Media Blog Stephen Spruiell Reporting [ home | archives | email ] MEDIA CULTURE Did Miller Out Plame? It's a good question. I'm not sure I believe this theory, but Cliff Kincaid at Accuracy in Media does raise some interesting points: Speculation is mounting that Miller is protecting herself Ñü that Miller was herself a source of information about Plame that made it to several Bush administration officials and was then recycled to columnist Robert Novak.
[snip]
Wilson had written a column for the Times bashing the administration's Iraq policy and it would have been natural for Miller to write something when Novak's column was published. But Miller didn't write anything. Why? Defenders of the Times have used this fact to allege that the special counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, is out of control and that free-press rights are in danger. But there could be another explanation of Miller's behavior and why Fitzgerald wants her testimony. She could be the key to exonerating Bush administration officials of possible violations of the law against knowingly disclosing the identities of covert intelligence agents. If they were simply passing along information from Miller or some other journalist about Joseph Wilson's wife, then they can't be accused of deliberately disclosing classified information about Plame's identity. Miller also had done extensive reporting on WMD based on secret CIA sources, and Plame worked on WMD for the CIA - it's likely that she knew who Plame was. Kincaid told me that this theory was based on his own analysis of the case, but he also drew my attention to this Washington Post article: Sources close to the investigation say there is evidence in some instances that some reporters may have told government officials - not the other way around - that Wilson was married to Plame, a CIA employee. Is Miller refusing to testify because she herself outed Plame? Who knows? One thing is for sure: the press wants to have it both ways - attacking Scott McClellan today for not answering questions about Rove's involvement, but reserving a place of honor for Miller, who has done more to obstruct the investigation of this incident than McClellan has. McClellan deserved the grilling he got today, but journalists deserve an equal grilling when they refuse to divulge information that the public has a right to know.