ANOTHER SNOW JOB

Tony Snow's column about Plame ("Manipulation of ignorance abuses system") ran in my local paper today and although it has many glaring errors, I will only deal with three here.

SNOW: The manipulation of ignorance continued with Reid's claim of "manufacturing" intelligence ... never linked to a specific piece of intelligence or prewar administration statement.
TRUTH: The AP had an article that debunked most of the claims Powell made at the U.N. "Powell's Case for Iraq War Falls Apart 6 Months Later," by Charles Hanley, Aug. 11 2003.

SNOW: Wrong again: The column that "outed" Valerie Plame did not mention her name - merely that she was the wife of Joe Wilson
TRUTH:"Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction." Novak, July 14th 2003.

SNOW: When exposed, she was not "covert" ...
TRUTH: "Valerie Wilson's cover was blown in July 2003. In July 2003, the fact that Valerie Wilson was a CIA officer was classified. Not only was it classified, but it was not widely known outside the intelligence community. Valerie Wilson's friends, neighbors, college classmates had no idea she had another life. The fact that she was a CIA officer was not well-known, for her protection or for the benefit of all us. It's important that a CIA officer's identity be protected, that it be protected not just for the officer, but for the nation's security. ... This is a very serious matter and compromising national security information is a very serious matter." Patrick Fitzgerald, 10/28/05