CIA Censors My Book: Personal Payback or Protecting National Security?

What a whirlwind! After a short and fitful night's sleep, I started the book tour with the Today show, quickly followed by radio interviews for NPR's Fresh Air and All Things Considered, and then The Times of London for openers. I really enjoyed the longer format allowed by the radio interviews rather than trying to cram everything I want and need to say into a 10 second sound bite for TV. My story is, in some ways, a complicated one with many different aspects and seems to lend itself best to longer, thoughtful answers. I have just finished blogging on FireDogLake, the web site that covered the Libby trial live. I learn something every day from the vast blogging community which has followed this case so closely. And I have to say, after the onslaught of attacks over the last 4 years, being among friends in the blogosphere feels good. It was pretty lonely out there sometimes. This evening, I'll be on Larry King Live, along with Joe (via a feed from Santa Fe. Hey, someone has to stay home and watch the kids). I enjoy doing events with my husband which thus far have been only private fundraisers because we have lived through the same story but have very different perspectives and reactions to all that has happened.

Most of the questions have been as I expected: Why did I join the CIA? What did it feel like when I saw my name in Novak's column the first time? Didn't I expect some terrible consequence to befall me when Joe published his 1,500 word op ed piece in The New York Times? What about the charges of nepotism that have been alleged against me? All of these I have tried to answer as fully and honestly as I could, keeping in mind, of course, my legal constraints. What hasn't been discussed in any depth yet is the full story of how the CIA fought to censor large portions of my book by maintaining that I can not acknowledge my Agency affiliation prior to January 2002, although so much about my career is already in the public domain. I believe that this decision by the Agency has nothing to do with protecting national security, and everything to do with further punitive action against me and a way to demean or diminish me and my responsibilities at the CIA. For those who wish to know more about the ongoing court battle with CIA over this issue of how long I may say I served my country and accompanying censorship issues, please visit a website set up by my lawyers for that purpose: www.fairgameplame.com. It is a very user-friendly site with all the information necessary to have a better understanding of the First Amendment fight behind this book. I'll hope you'll take the time to look at the site because this legal battle helps to illuminate a larger pattern of extra-Constitutional behavior by this administration.

I just learned the other day that my scheduled Tuesday appearance on the Charlie Rose show has been canceled. The show's producer said it was because Charlie Rose wanted to prepare for an appearance next week by CIA Director General Michael Hayden. How ironic is that? I could have told Mr. Rose a few things about General Hayden, but I'm sure he'll do a fine job with his interview questions without me.

Comments

[crackpot]

Nice job on 60 minutes, in spite of Katie's prefab right-wing talking points. People you did business with around the world may have died as a result of the treasonous actions of the administration, yet Katie wanted to focus on the fact that you and Joe might have become partisan as a result. Never mind the fact that your outing was all about partisanship. Thanks for your service.

[charon]

I know that some of Ms. Couric's questions might have seemed to come from the right, but I think a good journalist should ask hard questions from all sides of a issue. It gave Ms. Plame a chance to respond on national tv to issues raised by the right. There was no reason for Ms. Couric to shy away from them, for Ms. Plame to object to them, or for you to assume that Ms. Couric is a right winger, though she may be to the right of you and I. And, by the way, I think Ms. Plame handled them well.

[crackpot]

I never said Katie was right wing, she did, however, repeat common right-wing attacks in the Fox "some say" mode. A journalist should ask tough
questions, but should also be fair. Why does being partisan politically automatically make your motives suspect, and if it does, why didn't Katie point out the partisan nature of the administration smears? This is a classic right wing tactic, equating political dissent with treason, and mainstream journalists are constantly parroting these phrases.

[SteveRoach]

Eric Schmitt, of the NYT, wrote " The Chief of Staff; An Influential Bush Insider Used to Challenges" on October 29, 2005:

"Mr. Libby, a protégé of Leonard Garment, President Richard M. Nixon's lawyer, is no stranger to legal and diplomatic challenges. While in private practice between stints in government, he represented clients including Fiat, NBC and United Parcel Service."

Did you ever find yourself at odds with persons or entities outside of government, but supportive of Bush Administration policies?

[Desiderata]

You have many millions of friends, Valarie Plame Wilson.

It is my deepest hope that all those millions will do as I will do tomorrow__buy your book.

And when you win your censorship fight against the CIA, we will buy your second book.

And, yes, you would-be-destroyers of all that has made the United States of America a beacon for the world: we will love and honor Mr. and Mrs. Wilson the rest of our lives, and we will be sure our children and grandchildren know their story as the very definition of true patriotism against the treason of those sworn to uphold our Constitution.

[olephart]

Anybody on the CIA's shit list can't be all bad.