Finally Telling My Story

I'm Valerie Plame Wilson and I'm excited to be here and blog about my book Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House, which goes on sale Monday, Oct 22. When my publisher sent me the finished copy earlier this week, it was thrilling. It felt like a new chapter (forgive the pun) has begun on the journey that has taken some incredible twists and turns since July 14, 2003, when my covert identity was exposed and ended a career that I loved. I've written honestly about my life: why I went to work for the CIA, my paramilitary training, the sort of operations we developed and ran to find intelligence on Iraq's alleged WMD programs in the run up to the war, as well as personal information, such as my battle with postpartum depression and the difficulties I had going from a private to a public persona literally overnight. My publisher, Simon and Schuster, decided to print the blacked out redactions demanded by the CIA and hopefully those passages (or lack thereof) speak for themselves and the extent to which the CIA thought the material in the book was classified.

Watching myself on 60 Minutes was surreal -- who can ever get used to seeing themselves on TV? I guess the book tour has really started and it will be a crazy week ahead. After four and a half years and everyone else in world talking about me, it feels good to finally be able to tell my story myself. It's a story about the consequences of speaking truth to power and the critical importance of holding our government to account for its words and deeds. I'm off to bed, because I have an early wakeup call tomorrow to do the Today Show. I look forward to sharing my reactions and stories with you from the road over the next few days. I will be posting throughout the week and appreciate your comments and support.

Comments

[SirScud]

Mrs. Wilson,
You and your husband deserve the respect and attention of all of us who hope for a better day for our republic. Thank you both for setting an example for our people, young and old.
I would appreciate having a link to the schedule of your book tour, and look forward to hearing more from you and your husband on your efforts to correct the public record and redress the multitude of grievances you both must have.

[ajax2]

Great appearance on 60 minutes. It is a shame that Fitzgerald was obstructed and he couldn't prosecute Cheney, Rove and Libby for treason. By the way Woodward came out early (protecting Libby) and announced that no damage was done by the outing. Can you speak to that?

[enegma]

Dear Mrs.Plame Wilson- I am looking forward to reading your book.I watched the 60 minutes program on yesterday and I was astonished at the questions you were being asked by Katie Couric. I know that your identity being revealed to the public, clearly left you and anyone you may worked with in the field open to exposure of danger. This whole act against you and your Husband Joe, I believe is by definition -Treason by those who revealed your identity.I will buying you book soon.I wish to learn more about your ordeal. You and your husband are "Stand-up people". I have great respect for you both.Good luck on your book tour.

[Rozzie]

Beware of Truthiness-- (stating as true, things you wish were true, as if...) I was intrigued by Bondaroid's comment that "Joe Wilson let the cat out of the bag during a interview with David Korn on July 16th, 2003, well before Robert Novak ever mentioned her." I immediately checked that out cause I hadn't heard that before. Turns out Novak's column was on July 14, two days before Korn's analysis. Isn't this how the echo chamber works? Float a lie, then repeat it enough so you have multiple sources to attribute it to? Nice try Bondaroid. To everyone else, "Trust but verify".

[research]

I'm long past trusting anything from BushCo, the GOP and the conservatives.

[desertdweller]

What can we say about a society in which the same Machiavellian forces that betray and demonize honest people like Valerie Plame Joseph Wilson also hold up a weasel like Ollie North as a "real American hero?"

[exflatlander]

And while they paint North as a hero, they demonize John Kerry. Why? Because he dared to expose the Vietnam War for the sham it was.

[Mr.Smartey]

But the Vietnam War was a creation of Kennedy and Johnson. How could it be a sham?

[Pete Ross]

We can say that those people, Bush and his criminal crime family and his social conservatives have no respect for law or our Constitution.

[CessnaDriver]

I have a question vis a vis wether or not Ms. Plame was "undercover" or not...

When Dickless the VP decided to out her as working for the CIA, did anyone at the White House even bother to check to see if outing her would cause a problem, or to verify that she wasn't covert?

[Pete Ross]

According to the papers filed by the CIA at I Lewis Libby's trial Plame was covert at the time she was outed.

[enoughalready]

Wasn't there a letter produced by the State Dept. that gave the White House and the VP's office full knowledge of her undercover status? Wasn't that letter brought up in the Libby trial and wasn't the testimony that it was read on Air Force One? Ari Fleischer read it, too? Anyone out there that remembers this testimony, that may clarify this???

I don't remember the date of that letter but if they knew by that letter in advance then all concerned were guilty.

The GOP will not go after their own. It's just as simple as that.

[ErnestineBass]

CessnaDriver

Uhhhhh, can you imagine Dick Cheney giving half a shit if it caused a problem or not?

Pleeeeeeeeese!

[laocoon]

Cessna --- you have hit at the heart of the matter. Everyone seems to ignore this question. Remember the defenders said there was no criminal violation because they would have had to know she covert. I have watched for any statements to the effect that I/we checked with the CIA and were told revealing this information would be totally safe. Novak claimed he called the CIA and got a weak request not to publish. No one else has ever claimed checking before hand as far as I know. You would think that would have been raised at once if it had happened. THIS IS THE REAL MEANING WHICH HAS BEEN OBSCURED. At best each of these high ranking members of the administration were totally reckless about information that discloses a CIA front company. WHY DID THE PRESS AND MEDIA NOT COVER IT FROM THAT ANGLE?

