Apr 26 2006
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary – But Just Like Nixon
*** Too funny: I see Nathan Tabor at The Conservative Voice used the same nysery rhyme title I did. Honest Nathan, I did not mean to copy you! ***
Lots of good stuff in blogosphere on Mary McCarthy. Kitty Litter has a great round up overall. Mind In The Qatar has a great diagram showing all the ties McCarthy has to key Democrats, scandal figures and the media. So does The Commissar. Hopefully these diagrams will help guide the poor misguided media to report accurately. Just keep following the links as the spread through a very focused and energized blogosphere.
So, where are we? It is clear Mary McCarthy has been provided one top-notch scandal attorney for someone who did not leak anything. This story had every indication of dying from lack of attention until Rand Beers, Kerry and the DNC’s Howard Dean started jumping into the fray. And WaPo is also hurting it’s cause and keeping this alive by NOT leaking like the CIA with regards to Dana Priest’s role in all this. As Tom Maguire so aptly noted yesterday, if there is no leak of classified data and McCarthy is not a Priest source, why are we have som much fun here? Why can’t Priest come out and say we are focused on the wrong person?
The comments from Priest and Cobb have an extreme odor of Clinton-speak to them. As I noted here earlier, no one said Mary McCarthy admitted to the phrase ‘leaked classified information’, as her lawyer carefully repeats.
Mac Ranger’s sources continue to paint a picture of a woman in serious trouble who could get out of trouble easily if she turns evidence. The question is whether she is an American or a Democrat first.
Mac points to The Prowler at American Spectator for some interesting, gossipy tidbits:
Outed CIA analyst Mary McCarthy is denying through her lawyers that she was the source for the Washington Post’s Dana Priest in revealing the secret prisons that housed terrorists overseas. McCarthy’s lawyers, though, aren’t throwing cold water on the notion that McCarthy may have had political inclinations and agendas that came into play with what even they termed unauthorized or undisclosed contacts with journalists.
There’s that Clinton-speak again. “The” source. Not “a” source. Same with the word-smything between a ‘leak’ (original exposure) verses a ‘contact’ or discussion. Ugh! Who do these yahoos think they are kidding? Is this distinction going to convince America to hand over national security issues to a Democrat party this fall? I think not!
Mac goes on to correct the notion in The Prowler that McCarthy is the first of 4 or 5 individuals in trouble. He says it is 6 and these include Durbin, Rockefeller and possibly even Schumer. I have seen hints that former Senator Graham from FL is also on the possible leak list.
Thomas Lifson at The American Thinker correctly highlights why McCarthy’s position in the CIA, after leaving the government three years ealier, was perfect for scandalizing. If there is muck to be found, it flows through the IG’s office:
…McCarthy served in the Clinton White House and then took a curious job in the Bush administration, in the Inspector General’s Office of the CIA.
Such a move is not explicable by careerism. This is an Internal Affairs dead-end sort of job, one that wins enemies not friends. But it is a job in which complaints about irregularities (justified or not) come across the desk with regularity.
Career suicide, but perfect for a would-be leaker intent on undermining a presidency and getting the opposition party candidate elected president. If there was planning to this, who was involved?
This position taken in 2004, an election year in which the Democrats had prepared a plan of scandal mongering. Their only concern was where to get the muck. Mary’s job solved that problem nicely. Makes one wonder how many more McCarthy’s are planted in IG offices around the Federal Government?
Kerry seems to be one of the most animated Dems right now – and he should be. The list of scandals ringing his 2004 campaign makes Nixon look like a Boy Scout (Wilson, Berger,RaTHergate). Add McCarthy-Beers and you have quite a story.
In a bad sign for the left, Human Events seems to be echoing Mac Ranger’s sources an article out today:
Clearly, a culture of contempt for the current occupant of the White House has infected a number of people who work in the agency, some of whom have taken it on themselves to try to undermine the administration by leaking information to the press and unauthorized persons in Democratic circles on Capitol Hill.
Emphasis mine. If Mac is right, and I suspect he is, then we will see more and more reporting confirming the fact, like this. It will creep from the non-mainstream media into outlets like FOX, the Washington Times and NY Post. That will force the antique liberal media to finally report on it. One interesting note on the wording above: ‘democrat circles’ to me implies staffers were in the loop between the CIA and the Senators and Congressman.
This kind of MO would make sense if you want to hide the leak or any connection to the elected official. This DOES NOT make sense if you are a whistleblower. In the Whistleblower scenario you are trying to draw attention to yourself and elected officials so that you are protected from any institutional retribution. Just keep that in the back of your mind when things unfold.
Also important to remember is the reason FISA was brought into existence. When it was learned Nixon was using government agencies like the CIA, NSA,FBI, IRS to apply pressure on political challengers, Congress convened the Church committee and passed FISA to ensure these organizations could not be used for political gain. The Democrats seem to be on the verge of being exposed doing just that, this time from outside the President’s office. Doesn’t matter – we will not tolerate government take over of our political process. Whether Nixon did it from the Oval office or Dems did it from Congress and the CIA, it is still the same crime. Ironically, a leak about FISA may lead to uncovering a modern variation of Nixonian abuses of power. One big question to answer is will the media be accomplice or watchdog?
