Why Plame, Cooper, and Miller Matter to Me

The All Spin Zone explains why even the war hawks -- especially the war hawks -- should care about the Plame outing.

If the outing stopped at Plame, the story would have been short. But it wasn't. By exposing Valerie Plame as a CIA operative, whoever leaked her name exposed not only her, but compromised her entire network. And that's what the corporate media and everyone else sniping today on Cooper and Miller and Time and the New York Times today forgets. This went beyond personal retribution. The actions of the person who revealed Plame's identity and role to Bob Novak, Jeff Gannon / James Guckert, Matt Cooper, Judith Miller, and other reporters did more than simply end Plame's career. They ended whole intelligence operations. They endangered the lives of not only Plame, but anyone associated with her. And why?

For political retribution.
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There is no journalistic privilege imperative in this case. You should have no doubt that there are dead bodies littering the intelligence landscape because of the actions of whoever leaked Valerie Plame Wilson's name and position.

I am very concerned about the chilling effect this case will have on the folks we so desperately need to sing from inside the halls of power. And I know that scaring them into silence is the whole purpose of this deadly game. If the Plame prosecution gets a major White House scalp, the exercise may prove worth the sacrifice. But I am uneasy now, because if Time turns over its stuff, Rove & Co. will have what they want, with no public indication that anyone is actually going to get nailed for the real crime.