I foolishly believed David Broder’s analysis of the Plame scandal bottomed out last fall, when the “dean” of the DC media establishment dismissed the entire controversy as an “overblown…conspiracy theory,” insisted that Valerie Plame had not actually been “outed” as a covert CIA official, criticized Patrick Fitzgerald for nothing in particular, and argued that journalists “owe Karl Rove an apology.”
Of course, that was written in September 2006. Perhaps Broder would consider the evidence presented at Scooter Libby’s trial and change his mind. Perhaps he would begin to appreciate the seriousness of the controversy. Perhaps he could reflect on what he wrote nine months ago and realize his misjudgment.
Despite the absence of any underlying crime, Fitzgerald filed charges against Libby for denying to the FBI and the grand jury that he had discussed the Wilson case with reporters. Libby was convicted on the testimony of reporters from NBC, the New York Times and Time magazine — a further provocation to conservatives.
I think they have a point. This whole controversy is a sideshow — engineered partly by the publicity-seeking former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife and heightened by the hunger in parts of Washington to “get” Rove for something or other.
Like other special prosecutors before him, Fitzgerald got caught up in the excitement of the case and pursued Libby relentlessly, well beyond the time that was reasonable.
Broder’s been having a really bad year, but regurgitating GOP talking points like this is just beneath him.
Oddly enough, Broder’s column ran on page B7 of today’s Washington Post. Readers found a more accurate appraisal of the scandal four pages earlier, on page B3, from Carol Leonnig, who covers the federal courts for the Post, and who debunked some of the “myths” surrounding the Plame controversy.
One can only hope Broder reads it.
Update: On a related note, Rick Perlstein reminds me that Broder’s recollection on the moral equivalence between Nixon and McGovern in 1972 is equally odd.
