Isikoff Forgets His Own Book

by emptywheel

This Isikoff piece is just weird. Not in the almost-true-but-misleading sense that Isikoff is normally weird. But in the way he forgets his own book. He (and Mark Hosenball) present the memo confirming Valerie Wilson's covert status as big new news.

In the “unclassified summary” of his memom which was based on information cleared by the CIA and became publicly available Tuesday, Fitzgerald provided new details about Wilson’s previously classified activities at the agency. In January, 2002, she was working for the agency “as an operations officer” in the Directorate of Operations’s Counterproliferation Division (CPD) and serving as “chief” of a unit with responsibility for weapons proliferation  issues related to Iraq. In that capacity, he added, she traveled overseas in an undercover capacity.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all of that "new" information appeared in a book published last fall. It's called Hubris, authored by one Michael Isikoff and David Corn. The updated paperback edition was released ... yesterday. But Isikoff seems to be unaware that this is not new news--at least not to him. Wouldn't you have expected him to write, "the report confirms reporting published in Hubris last year..."? Or maybe Isikoff is still cross that David Corn got that into the book.

Isikoff also uses this opportunity to suggest that, by comparison with Libby, the other Administration leakers did not leak intentionally.

Libby’s trial earlier this year established that at least three other Bush administration officials —former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer (who testified under a grant of immunity) — also disclosed information about Valerie Wilson’s identity to journalists. But Fitzgerald contends that Libby’s disclosures—primarily to New York Times reporter Judith Miller—were made “deliberately and for the purpose for influencing media coverage of the public debate concerning intelligence leading to the war in Iraq” [my emphasis]

Isikoff must have missed the day where Ari said he deliberately leaked Plame's identity because he thought it would get the press to stop pursuing the Joe Wilson story. Or the entire history of Rove's career, where he does little, if anything, that is unintentional.

Similarly, Isikoff presents only the harsh attacks on the Wilsons from the SSCI, not the significant retreat from claims that Valerie Wilson's role in her husband's trip was improper.

three Republican senators-including Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri, vice chairman of the panel—filed “additional views” harshly criticizing Valerie Wilson and her husband for allegedly misleading the committee in 2004 about the role she played in suggesting her husband’s trip to Niger to investigate reports that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger. Citing allegedly contradictory statements she has made more recently to a House committee, the GOP senators called for a re-interview of Valerie Wilson.

This one, honestly, may take a bit of subtle reading. But I find the news that the SSCI truncated all the reporting that Valerie's went out of her way to avoid a conflict of interest with Joe's trip pretty significant, not to mention the minority of the minority's retreat from claims that Valerie's role was improper.

But that would involve reading through the spin.

Don't get me wrong. For much of the world, the news that Valerie Wilson was covert seems to be new news. But the second-to-last person in the press corps that should be true for--after, presumably, David Corn himself--is Michael Isikoff.

Comments

[Sojourner]

Isikoff probably forgot because it just was not significant to him.

In this whole world of "spin" and half-truths, I sincerely hope that Scooter sees the inside of a cell for a long time. I think Fitz is laying the groundwork for that to happen -- and I have to wonder if he is laying the groundwork for a surprise of some sort that may involve the VP. One can only hope...

[&y]

Mr. Isikoff will show that, in the constant rush of more pressing matters, any errors he made in his articles, months after the book's publication, were the result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory, rather than a willful intent to deceive.

[William Ockham]

This is an excellent example of the press narrative at work. In D.C., reality is determined by the consensus of the ruling class without regard to facts. The "reality" of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert status can't be established by Isikoff and Corn (or the CIA or DOJ for that matter), but only when it is accepted by the Washington elite.

I wouldn't be surprised if Toensing and crew stay in denial that Isikoff would end of writing that her covert status is "disputed". Those are the rules.

[Mauimom]

Marcy, what is it with Isikoff? He never can really get it right. And it burns me that KO has him on with some frequency.

He can't be that stupid, can he? On the other hand, has he "sold out"? Is this just his feeble attempt to appear "fair and balanced," so he can keep receiving invitations to the cocktail weenie circuit?

Thoughts?

[Canuck Stuck in Muck]

Sheesh! I'm getting whiplash from shaking my head at the latest "news" that V. Plame Wilson was covert. And Bond (not James) wants her back before the Senate because he says SHE'S being disingenuous (http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20070530-102731-6963)!. Crikey! And people who should know better, like Kevin Drum (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/29/politics/animal/main2865777.shtml) and the NYT, which comes out with this unbelievable ignorance of the truth: "Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, could have easily cleared up the confusion during his more than two years of prosecuting the case, but he waited until now" (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/valerie-plame-covert-indeed/). I confess. I'm not surprised. But I am really disappointed, as always, with the traditional media. Stenographers, all of them! Half-wits! Dim-wits! Nit-wits! I stand by yesterday's 18:04 comment (http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/05/the_wilson_ssci_1.html). And it gets clearer every day. Bond is still going on about whether or not V. Plame Wilson "sent" her husband on the mission. They're still trying to paint Ambassador Wilson as a momma's boy, like the schoolyard bullies they all are.
Can you say, "fed up?"

[freepatriot]

maybe Isikof is just making it up as he goes along

kinda like shitstain jodi does

[Rayne]

"the other Administration leakers did not leak intentionally" = "they didn't mean to do it"

Yeesh. Did Isikoff's puppetmasters so enjoy the success of Goodling's little girl "didn't mean to do it" routine last week that they decided to deploy it more broadly?

I can hear it now:

"I didn't meant to start a war."
"We didn't mean to go trillions into debt."
"I didn't mean to torture people or spy on citizens."
"We didn't mean to out a covert operative. Really."

I suppose this is what is new to Isikoff -- a new apologia, spun around the shiny object in the validation of Plame's status.

[BillE]

Just remember Izzy used to write for the Washington Star along with a number of the other beltway pundit/reports who trashed Clinton and still like the bushies. These guys include the likes for Howie Kurtz, Mo Dowd, and Fred Hiatt have a lot to do with creating national memes and are deeply seeded into the MSM.

I don't know what David Corn thinks on this subject but partnering with someone as dubious as Izzy made me cringe, but he was also buddies with Viveca Novak so go figure.