where details become very important, if Rove learned about her identity from Judith Miller, he didn't break any laws in sharing what was in effect hearsay with Cooper (and maybe Novak). Was it wrong for him to share that information? Again, it depends on what he knew. If he knew she was an undercover agent, then it was wrong, if not illegal. But again, it is a big stretch to go from the knowledge that Rove shared the fact that she worked at the CIA to the assumption that Rove knew she was an undercover operative at the CIA. >Let me be clear, I am not saying Rove did or did not commit a crime >(that can be debated somewhere else), but what you seem to be saying >here is that classified information can be leaked to a reporter for >"[deep] background" but no crime is committed unless the reporter >"blabs." I'm sorry but that just doesn't wash. > >If it is a criminal act to reveal classified information, and >classified information is revealed to anyone not cleared for it, then >a crime is committed, no matter the circumstance I should think (e.g. >reporter, wife, gf/bf, whatever). > >If no one ever finds out, then I think it is simply "getting away with >it," not "not committing a crime." > > > >-- >will > > >"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true; >and that would just be unacceptable." >- Carrie Fisher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:164683 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
