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)