I read with interest this piece yesterday on the Commissar's Blog:

Here's a hint to the Left: If you want to slam George Bush in a letter to Congress, signed by CIA agents, try to avoid including as signatories:

1. Melvin Goodman - Cynthia McKinney's own 007, or perhaps, Mini-Me
2. David MacMichael
3. Ray McGovern
4. Col. Patrick Lang
5. Vince Cannistraro

These are all longtime, outspoken, anti-war, anti-Bush partisans, not merely aggrieved and saddened agency professionals.

John Cole, posting at Red State, has the details, and informative links on the individuals.

Clenched fist salute: Jeff Goldstein.

I went and read Goldstien's post, and found the usual garbage, but what I found interesting was the criticism of the officers who complained about the Plame Outing.

Since when does one's political slant keep them from having a position or perspective on current events. Goldstein went on a two day rant recently when I invoked the Yellow Elephant meme against those on the Right who support the war, but chose not to fight in it. The gist of his arguments were that anyone should be able to comment on any subject, regardless of their level of participation in the cause being advocated. The response to the Plame outing is just another example of the rabid hypocrisy of some on the Right. Regardless of Political Leanings, the CIA officers who have taken issue with Plame's outing are FAR more qualified to do so, than those on the Right who chose to cheer lead a war without contributing anything to it.

Today, CNN has a compelling post with another CIA operative criticizing the administration. It will be interesting to see how Goldstein and others spin this one, since this guy is a registered Republican. Of course Goldstein slams him on an article he wrote Four Years ago, where he wrongly stated that Islamic Terrorism was on the decline. Nevertheless, this does not damage his bonifides as a Republican who voted for Bush in 2000.

(CNN) -- A former CIA intelligence official who once worked with Valerie Plame blasted President Bush and his administration for their response to the role of top White House aides in allegedly leaking Plame's identity as a CIA operative.

Speaking on behalf of Democrats in the party's weekly radio address Saturday, Larry Johnson said, "The president has flip-flopped on his promise to fire anyone in the White House implicated in a leak."

Johnson, a registered Republican who voted for Bush in 2000, said he and Plame have been friends since they began their training at the CIA in 1985.

Her name was disclosed in a column by Robert Novak, who is also a contributor to CNN, in July 2003 -- days after her husband, Joe Wilson, a former ambassador, questioned part of President Bush's justification for invading Iraq in a New York Times op-ed piece.

Time magazine correspondent Matthew Cooper said last week that Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, told him Wilson's wife worked for the CIA but did not say her name. Cooper said also that Lewis "Scooter" Libby, chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, confirmed that piece of information.

In reference to the investigation, Bush told reporters last week that "If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration."

That statement shifted from his previous comment on his response to the reported leak. When asked in June 2004 whether he stood by his promise to fire whoever was found to have leaked Plame's name, Bush replied, "Yes."

A federal grand jury is investigating whether a crime was committed.

Read the whole CNN article, and listen to the Radio Broadcast, (available free on the same page at CNN), then make up your own mind.

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Tracked on July 25, 2005 03:45 PM