I’ve been following all the excellent analysis and commentary surrounding Bob “I didn’t want to get subpoenaed” Woodward and yet I kept thinking things weren’t adding up. So a parsing I went…
And what I found leads me to believe these two “masters of the universe” really think we’re stupid. And Woodward is no journalist. And Downie is no editor.
Let’s start with when he told Downie about having been contacted by an SAO…
Woodward Apologizes to Post For Silence on Role in Leak Case :
Exactly what triggered Woodward’s disclosure to Downie remains unclear. Woodward said yesterday that he was “quite aggressively reporting” a story related to the Plame case when he told Downie about his involvement as the term of Fitzgerald’s grand jury was set to expire on Oct. 28.
The administration source who originally told Woodward about Plame approached the prosecutor recently to alert him to his 2003 conversation with Woodward. The source had not yet contacted Fitzgerald when Woodward notified Downie about their conversation, Woodward said.
“After Libby was indicted, [Woodward] noticed how his conversation with the source preceded the timing in the indictment,” Downie said yesterday. “He’s been working on reporting around that subject ever since the indictment.”
Once Fitzgerald contacted Woodward on Nov. 3 with a request to testify, the newspaper’s lawyers asked that nothing be published until after the deposition, Woodward said.
Hmmm…
Shortly after Woodward’s conversation with Downie in late October, a federal grand jury indicted Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in the Plame case.
So which is it? Did he tell Downie AFTER the GJ indicted Libby or BEFORE? If he told him BEFORE then how would he have “noticed” “his conversation with the source preceded the timing in the indictment”?
And then there’s his “aggressive pursuit” of the story… according to Woodward he was already working on the story when he told Downie. But according to Downie he had only started after the indictment… once again… which is it boys?
Both of these are pretty key to piecing together what is really going on here and either Woodward is just making shit up, lied to Downie, is just as “forgetful” as Karl Rove apparently, or they are both trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
Then we get to the fact that Woodward is no journalist and is really a complete hack.
From his “statement” about his GJ testimony –
Testifying in the CIA Leak Case :
The interviews were mostly confidential background interviews for my 2004 book “Plan of Attack” about the leadup to the Iraq war, ongoing reporting for The Washington Post and research for a book on Bush’s second term to be published in 2006.
Really? In 2003, Bob, you already knew that Bush would win a second term? Do you own stock in Diebold or are you just a shitty journalist?
And about those interviews back in June 2003… Woodward proves himself an even worse journalist than Judy “Valerie Flame” Miller… no small feat.
I also testified that I had a conversation with a third person on June 23, 2003. The person was I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, and we talked on the phone. I told him I was sending to him an 18-page list of questions I wanted to ask Vice President Cheney. On page 5 of that list there was a question about “yellowcake” and the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq’s weapons programs. I testified that I believed I had both the 18-page question list and the question list from the June 20 interview with the phrase “Joe Wilson’s wife” on my desk during this discussion. I testified that I have no recollection that Wilson or his wife was discussed, and I have no notes of the conversation.
So Woodward tells us he had a conversation with the VP’s Chief of Staff about questions he wanted to ask the VP and yet he took no notes. Bullshit. That’s not how journalists are supposed to conduct themselves.
I testified that on June 27, 2003, I met with Libby at 5:10 p.m. in his office adjacent to the White House. I took the 18-page list of questions with the Page-5 reference to “yellowcake” to this interview and I believe I also had the other question list from June 20, which had the “Joe Wilson’s wife” reference.
I have four pages of typed notes from this interview, and I testified that there is no reference in them to Wilson or his wife. A portion of the typed notes shows that Libby discussed the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction, mentioned “yellowcake” and said there was an “effort by the Iraqis to get it from Africa. It goes back to February ’02.” This was the time of Wilson’s trip to Niger.
When asked by Fitzgerald if it was possible I told Libby I knew Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA and was involved in his assignment, I testified that it was possible I asked a question about Wilson or his wife, but that I had no recollection of doing so. My notes do not include all the questions I asked, but I testified that if Libby had said anything on the subject, I would have recorded it in my notes.
Now this is some fine art of obsfucation… first he says he took those “18 pages of notes” with him to the interview with Libby. But then he tells us that his notes DO NOT include all the questions he asked Libby? Why not? How can you reasonably quote someone in context if you don’t have the QUESTION you asked them as reference? You can’t. It’s bullshit.
I assume you didn’t take notes or record what questions you asked Mark Felt as well… or was that Carl’s job? Sure you didn’t Bob. You dug yourself into a deep one here… either you lied to the GJ about your notes or you completely destroyed all credibility on any of your “quotes” in any of your books. Why should we believe anything you write if you are that sloppy about it?
And guys… we just ain’t stupid enough to buy it. And I’m pretty sure the “junkyard dog” isn’t either.
Sorry. Try again.
Cross posted @ Jaded Reality
