Cafferty Paints Rove As Criminal, Doesn’t Mention Nothing Illegal Was Done

July 13th, 2006 8:53 AM

CNN's Jack Cafferty would never pass up an opportunity to attack Karl Rove, whether that means a fat joke, or in this case, painting him as a criminal, even though he did nothing wrong. On the 5pm hour of yesterday's The Situation Room, Cafferty played the clip he loves oh so much of President Bush saying he will "take care of" anyone who violated the law in the leaking of Valerie Plame's name. It turns out no one did violate the law, according to prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. Well, it seems this wasn't enough for Cafferty who responded "oh, please" to the tape of the President's remark. (Video link to Expose the Left after the break)

Cafferty follows his distress of Rove's occupational status with the most illogical thought on leaks, even for Jack Cafferty. The CNN anchor complained the administration thinks leaking information about a terrorist surveillance program is a threat but leaking Plame's name is not. Jack, who seemed to want it the other way around, doesn't share the news outlets who release information about national security programs may be breaking the law. Go figure.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, guess what? Karl Rove, it turns out, was a source in the CIA leak case after all. That's according to columnist Robert Novak, who broke the original story.

He says that Rove, President Bush's chief strategist, confirmed the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame. So far, the White House has declined to comment on any of this.

But remember when President Bush said this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAFFERTY: Oh, please.

Meanwhile, the president continues to insist how dangerous leaks about the government's NSA and banking surveillance programs are.

So, let me see if I understand this. It's a threat to national security to leak information about the administration's secret and possibly illegal surveillance programs, but it's OK for one of Mr. Bush's closest political allies to confirm the identity of a CIA operative? Is that about it?

Here's the question. Now that Karl Rove has been identified as a source in the CIA leak case, what should happen to him?


Video at Expose the Left (WMV, MOV)