Mr. President, Enough is Enough
Dear Friends,
I wanted to give you an update on what's happening in the other Washington with regards to the Valerie Plame case.
In the next few days, I will be joining with Representative Rush Holt and other colleagues to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry in Congress. The resolution will demand that the Bush Administration turn over all information relating to the disclosure of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA agent.
Our message is simple: enough is enough. It is time to be honest with the American people, and I'm asking you to join me to demand the truth by signing this letter to the President. Tomorrow, we will be holding a press conference to introduce the Resolution of Inquiry, and I'd like to walk into that room knowing that you are with me. >>Sign the letter
For the last two years, the White House has provided no information about who leaked undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to conservative columnist Robert Novak. On multiple occasions, the President and his spokesman have bluntly stated they would investigate and punish those responsible. And yet, two years later, there are still no answers.
As you may remember, Valerie Plame's husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, joined me in Shoreline a month after Novak's column for a forum on the intelligence failures leading up to the Iraq War. I had invited Wilson because he had discredited one of the Administration's justifications for invading Iraq -- that Saddam Hussein has attempted to purchase uranium in Niger to use in a nuclear weapon.
It was at that forum that Wilson first publicly suggested that Karl Rove was involved in the exposure of his wife's job at the CIA:
"At the end of the day, it's of keen interest to me to see whether or not we can get Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs. And trust me, when I use that name, I measure my words."
Wilson's statement was met by flat denials from the White House and a renewed effort to defame his character. In the last several days, however, it has become evident that the Ambassador was on the right track.
It is now clear that Rove discussed Valerie Plame with at least one reporter before the Novak column was published. In a conversation with Time's Matthew Cooper, Rove referred to Plame as as "Wilson's wife, who apparently worked at the agency on WMD issues." While Rove didn't say her name, he certainly provided all the information necessary to identify her.
These revelations have triggered a change of tone in the White House. For the past several days, the White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, has refused to answer any questions on the subject. He has also declined to stand by earlier assurances that Rove was not involved, and that anyone found to have been involved would "no longer be part of the Administration." Suddenly, the White House "won't comment on an ongoing investigation."
And according to this morning's New York Times, no one in the White House has even asked Rove if he did anything wrong.
Again, enough is enough.
With the media's focus on the political ramifications of Rove's involvement, it's easy to forget why it's important to get to the bottom of this. But I believe there are two reasons why this goes beyond a simple partisan battle.
First, the timing of Novak's column suggests that someone in the White House outed Plame to retaliate against Wilson for daring to speak out against the Administration. Stifling dissent in a democracy is never acceptable, but when the debate is about whether or not to send our sons and daughters to war, the most weighty decision a President can possibly make, it is particularly egregious.
Secondly, the fact that someone in the White House was willing to sacrifice the mission of a covert CIA operative for a political vendetta is disturbing, and that those individuals may still to have access to confidential information is an unacceptable security risk.
I will continue keeping the pressure on the Administration to tell the truth about the outing of Valerie Plame, and I'm asking you to join me. I hope you'll take a moment to sign this letter to the President demanding that he take action by finding and punishing the source of the leak. Working together, we can get some answers. >>Sign the letter
Very Truly Yours,
Jay Inslee
www.jayinslee.com
I wanted to give you an update on what's happening in the other Washington with regards to the Valerie Plame case.
In the next few days, I will be joining with Representative Rush Holt and other colleagues to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry in Congress. The resolution will demand that the Bush Administration turn over all information relating to the disclosure of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA agent.
Our message is simple: enough is enough. It is time to be honest with the American people, and I'm asking you to join me to demand the truth by signing this letter to the President. Tomorrow, we will be holding a press conference to introduce the Resolution of Inquiry, and I'd like to walk into that room knowing that you are with me. >>Sign the letter
For the last two years, the White House has provided no information about who leaked undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to conservative columnist Robert Novak. On multiple occasions, the President and his spokesman have bluntly stated they would investigate and punish those responsible. And yet, two years later, there are still no answers.
As you may remember, Valerie Plame's husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, joined me in Shoreline a month after Novak's column for a forum on the intelligence failures leading up to the Iraq War. I had invited Wilson because he had discredited one of the Administration's justifications for invading Iraq -- that Saddam Hussein has attempted to purchase uranium in Niger to use in a nuclear weapon.
It was at that forum that Wilson first publicly suggested that Karl Rove was involved in the exposure of his wife's job at the CIA:
"At the end of the day, it's of keen interest to me to see whether or not we can get Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs. And trust me, when I use that name, I measure my words."
Wilson's statement was met by flat denials from the White House and a renewed effort to defame his character. In the last several days, however, it has become evident that the Ambassador was on the right track.
It is now clear that Rove discussed Valerie Plame with at least one reporter before the Novak column was published. In a conversation with Time's Matthew Cooper, Rove referred to Plame as as "Wilson's wife, who apparently worked at the agency on WMD issues." While Rove didn't say her name, he certainly provided all the information necessary to identify her.
These revelations have triggered a change of tone in the White House. For the past several days, the White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, has refused to answer any questions on the subject. He has also declined to stand by earlier assurances that Rove was not involved, and that anyone found to have been involved would "no longer be part of the Administration." Suddenly, the White House "won't comment on an ongoing investigation."
And according to this morning's New York Times, no one in the White House has even asked Rove if he did anything wrong.
Again, enough is enough.
With the media's focus on the political ramifications of Rove's involvement, it's easy to forget why it's important to get to the bottom of this. But I believe there are two reasons why this goes beyond a simple partisan battle.
First, the timing of Novak's column suggests that someone in the White House outed Plame to retaliate against Wilson for daring to speak out against the Administration. Stifling dissent in a democracy is never acceptable, but when the debate is about whether or not to send our sons and daughters to war, the most weighty decision a President can possibly make, it is particularly egregious.
Secondly, the fact that someone in the White House was willing to sacrifice the mission of a covert CIA operative for a political vendetta is disturbing, and that those individuals may still to have access to confidential information is an unacceptable security risk.
I will continue keeping the pressure on the Administration to tell the truth about the outing of Valerie Plame, and I'm asking you to join me. I hope you'll take a moment to sign this letter to the President demanding that he take action by finding and punishing the source of the leak. Working together, we can get some answers. >>Sign the letter
Very Truly Yours,
Jay Inslee
www.jayinslee.com
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 5:33 AM
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