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October 27, 2005
Watching the Plame Game...
I haven't said much about the investigation of Valerie Plame's outing yet, because frankly I'm just waiting for someone to actually know something. However, I will say this:
It has been very enjoyable these last couple of weeks watching dozens (if not hundreds) of Clinton apologists suddenly start preaching on the seriousness of the crime of perjury. The irony is so thick and sweet I'm spreading it on my morning toast.
Politics by Dan at October 27, 2005 10:46 PM
Comments
huh? who perjured? about what?
(sorry, I haven't been watching this particular news item too closely. Was there a trial?)
Posted by: Tanya the Happy Tester at October 28, 2005 09:11 AM
No trial yet, except in the press. ;)
For those who've been happily ignoring this...
Long ago, two or three folks let it slip that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA. This was a secret, for some definition of secret. Some claim it was generally known. Others claim it was as closely held a secret as when we traded Jimmy Hoffa for those alien bodies. [Hmmm, there's a story in there somewhere.] There was originally a great cry about how this violated a particular law about outing covert agents for political purposes since this was tied up in the controversy over pre-Iraq War intelligence of weapons of mass destruction.
Well, after some analysis, the general consensus has been that the law in question was not really applicable here for several reasons that I'll leave to the astute researcher. However, an investigation was already underway, even though the likely law that would be used to charge the leakers isn't appliable. However, get enough people under oath, and if they're trying to avoid admitting to something they did, you're likely to catch someone lying under oath, hence perjury.
After much suspense, and countless electrons spilt in online analysis, it looks like the indictments, if any, will be handed out today. In preparation for this, the left has been salivating to mount the heads of various Republican officials (notably Rove and Libby and an outside chance at Cheney), and thus they've been playing up the importance of the crime of perjury.
Perjury, you may remember, is the crime that was trivial and inconsequential when Clinton was being impeached.
Like I said, the irony is thick and sweet.
Posted by: Dan at October 28, 2005 10:50 AM
Yes, the irony has been thick in both directions. Hearing transcripts of Kay Bailey Hutchinson from the Clinton impeachment read against her recent worries that Fitzgerald might be dealing with trivial perjury charges rather than serious crimes was particularly acute.
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/24/hutchison-flip-flop/
Honestly, both parties have a proven recent ability to be as hypocritcal as needs demand. I think that's pretty inarguable.
Posted by: Jonathan Abbey at October 28, 2005 12:31 PM