Is it April Fool's Day?
[Updated Twice]
Jason Leopold at Truthout reports the following "breaking news":
Almost every week Leopold puts out a story like this--which looks and reads much like a story you'd find in the New York Times or Washington Post--and invariably makes some explosive claim about the Valerie Plame investigation. But these "scoops" never seem to be corroborated by reputable news outlets, which means Leopold either has the best, most exclusive sources in Washington, or he's just making this stuff up (or I suppose a third possibility is that he's got very bad sources and is just incredibly gullible). Either way, it comes across like a never-ending April Fool's joke.
If there should turn out to be any truth to this story, I'll of course be the first to apologize and congratulate Mr. Leopold. Until then, though, I'll stick with The Onion for my fake Cheney-related news.
UPDATE: A commenter points out that an AP article seems to back Leopold up:
The AP, however, buries this paragraph toward the bottom of its story, clearly not believing it to be as explosive a development as Leopold does. But this story does make Leopold's account more plausible than I had originally thought.
In searching for that previous AP story, I also came across this one from a few weeks ago:
I don't know if these are the same 250 pages, but I thought I'd point this out. If the 250 pages of emails from the Vice President's Office were merely documents requested by Libby's defense team and shipped over by Fitzgerald, this is probably a non-story.
UPDATE II: In light of the AP story above, I feel I owe Mr. Leopold an apology. It wasn't fair to suggest that he was just making this all up. Plus, as a commenter pointed out, at least Mr. Leopold is willing to sign his name to his work. That's certainly a fair point given that I'm blogging anonymously. So, Mr. Leopold, I apologize.
Jason Leopold at Truthout reports the following "breaking news":
The White House turned over last week 250
pages of emails from Vice President Dick
Cheney's office. Senior aides had sent the
emails in the spring of 2003 related to the
leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame
Wilson, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald
revealed during a federal court hearing Friday.
The emails are said to be explosive, and may
prove that Cheney played an active role in the
effort to discredit Plame Wilson's husband,
former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a vocal
critic of the Bush administration's prewar Iraq
intelligence, sources close to the investigation
said.
Sources close to the probe said the White
House "discovered" the emails two weeks ago
and turned them over to Fitzgerald last week.
The sources added that the emails could prove
that Cheney lied to FBI investigators when he
was interviewed about the leak in early 2004.
Cheney said that he was unaware of any
effort to discredit Wilson or unmask his wife's
undercover status to reporters.
If there should turn out to be any truth to this story, I'll of course be the first to apologize and congratulate Mr. Leopold. Until then, though, I'll stick with The Onion for my fake Cheney-related news.
UPDATE: A commenter points out that an AP article seems to back Leopold up:
The defense was told that the White House
had recently located and turned over about
250 pages of e-mails from the vice
president's office. Fitzgerald, in a letter last
month to the defense, had cautioned Libby's
lawyers that some e-mails might be missing
because the White House's archiving system
had failed.
The AP, however, buries this paragraph toward the bottom of its story, clearly not believing it to be as explosive a development as Leopold does. But this story does make Leopold's account more plausible than I had originally thought.
In searching for that previous AP story, I also came across this one from a few weeks ago:
Fitzgerald told the judge that he has turned
over "99 percent" of the evidence he believes
he is obligated to provide to the defense.
Last night, he said, he gave 250 pages to the
defense. An additional 800 pages were
turned over Friday morning, Fitzgerald said.
I don't know if these are the same 250 pages, but I thought I'd point this out. If the 250 pages of emails from the Vice President's Office were merely documents requested by Libby's defense team and shipped over by Fitzgerald, this is probably a non-story.
UPDATE II: In light of the AP story above, I feel I owe Mr. Leopold an apology. It wasn't fair to suggest that he was just making this all up. Plus, as a commenter pointed out, at least Mr. Leopold is willing to sign his name to his work. That's certainly a fair point given that I'm blogging anonymously. So, Mr. Leopold, I apologize.
posted by A.L. at 12:42 AM
15 Comments:
If you think the folks at TRUTHOUT get it wrong sometimes, CHECK OUT THE ENDLESS AND MINDLESS BABBLE AT FIREDOGLAKE!!!!!! Whom I see you link to on the right.
Now I hear that the geniuses behind that one are going to stick their collective noses into kansas and tell those morons what to do and think, even though their endless specuation and analysis is consistently wrong too.
The "track record" of TRUTHOUT and its sources are infinitely more useful/accurate than most of the links on your "blogroll"
Guess if you really think it is appropriate to single them out while promoting the likes of FDL and ABC news, that's up to you.
Doesn't really seem to show a "thoughful" or even helpful attitude, however...
just my humble opinion, feel free to disagre...
At least TRUTHOUT
was anonymous just passing by to vent some rage or does he/she/it same some specific example of where firedoglake got something wrong and didn't later correct it.
I was trying to thing what the wingnuts might have against ABC News and then I remembered that did that story on Nightline that showed what a lying sack the Not So Swiftboaters were.
the AP is the source:
The defense was told that the White House had recently located and turned over about 250 pages of e-mails from the vice president’s office. Fitzgerald, in a letter last month to the defense, had cautioned Libby’s lawyers that some e-mails might be missing because the White House’s archiving system had failed.
