Delay: Valerie Plame was not a CIA agent

crooksandliars.com
Delay: Valerie Plame was not a CIA agent
By: John Amato

The Bugman was back on Hardball today and he was really just a swell guy. Delay is totally one hundred percent against any type of leaks—except—if they concern Karl Rove. Tom actually said that Valerie Plame wasn’t even a CIA agent. It sounded like the "Who’s on First," Abbott and Costello routine once Delay got caught,

Matthews: Isn’t this like the Yankees and baseball? Everyone wants to beat the Yankees…

Delay: It’s not politics; This is war.

Matthews: It’s not politics?

Delay: The American people understand the real war…

Matthews: You don’t think Karl Rove is behind this and saying, "Hey put in more fire, shoot ’em again, keep this going a couple of weeks"?

Delay: Absolutely not. This is war. The New York Times has undermined our national security and there ought to be consequences. It has nothing to do with politics.

Matthews: So you’re against leaking?

Delay: Yes, I’m against leaking.

Matthews: All leaking by the administration. So even this thing with the CIA agent shouldn’t have been leaked?
Delay: Absolutely not.

Matthews: So guys like Rove shouldn’t have been talking to the papers… and people like Scooter Libby shouldn’t have been talkin’;…I’m asking you.

Delay: I’m not gonna… I’m not a [???]; I’m not a judge.

Matthews: You said you were against leaking

Delay: You said something that Karl Rove is not being commited of, convicted of…

Matthews: He never denied it, and nobody is going to contest it. It’s public record that he leaked.

Delay: It’s just you saying that he is guilty.

Matthews: I am not saying it’s a crime. I’m saying he leaked.

Delay: How do you know he leaked?

Matthews: Because it’s the public record now that he leaked (laughs in frustration)! That doesn’t bother you?

Delay: No! Leaking national security secrets at a time of war is outrageous and shouldn’t be done.

Matthews: But not the identity of a CIA agent?

Delay: We can spend an hour on that. Valerie Plame was not a CIA agent.

Matthews: What was she?

Delay: (dismissively) She was behind a desk over at Langley.

Matthews: But was her classification undercover? She deep background?

Delay: Yes, but she was not an out-in-the field CIA agent, and that’s what the law is all about.

Matthews: That’s what the law is about, but it doesn’t say that… it just says… OK, we have exceptions here…Let me ask you….[goes on to next topic]

(h/t Patricia for the transcript)