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

[Brianwilk]

I thought you were excellent on 60 Minutes, and shame on Katie for what some other commenters have described as cattiness.

[Ginzaman]

Hi Mrs. Wilson,

So sorry you and your family have had to go through all of this. But also, I hope you sell millions of books so you can keep your suit going and destroy these people. I know longterm hate isn't good for you. Then again, somebody has to take a stand against people like this. And unfortunately it's a very expensive battle.

[Clarabell]

I think the judge ruled that she couldn't sue. Hope I'm wrong. I also say good luck and you go girl!

[Mr.Fitz]

It would be nice to see a rundown of the events leading up to your outing FREELY AVAILABLE online somewhere, rather than my having to buy a book to find out how my country is screwed up.

[dirtystrat]

There's a certain irony to all of this. I wonder how many people actually saw Robert Nowaks original piece on Valerie Plame. It could have flew under the radar or been quickly dismissed but then Joe Wilson went very public to make the claim that his wife had been outed. At that point, she was indeed outed.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Just because YOU don't read Novak's column doesn't mean a spy's cover wasn't blown.

Fercrissakes.

[Michealene]

Add me to your list of those who consider you a true heroine. THANK YOU for your dedication to our country.

I am sorry that your career was destroyed by "politicians" who got a bit mixed up on the definition of treason. Someone should hand them a mirror.

[transendentilist]

Someone should hand them life sentences in the toughest prison in America.

Thank you Mrs. Wilson for your great service to the America I once loved and believed in. Your courage is a great example to others in a country that seriously lacks the courage to speak truth to power. I wish you and your family well.

[timregler]

And still the question remains unanswered. Why is Robert Novak not in prison?

[Eightsouthman]

Robert Novak is free for the same reason Karl Rove is, for the same reason Bush, Cheney and many others aren't in jail They've hijacked our republic and there is no one with the personal integrity within either political party to call for their prosecution, especially since everyone from the Supreme Court on down is wholly controlled by Bushco.

[WaterRat]

Novak? How about Rove? Cheney?
Blowing the cover of a CIA agent is regarded as "so what" by this government.
All of them responsible for this disgusting act, should taste some prison time.
Bush claimed he would not tolerate such actions. The person reponsible would be gone, he said. Remember?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Unfortunately (as I understand it), the law requires the outing be intentional by someone who knows the agent is under cover.

Cheney ducked by BIFURCATING the leak into parts.

If one person holds the gun, and another pulls the trigger, it's not murder?

Cheney, Libby, and Rove -- knowing that loophole -- set it all up.

The fact that Novak's specific source was Armitage does nothing to absolve the White House. Had Armitage not connected with Novak, the White House would have ensured the same result a day or so later.

[Annette]

True, but technically the reporter has immunity in the statute. Frustrating. In my view Novak is as treasonous as the other players in this. His interests were polishing Bushies crown, didn't give a damn about hardworking people in the CIA and their contacts in other countries who might very well be killed for cooperating with us. Novak doesn't care about human beings what he cares about is Novak getting some sort of a scoop. The right wing Chicago Tribune won't fire him.

[History Professor]

Thank you for your service to our country. I know it is a long time to wait but History will put this P-Resident and his administration in its rightful place, not just the bottom of the barrel; but the bottom of the outhouse pit. Despicable is too slight a judgement but I don't want to venture into the obscene the way this P-Resident and his minions have.
As others have written, you are the true Patriots, you and Ambassador Wilson. When all is said and done you are the ones who will stand tall as trumpets of warning to our nation at this time of threat. As the men who came together to compromise this nation into being knew, the most dangerous threat to the liberty of the people is all too often from those who wield political power. If anything the record of the baby Bush administration will serve as a reminder of the dangers of electing (well...?) a "C" student and alcohalic to be the leader of the nation, and it is not only the man who is elected but the people he brings with him. Karl Rove will lie at the bottom of that outhouse pit with his face turned upward as the worst criminal ever to work in the White House, and he has a lot of competition for that honor from Haldeman, Erlichman and others...
Please accept my and my families kind regards and grateful thanks for your service to our country at this most perilous time. Let's hope that America wakes up to the fact that fear is being used to undermine our liberties and that while it may be obvious that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; that vigilance must encompass our political leaders even more than foreign threats.

[andrushka]

Being in Luxembourg, I am really looking forward to reading your book. Thanks for having written it.

[StillAmused]

Mrs. Wilson,

Your tenacity will vindicate you... the right wing smear machine depends, for its effectiveness, upon the reluctance and ultimate surrender of its targets. Anything you've already accomplished in your covert career can only be elevated by the service you are now doing your nation.

Thank you.

[Lilrod]

All of the best Mrs. Wilson. Good luck.
The TRUTH always comes out in the end.

[GeoNorth]

Valerie and Joe,

You are true American heroes. Thank you for speaking the truth and standing by the truth. You will both be remembered in history as authentic patriots. Again, Thank You.

[jwielhouwer]

Dearest Mrs. Wilson
you were pure gold the catty was pure '"couric",
as per the cartoons.
Please run for the senate from N.M you have a chama vote.

[Annette]

I would love to see one of them in the senate or the house but I bet they have had it with Washington. They have certainly served America better than most and have sacrificed much. I wish them a long and happy life in whatever they choose to do.

[sugarmoes]

bush and cheney belong in prison.

[PeteBogs]

it still amazes me that the same crowd of people who attack others for their alleged lack of patriotism support the White House on this... it appears the Wilsons have spent their professional lives in the service of the USA... what could be more patriotic?

good luck with the tour... glad to hear your whole story is now coming out...

[elr50]

Katie Couric was awful. For this she makes the big bucks? No wonder her news ratings are down the toilet. She has almost as little insight as our "esteemed" president.

[jeff]

The report also said Wilson provided misleading information to The Washington Post last June. He said then that he concluded the Niger intelligence was based on documents that had clearly been forged because "the dates were wrong and the names were wrong."

"Committee staff asked how the former ambassador could have come to the conclusion that the 'dates were wrong and the names were wrong' when he had never seen the CIA reports and had no knowledge of what names and dates were in the reports," the Senate panel said. Wilson told the panel he may have been confused and may have "misspoken" to reporters. The documents -- purported sales agreements between Niger and Iraq -- were not in U.S. hands until eight months after Wilson made his trip to Niger.

[SaskiaStars]

Doesn't change the fact that the VPOTUS leaked the identity of a covert CIA operative, an expert in WMDs focusing on the Middle East, during a time of "war" all in an act of revenge - it was the most blatent abuse of power EVER. It was a blatent act of treason. If Joe Wilson was inaccurate or mistaken or what ever- IT DOES NOT MATTER!! THEY OUTED AN UNDER COVER CIA AGENT BECAUSE THEY WERE MAD AT HER HUSBAND!!!! Anyone who defends what this Adminstration did is either a traitor or ignorant and it speaks volumes about your character.

[Antigone]

Disinformation does not serve any purpose.