The McCarthy Story Grows…
At that time the political connections and contributions were relevant to the story, so says the MSM. But the contributions given to a specific party, from a person who is accused of leaking classified information that has damaged our national security…
Strat, I think you have it pretty well covered. No way was McCarthy acting alone and the trail from her to DNC will soon be getting warm unless the government decides to do one of its famous cover-ups. One thing that concerns me and I believe hasn’t been sufficiently questioned is what benefits did McCarthy accrue from her work? One does not do subversive activities without the promise of some lucrative rewards unless you’re a fanatic and I don’t think she is. So what was in it for her?
Synchronicity…
The problem is that there’s no way to tell who is getting this story right. The Times, Washington Post, and many of the other outlets have vested interests in the outcome of these investigations. Their journalists are deeply involved in these leak sc….
Is it wrong for me to really really really really hope Schumer goes down in this?
Let me say that I believe this on the track, but I have some quibbles along the way. I think it is time to draw back a little an look at the bigger picture. I am not gonna post a lot of links because I think it would distract from my point I am trying to make.
First I don’t think the left thinks GW is an incompetent and a fool, on the contrary I believe that they have been forced to enhance the level of their attacks due to his keeping the eye on the goal. They are only wishing to to create the illusion of the image they wish to portray. If you wish a disinformation character attack. Such as the rathergate approach.
We have enabled them to the extent that each time a wart comes up from the shotgun they fire for effect and see what sticks attack, we take 3 or 4 days taking it out and playing with the latest scandel dejour to discredit something only giving more air to the fact that something is amiss. Repeat this enough times and some get the opinion that if there is that much smoke there must be fire.
People please think how you would want to take down a foreign power without firing a shot.
Discredit those in Power
Divide and Conquor
Hopefully repeat the one above multiple times
Any Las Vegas odds maker would love to take bets on the confluence of the links relating all the major players in the events of the last few years. The swarm of near proximity persons is a sign.
The concept is deplete the chance to let the side being attacked to have the chance to gather a footing to fight back…. pepper them with real or imagined foes to be fought and diminish their chance to apply themselves for constructive progress or let them up for a second to let them discover the scale , scope or even general direction of your plan.
Personally , I think that if the left had thought GW was a push over and a marshmellow, we wouldn’t have seen all these reaches to justify their position. I think they where shocked that he wasn’t a poll and focus group driven widget. In short his conviction and commitment made it necessary for them to revise and rachet up their plan till, quite frankly it is on a tragetory to be an unsustainable level.
How many Chicken Little storys have we heard? How many quicksand reversals and hit him from another side situations have we seen. I mean after all they don’t have to worry a discreditation on each incident..all they want is for the death of a thousand needles.
They believe their strength is derived from that we of integrity will not consider the attack on first blush wrong and debased, but that we will have to tear it apart in ten ways to explain why it was an improper attack only to have three other charges or more thrown over the wall before we can deal with the first one.
I have noted a pattern developing , if we get two positive events in the press, surely a negative improvised distractive device story will appear.
As far as they is concerned, the modus operandi is kick em while their down and then dump the bucket on them. If they get up and make progress, throw anything you can at them like antiaircraft flares to not let them gain any momentum.
What it all boils down to is competence and momentum are their worst enemies. After all everyone always says in politics perception is reality. We are observing a smoke and mirrors and semantic geremandering attempt to pose someting that is a sham. As far as I am concerned the other side has to really look at how long you can carry out this type of policy and have contrary bad news for their side show up and maintain a credible position.
After all you can fool all of the people some of the time,. it is not a career position. How many times can they go to the well?
No at this point, or somewhat later down the road, someone is going to realize that integrity means something…. a handshake is not just a social happening.
I know I have gone on long her and I thank you for indulging me or just passing me by at your choice… however I really do believe we need to get some perspective and back off a little from the individual arrows thrown at us and not delve on the minute details unless they provide a positive link..and consider the much bigger picture.
I am not a sports oriented person, but my overall perception based on the number and frequency of negative photon torpedos aimed at GW and members of the of the administration no matter how incredible or deluded imply that this is not a Mohammed Allie duck and weave and rope a dope attack , but two minute warning full court press on a prolonged basis.
If I guess right someone is providing incentive to make sure it happens…I will never believe that the behaviors I have seen and the level of invective exibited could be justified by a party being out of power… no more likely they would regroup and develop a plan and agenda to win back sufficient support………….I think no one can present a credible argument that even a coverup feeble attempt at such a path is happening. Like Clinton and slick lawyers, it is not only what you say…it is also what you don’t say.
MerlinOS2,
I have had the same thoughts often. Many times I have decided not to post on something because it seemed to just feed the feeding frenzy. I too hope the numbness of repeated lies knocked down repeatedly will take hold and the credibility well will be all dried up.
Yes, your choice of using a phrase — Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary — that has been used for centuries and taught to kids everywhere, is so original that no one else would have also thought about using it.