NAME THAT SPIN!

I've decided to start a semi-regular feature on Republican spin. Our readers know that every bit of nonsense that is spewed from the maws of Buttlogic, Archie, drclean, Vic, Jim_Lahey, etc, etc, begins its life as ooze from a wingnut like Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity. Since Media Matters for America does an amazing job of catching and debunking this garbage, I'm going to link and quote some of the major Repuke spin that fogs up our discourse. If you, as a reader, hear one of the talking points I cite being used by a PalTalk wingnut, please leave us a comment telling us who said it, where they said it, and any psychotic nonsense they add to it. Remember, the facts have a liberal bias!

Spin point #1 - Rush Limbaugh cites a Newsmax story that says that four different witnesses have said that Joe Wilson blew his wife's CIA cover to them before the Bob Novak article was published. Of course, all four witnesses have either retracted those claims, or can provide no evidence besides their massive bias. From Media Matters:

November 9, nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh touted a story published by the right-wing website NewsMax that purported to show that special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the alleged leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity "is coming unraveled." According to the November 9 NewsMax article that Limbaugh read on the air, "witness after witness" is stepping forward to claim that Plame's CIA employment was not a "deep dark secret" before syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak wrote about it in his July 14, 2003, column. But while NewsMax claimed that four such "witnesses" have emerged, there are significant questions surrounding each of their accounts.

On October 28, a federal grand jury indicted former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby for obstruction of justice, perjury, and false statements in connection with the leak investigation. The indictment states: "At all relevant times from January 1. 2002 through July 2003, Valerie [Plame] Wilson was employed by the CIA, and her employment status was classified. Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson's affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community." In an October 28 press conference, Fitzgerald stated: "In July 2003, the fact that Valerie Wilson was a CIA officer was classified. Not only was it classified, but it was not widely known outside the intelligence community. Valerie Wilson's friends, neighbors, college classmates had no idea she had another life."

In addition to the accounts of its four dubious "witnesses," NewsMax further alleged -- with no sourcing or supporting evidence -- that "rumors now swirl around Washington that Plame used to take her friends to lunch at the CIA's cafeteria."

Take a look at the whole entry. I've already heard this one from Buttlogic. When Karl Rove gets indicted, look for this spin to resurface with a vengeance.

JC