Headlines, Page One..... Retractions, Page 20

My favorite line from any news story recently has absolutely nothing to do with my article (blog) today.... but I've just got to repeat it here. From the Associated Press story about the lackluster MTV Video Music Awards show last night:

"Fans watch for the FCC-flaunting skits, nearly naked starlets, foul-mouthed speeches and those embarrassingly bad dance numbers."

"They do NOT watch for lectures from former Vice President Al Gore on global warming. When does the phrase "here's a photo of a glacier melting" ever fit into an awards show?"

My real point today is considerably more serious. The Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame myth has finally exploded right in the face of the mob who for months were trying to storm the presidential castle. It turns out that the monster was actually Joe Wilson himself.

Dr. Frankenstein, the man who created the monster, was none other than the previously highly respected Richard L. Armitage. The former deputy secretary of state, Armitage's reputation is now ruined forever as the man who allowed this debacle to ever happen.

How many Senators and Congress persons did you watch on television calling for Karl Rove's resignation, prosecution, imprisonment and much worse? How many political hacks did you watch calling for Bush's impeachment?

This is exactly what happens when the culture of personal hatred eclipses the ability of these same people to think logically or reasonably.

The feeding frenzy dominated page one of the Washington Post, the New York Times and other national newspapers. It dominated prime time on the cable news networks and was, for months, the lead story on the evening network news.

I'll give the Washington Post (registration required) credit for their fair and honest editorial. But it was on page 20 of today's newspaper. The New York Times first "new story" coverage of this day's old story won't even appear until tomorrow (Saturday.... how typical and how tragic). You can bet it won't be on Page One. Here's some of what the Post had to say:

"....all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame's cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage."

"Mr. Armitage was one of the Bush administration officials who supported the invasion of Iraq only reluctantly. He was a political rival of the White House and Pentagon officials who championed the war and whom Mr. Wilson accused of twisting intelligence about Iraq and then plotting to destroy him."

"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."

TECHNORATI TAGS: VALERIE PLAME JOE WILSON KARL ROVE WASHINGTON POSTPLAMEGATE GEORGE BUSH IRAQ

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