Novak Breaks His Silence

Infuriated over what he considers a slur on his reputation by ex-CIA spokesman Bill Harlow, Bob Novak has, against the advice of his attorneys, spoken out at last about the Plame affair. Specifically, Harlow implies that Novak went to print with an article that he knew to be false as part of the alleged 'smear Wilson' campaign. Says Novak:

...What was "wrong" with my column as Harlow claimed? There was nothing incorrect. He told the Post reporters he had "warned" me that if I "did write about it, her name should not be revealed." That is meaningless. Once it was determined that Wilson's wife suggested the mission, she could be identified as "Valerie Plame" by reading her husband's entry in "Who's Who in America."

...The recent first disclosure of secret grand jury testimony set off a news media feeding frenzy centered on this obscure case. Joseph Wilson was discarded a year ago by the Kerry presidential campaign after the Senate committee reported much of what he said "had no basis in fact." The re-emerged Wilson is now accusing the senators of "smearing" him. I eagerly await the end of this investigation when I may be able to correct other misinformation about me and the case.

So do we, Bob, so do we...

UPDATE 9:25 a.m. central: The despicable Armando is torn between his hatred of Novak and his hatred of Rove, and sputters incoherently...wait until he hears about Bolton!...Meanwhile, Arianna Huff'N'Puff is slandering Judith Miller right and left...

UPDATE 2 11:05 a.m. central: The MinuteMan weighs in:

This sort of debacle - a nationally syndicated columnist ignores a clear warning from the CIA press office and outs a covert agent - does not happen every day, or even every decade. In any proper bureaucracy, a miscommunication of this magnitude would have produced a mountain of memos.

Follow the memos!...