Breaking News! White House, Congress To Clear “Outrage Backlog”

Bush, Congress Plan Retro Rebuke Of Novak, Sun-Times Over Plame Leak

Tracing Funds, Gay Marriage, Flag Amendment, War On Terror Cited For “Outrage Backlog”

The Garlic has learned from sources on Capital Hill that the Congress, along with the full backing and participation of President Bush and the White House, are planning on delivering a stinging rebuke and resolution to Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Robert Novak , for his publishing the name of CIA Agent Valerie Plame, back in 2003.

“This isn’t as treasonous as The New York Times,” huffed Senator Peter King (R-NY), “and we don’t know yet if it is against the law, but Novak and the paper shouldn’t have done it.”

Former Representative, the indicted Tom “The Hammer” Delay, said earlier this week that “Valerie Plame was not a CIA agent” voiced his approval of the Congressional resolution against Novak.

“I have a solution for Novak, and The New York Times,” said Delay, “but I’m not in that business any longer.”

It wasn’t clear if Delay was referencing his former position of power, as House Majority Leader, or his career before politics, as an exterminator and founder of Albo Pest Control

Novak, Wilson and Plame Sit At The Starting Line

Following President Bush’s 2003 State of the Union Address, where Bush made what is now known as a false claim, that Saddam Hussein and Iraq were pursuing enriched uranium in Africa, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson was sent to Africa to investigate and, on July 6, 2003, Wilson penned an Op-Ed column in The New York Times (What I Didn't Find in Africa) detailing the lies the President offered in his State of the Union Address

One-week later, Novak, in his column on July 14, 2003 (Mission To Niger), Novak criticized Wilson and his findings, as well as exposing the identity of Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame.

“Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an agency operative on weapons of mass destruction. Two senior administration officials told me that Wilson's wife suggested sending him to Niger to investigate the Italian report. The CIA says its counterproliferation officials selected Wilson and asked his wife to contact him. "I will not answer any question about my wife," Wilson told me.”

On or near September 29, 2003, the CIA asked the Justice Department to investigate who leaked the name of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame

What has followed in in the nearly three-year investigation is a scene of a White House committed to shooting down their critics, over the build-up to War in Iraq, as well as its’ policies and strategies.

Hastert: “Congress Swamped With Important Issues – Gay Marriage, Flag-Burning and Labeling Dems’ Quitters

At a Press Briefing this afternoon, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow admitted that there has been an “Outrage Backlog” and the President wants to “get back on track” and “stand-up” for his principles.

“I have to tell you, as many of you know,” sighed Snow, “the President has been so dog-gone busy ... Fighting the Global War on Terror, tracing all the funds the terrorists are trying to use ...Putting together a government in Iraq ... Keeping the economy humming, that he’s had to table .. to set aside his outrage on a lot of issues ...”

“Well,” Snow continued, “the gloves are coming off now and quite a few people are in for a come-uppance.”

Appearing with Snow at the Briefing was House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL).

Hastert echoed Snow, saying that Congress has “been swamped in important issues”.

“We had to deal with so many vital issues and bills this session,” said Hastert. “Gay Marriage ... Flag-burning, to name just two ... Not to mention going through the motions on Immigration, and labeling the Democrats for wanting to Cut-and-Run ... That takes a lot out of you and, I can say for my colleagues in the Congress, you don’t always have the energy to be outraged everyday ...”

“Fighting for a non-binding resolution,” added Hastert, “takes just as much work and effort as it does to pass a real bill, with real laws and consequences.”

There was no word from the Senate, and any plans to rebuke Novak and the Sun-Times.

The office for Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) issued a statement that indicated Frist was going to “videotape the House rebuke” and “study the resolution” and evaluate “everything very thoroughly” before calling for any Senate action.

Rove and Libby Getting Pass On Outrage Resolution

According to our sources, both Karl Rove and Lewis “Scooter” Libby will not be attached to the rebuke and resolution, and that was confirmed by Congressman David Drier (R-CA).

“Yes, that’s true,” said Drier.

“We felt it would be inappropriate of the House, with a court case pending, to drag Libby into it.”

Libby is currently awaiting trial in January, on five counts of lying to Federal Investigators and the Grand Jury being run by Special Prosecutor Scott Fitzgerald.

“And,” added Drier, “Karl Rove was cleared by Fitzgerald ... So whether he talked to Novak or any other reporters, he was declared innocent, so any conversations he had about Valerie Plame and who he had them with, is irrelevant.”

It is now public record that Rove talked and leaked Ms. Plame’s name to Matt Cooper of Time Magazine.

Libby’s contact for passing on the information was former New York Times reporter, Judith Miller.

“Just like The New York Times, Novak and the Chicago Sun-Times are the one’s who did the damage.”

The call to rebuke Novak over the exposure of Valerie Plame, comes one-day after a GOP-led effort in the House to rail against The New York Times, for their their printing of the story, last week, of the Bush Administration’s combing through financial records in an effort to find terrorist funding

The resolution, which passed with a 227 to 183 party-line vote, was softened to “news media organizations” and not specifically signaling out The New York Times (or the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, who also printed stories on the money snooping) and also condemned the unidentified sources who leaked information of the program to the newspapers, saying that the House "expects the cooperation of all news media organizations" in protecting the government's capability "to identify, disrupt, and capture terrorists."

Snow, at the Press Briefing indicated that “we should gain some momentum now” as to cleaning up the backlog of outrage.

“I can’t say how long it will take,” offered Snow. “It may last well into October or November, based on all the things the President wants to get off his chest.”

“He’s the Decider,” added Snow, “And he’s going to be deciding quite a bit moving forward.”


















House Speaker Dennis Hastert is working with the White House to clear a backlog of outrage, starting off with a stinging rebuke and resolution aimed at Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Robert Novak, for his outing of CIA Agent Valerie Plame