Conservative Blogger: Putting Plamegate to Bed...

The Washington Post--the political paper of record in this country--has finally figured it out.

In an editorial today, the WaPo Editorial Board revisits the Valerie Plame story and their "last word" on the subject pretty much yanks the rug right out from under Joe Wilson.

Washington Post | Editorial Pages | End of an Affair

It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue. The partisan clamor that followed the raising of that allegation by Mr. Wilson in the summer of 2003 led to the appointment of a special prosecutor, a costly and prolonged investigation, and the indictment of Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, on charges of perjury. All of that might have been avoided had Mr. Armitage's identity been known three years ago

...

Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.

Indeed. I couldn't agree more, it's just a shame it took the Post this long to figure it out. This isn't just any newspaper coming to this conclusion. This is the political paper of record in Washington and inside the Beltway. If the Post's editorial board says it, you can bet it will be repeated by others in Washington.

That isn't stopping the überLibs/MoveOn/Deaniac types, though. As far as they're concerned, this is just part of the grand conspiracy. They believe that the WaPo has caved into the Bush Administration.

The Washington Post has had the sense to recognize the situation for what it is. I just wish the Left would do the same.

William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com

Posted by WilliamSmith on September 1, 2006 11:39 PM to Conservative Blogger