[jimp1947]

Real fine interview, Valerie. I would have been interested to know how your outing affected the brass plate firm that fronted your operations. But perhaps that was restricted information.

I find much that the CIA has done & still does reprehensible, but I think the work your department was doing is critical. I am a huge fan of you and your husband. I hope that you can eventually smoke the rats out and maybe we can restore some accountability for those who endanger our covert operatives.

[ROBOT8]

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, THE TRUTH IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE STATE." -- Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda, 1933-1945
"The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of an eye: the more light you pour on it, the more it contracts.­"
Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, U.S. Supreme Court
"When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” -Sinclair Lewis

[coachwrite]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good (wo)men do nothing." Your book will be a best seller, because I'm not the only one who's offended, repulsed, shamed and angered by the present administration. Their treatment of you, as a loyal public servant, is typical of their callous attitude toward anyone who is not a conservative, right-wing, reborn Republican. Congratulations on your book, I'm going to Amazon and ordering my copy right now---and thank you for your service to our country. I join many others in gratitude for your past service as well as your continued loyalty and courage to uphold our country's values---in spite of the consequences.
We need another wall in the mall: names of victims of this administration's arrogance, deceit, greed and hubris....­and the mall, no, the entire city of Washington is not large enough to contain it.

[DKLA]

HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, not a concesual BJ from an adult. Where are the so-called "value-voter's"? Criminal's are in OUR White House.
America is lost.
INVESTIGATE, INDICT, and IMPEACH THEM BOTH!!! EVEN IF IT FAILS WE MUST SHOW THW WORLD THESE 2 ARE NOT TRUE AMERICAN'S. THEY ARE CORPORATE PROFITEERS, always have been. WAR FOR PROFIT, SCREW ANYONE WHO GETS IN THEIR WAY.
SEND THEM TO THE HAGUE!!

[exflatlander]

By now it should be obvious that the so-called "values voters" are either fools to be led by the nose by any GOP scoundrel or Machiavellian types who have figured out how to use the first group to their advantage. The Christian right-wing is the former category with such as Dobson, Falwell,Robertson and the entire Bush Administration and RNC as the latter. (Let's not forget Tom DeLay either. Definitely latter category)

[truesue]

The "values voters" have only one commandment in their lexicon: "thou shalt not have sex". It seems the only thing that they consider immoral is anything they consider sexually deviant (Like a BJ in the White House or Gay sex) I never hear them ranting about liars, war profiteers, torture, killing of children, etc. As long as you only have heterosexual sex in the missionary position, they consider you moral. What a bunch of hypocrites and idiots. They'll believe anything that Bush/Cheney says, as long as they keep their flies zipped. It's more than I can listen to sometimes.

[SouthpawSass]

Valerie, I'm sorry to have missed the 60 Minutes interview.

My first real awareness of government came about when I was still in grammar school with two major events in this country. The first was the Vietnam war, but mostly it was the Watergate break-in. Although both my parents were Republicans and did not discuss with the children their politics or what they felt was right or wrong regarding the Watergate scandal, I somehow learned that President Nixon and the men who helped him were bad. Hence, the reason I became a Democrat.

Naturally, I've learned since to guard my trust of our government and it's officials. It always seems to go that you don't know who you can trust until you've already been screwed over.

With that said, what will the lesson be to your children after learning what it is the Bush Administration did to you and indirectly, to them? Do you feel that any mistrust on their part of government would be justified?

[keyman12]

Excellent job on 60 minutes Valerie and Joe. You are true American Heroes and Patriots.

I have been a fan of yours as your good friend Larry Johnson has kept us appraised of how things were going for you on his blog

http://noquarterusa.net

We are all proud of you and your husband for standing up and trying to help restore this great country to what it supposed to be.

Do not let them (you know who) get you down, there are many more of us out here who will stand up with you and be counted for doing the right thing.

Good luck on your tour, I have pre ordered your book

Will you be in Phoenix?

[Daughter2]

If what Cheney and his office and Novak did is not treason, I don't know what is.

[adnull29]

I watched the 60 Minutes interview and am astounded that Katie Couric seemed to think you'd put yourself into the limelight. Her questions were absurd and reeked of Bush Administration talking points. It's as if Rove or Cheney used her as a ventriloquist dummy to point the finger and say "See? She did this to herself - no way she was a covert agent."
I'm glad you and your family can finally get on with things but I'm also hopeful you get to put the screws to those in power who outed you and put your life and others in jeopardy for partisan politics.
Be well.

[gernger]

When George Bush said the phrase "Uranium from Africa", I shuddered, I knew he was lying, and he was taking us to war. After the War powers act was passed, Sadaam kowtowed to everything we wanted. He allowed the inspectors back in, and allowed them to go where ever they wanted to go unannounced. He was also going to allow spy planes to fly over his country. He was also a foil to Iran. There was no need to go to war. Thanklfuly there are people like Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame to seek out the truth and the courage to bring it forward.