The 2½-hour hearing not only kicked off the battle over how much classified information a jury will hear when Libby’s case goes to trial, but also showed how cumbersome it is to deal with such secret evidence.
When Wells tried to hand Walton a blue pouch — complete with a key — containing classified documents, a court security officer called the judge’s clerk over and whispered instructions, presumably on its handling.
“I would not be a good safe-breaker,” Walton joked as he fumbled with the pouch’s lock before opening it.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
anonymous,
There's a big difference between a blog that comments on the news and a blog that claims to be doing actual reporting. FireDogLake and other blogs (with a few notable exceptions) merely link to news accounts provided by other sources and provide commentary. You can disagree with the opinions expressed at FDL, but they're not claiming to be doing actual reporting, so it's very different. What's interesting to me about these stories at Truthout is that they cite anonymous sources, just like article in a major newspaper would. Since we have no way of confirming this information, we simply have to rely on the credibility of the news outlet.
There's also a big difference between bloggers that use their real names and ones that are too cowardly.
Anonymous bloggers who write crap like this - slandering real journalists - and can't even be bothered to back it up with any links or evidence.
As I've written many times...you should always question whatever you read whether it's on a blog, in a newspaper or at a news web site...but this is just an unsubstantiated, vicious and cowardly smear.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
dont think anonymous above was disagree with opinions at FDL -- just saying that their presentation and speculation of the facts is consistently "flat" -- it isn't like they have any great insight into these affairs.
Not a "put-down", just a statement that someone is making as an observations.
Yup - we all have rights to our opinions and some of us choose to proclaim them to the world.
The point is whether or not we think we know it all or if we actually trying to share ideas and build concensus for change -- proclaiming that is what I am doing while saying everyone else is wrong just doesn't cut it.
But feel free to disagree -- its the DIALOG that matters, not what so-and-so says.
LOL
Like somehow people are more important or "right" cuz of a handle they use, often to hide their true identity and create another one.
Must be part of the FDL crowd that thinks there opinions are more important than everyone else.
Maybe some of us are here for ideas and not to scream LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!
But feel free to disagree and proclaim to the world you are "so-and-so", blogging god...
Nice pick up on the 2/3/06 AP.
Thought I'd drop the link to Fitz's 1/23/06 letter where he mentions that not all email "was preserved through the normal archiving process".
“In an abundance of caution,” Fitzgerald's January 23 letter to Libby's defense team states, “we advise you that we have learned that not all email of the Office of the Vice President and the Executive Office of the President for certain time periods in 2003 was preserved through the normal archiving process on the White House computer system.”
Pollyusa
I have often thought the "breaking news" from Jason Leopold, now with TruthOut, previously via Raw Story, were simply reframed breaking stories from mainstream media.
In other words, when you read Leopold's latest story, there truly isn't a whole heck of a lot of difference in his breaking "news, reporting behind the scenes" from the actual AP story released.
And I remember before Fitzmas, with Leopold and Raw Story reporting this person or that one flipped, if you trolled the Internet, there was some mainstream story from which they could hang their "breaking news" headline and opine on what it meant.
Yep, just a tweak of this and that, with underlying facts the same, and voila, you have a breaking story!
In essence, if I am understanding a number of you correctly, what you seem to be saying is that Leopold's reporting is very similar to a FAUX NEWS ALERT!
Leopold's articles are intended to alarm the reader by manipulating their emotions, but when you get to the core of the story, there is not "there," there?
Anonymous you are close to the $$$.
I decided to take my suspicions to Lexis/Nexis and wrote about it in my super-duper secret and rarely read blog.
I hope I don't offend with my characterization, just remember, hardly anyone reads my blog.
I read your blog every day and love it.
Thanks for apologizing to Mr. Leopard, who I can only hope is right in what he says.
It's always nice to see the "good guys" acting "good", so the apology was appreciated by this fan of yours.
The "new look" of your blog is great. Keep up the good work.
Wow, I'll have to really keep an eye on this story! Good job covering it. It still seems to early to tell if it's as damaging as that article you linked from Truthout indicates. Good work =)
Appreciate that you posted a "rethink" - IMHO, no appology was necessary because in general, I don't think your blog reflects a "know-it-all", "I am right/everyone else is wong", or "if everyone else would just shut-up and LOOK AT ME!" attitude.
IMHO, there are blogs like that and there are also commentors that try to dominate boards with thier "perspective" -- often using the fact that they have "self-important" sounding handles and bogs to justify their importance.
IMHO, the power of the blogosphere will be more fully realized when we share ideas, agree to agree or disagree on any number of issues, and let ideas rise above the personalities.
In general, I think Anonymous Liberal does a great job. Thank!
Don't see how "Mr. Leopold is willing to sign his name to his work" is relevant when it is fairly obvious the real problem is that personalities often come before principles in the so-called "reality based" community...
The voices of many, un-named people will do much more to create change than all the "superstars" put together.
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