If it's secret how come I know it?

I've watched all the Sunday morning talk shows. I've read all the newspaper accounts and blogs. I've listened to talk radio. I've even read the entire 22-page indictment against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Want to know how this boils down?

The apologists argue for revealing classified information. They support publicly identifying CIA covert agents. Non-official cover agents at that and not those protected with diplomatic immunity. They are in favor of perjury, lying to FBI agents and obstructing justice. They say the Democrats are responsible. They are against national security. They love losing a national intelligence asset in the area of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They poo-poo how this undermines CIA's ability to recruit informants and agents. They deny that the CIA and not the Democrats demanded a investigation. They refuse to admit that it wasn't a foreign government that exposed Valerie Plame it was our own. They dismiss the obvious involvement of the Vice President and Karl Rove in the intentional outing of a political critic's wife. They say it's not really a crime or if it is it's merely a technicality. They say there was no underlying crime charged so this indictment is wrong. As if what Monica did to Bill in the Oval Office was a crime. (Unless she did it badly which really is a crime.) They know that "Scooter" won't do any jail time since a pardon will happen. They make me sick.

There are not two sides to this story. This was treason. If people can't see the need for our government ruthlessly protect rather than publicly expose a CIA undercover operative then stop reading now. It's pointless. It's like saying jaywalking and murder are both crimes. But this wasn't some accidental mis-remembering about an unintentional release of classified information. It was a conspiracy to out Valerie Plame. Don't believe me? Read the indictment carefully. The White House and Republicans should send Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald a nice Christmas gift because based on his indictments and press conference it's clear he was overly cautious in his use of criminal prosecution. What he basically said was "I indicted only because I was dared to do it by this in your face lying guy "Scooter." If he wanted to he could have charged others. He didn't and most likely won't. Rove must feel pretty untouchable at this point after a lifetime of practicing political black arts.

All this has taught the nest of vipers at 1600 Pennsylvania is that you can go after anyone in America, even a CIA non-official cover secret agent and get away with it. It has taught me that America deserves better from the people running the government and we aren't going to get it anytime soon. It probably also taught alleged spy Leandro Aragoncillo, a U.S. Marine who worked for the staff of the Vice President Cheney that if you are going to disclose classified information it's better to be the Vice President's chief of staff rather than a Marine.