Abstract

Stonewalling on Wilson

Argues that President George W. Bush continues to dodge accountability in the scandal surrounding the leaking of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame to the press by a member of the White House staff. Background on the scandal, which began when Plame's identity was publicly revealed by conservative columnist Robert Novak in February 2002; Speculation that the leak was payback for an article written by Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, in which he debunked the Bush administration's claims that Iraq had been shopping for uranium in Niger; Discussion over whether the Bush administration violated a federal law in blowing Plame's cover; Discussion of the progress made by a federal investigation into the leak; Claim that Bush has failed to send a clear message that such dirty tricks among his staff will not be tolerated.