Interesting quote from the Who's Who web page:

Who's Who in America has proven to be of critical reference value to a wide variety of users...

* Fund-raisers, civic groups, foundations
* Lawyers, politicians
* Financial analysts, brokers
* Journalists, radio/TV news editors
* Executive recruiters
* Government officials, diplomats
* Business leaders
* Scientists, educators, students
* Speaker and search committees
* Advertising and PR agencies

More importantly, "Who's Who" information is provided by the honoree, so it was Wilson himself that put her name in the book.

Additional info added in his 2005 profile:

2002-2004: Self promoting, opportunistic, Democratic party hack. 2004 to present: Camera hogging, bold faced liar.

I don't see where it says she worked for the CIA there.

Of course, mantis does make a good point.....

I've been following the Plame scandal virtually not at all, but from what I understand, it was never a secret that Joe Wilson was married to Valerie Plame. The secret was that she worked for the CIA. That being so, the Who's Who entry proves nothing.

Don't you think his neighbors knew his wife's name? Her name or who she was married to was never the secret. Identifying Wilson's wife (either by name or by some positive identification such as say... "Joe Wilson's wife") as a CIA operative is what was supposed to be kept secret and that is what is relevant.

As, by the way, is the fact that someone also gave Novak the name of the cover company she worked for, thereby endangering every other operative using that cover.

I know it's hard, but please try to keep your eye on the ball.

Uhh, Kevin, it was no secret that Joe Wilson was married to a woman named Valerie Plame --- everyone who knew them knew that. What WAS a secret was that she WORKED FOR THE CIA. HOW THE HELL YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IS BEYOND ME.

Of course, as mantis notes above, the fact that she was a covert agent, coupled with the name, was the national security problem. The mere fact that Wilson was married to someone who happened to be named Valerie Plame Wilson wasn't a secret. I should think this would be obvious to anyone whose mind wasn't beclouded by overwhelming right-wing bias.

Why are mid-level government agency analysts getting listings in Who's Who??

Where does it list her affiliation with the CIA?

Why is it that today's chicken shit repukes hate the military and the CIA?

Why do repukes defend traitors like Bob Novak?

"BFD" I agree with mantis. Who's Who is a standard reference used by the organizations in mcg's comment. As an Ambassador, Wilson would have been the type of person to be listed. The biographical data is also standard. None of this excuses the behavior of the Bush administration and their cronies.

Indeed, given that the criminal statute at issue makes it a crime to identify a covert agent, the Who's Who listing makes it possible to break the law - by saying that Wilson's wife is a CIA operative - without actually naming her.

I gotta admit--it doesn't seem to say anything like "Valerie Plame--undercover operative for the CIA."

Or is the relevant point here that Wilson should have kept his marriage and children secret just on the off chance that someone might try to out his wife?

I bet if you looked up her high school yearbook, she used the name "Valerie Plame" too. Oh wait, that was her name?

Freeptards.

It's an odd notion indeed, that some people believe in order to be covert you must renounce your given name.

I was always under the impression that what is supressed is not your name, but rather your affiliation with the intelligence community.

How exactly is Joe Wilson a liar?

So, via Who's Who, the name "Valerie Plame" has been associated publicly with Joe Wilson since the Clinton era - nice secret...

The name "Valerie Plame" has been associated publicly with Joe Wilson ever since they got married. Marriage licenses are public record.

Thus, we should prohibit secret government operatives from marrying, having children, being born or dying. After all, once you know somebody's name, the jig is up...

Allah, the CIA agent whose duty it was to deal with the public, told the WaPo and others that he testified that he told Novak the story wasn't true and not to use her name. He told the WaPo that he checked on her covert status, called Novak back and said that the story Novak had wasn't true and he shouldn't write it, but *if he did, he shouldn't use her name*.

And please, the controversy has fluctuated back and forth, but Wilson's original flogging point was that Novak had *revealed her name*, and it's been a point that's been beaten to death. So Kevin's post is directly on point.

Typical wingnut obfuscation and misdirection. The statute in question says "identify" -- not NAME, "identify" a covert agent, . . .

You guys can't all be that stupid -- can you?

By this logic, in the 007 movies, when James Bond introduces himself to the villains at cocktail parties and tells them that he's "Bond, James Bond," he's actually blowing his cover.

You're not too bright, Kevin.

Does the book have an entry for Plame? Just curious.

I never understood why somebody would sign up for 'Who's who" but I once saw it on a job applicant's resume, as if that is some sort of credential.

I'll take Kevin's non-response to the obvious defect in his reasoning as proof of what an intellectually dishonest twit he is.

Pamela:

You're wrong on both counts. The CIA agent did NOT check her covert status and tell Novak he was wrong on that point; he checked to see if Plame had ordered Joe Wilson to go to Niger, and then said that that point was wrong. He stressed that she WAS covert, and told Novak not to print her name.

And you're missing the point. Revealing the name "Valerie Plame" by itself is not a violation of the law (or the public trust), nor is revealing that some anonymous undercover CIA agent did something a violation of the law, or treasonous.

It's mentioning the name "Valerie Plame" as an undercover CIA agent that's the crime, and the treasonous activity. I can see your IQ is very low, so I'll give you a few moments to wrap your head around it.

"Valerie Plame"? Not a secret. There are undercover CIA agents? Not a secret. Valerie Plame was an undercover CIA agent? That's a secret.

Freeptard.

Joe Wilson has been caught in several lies. If you MENSA's knew how to use the Internet, you'd know that already.

Woo-hoo! It's Friday!

Wow, these DU'ers really know how to carry out a logical argument, don't they?

Why was Valerie Plame put on "enforced leave"?

And please, the controversy has fluctuated back and forth, but Wilson's original flogging point was that Novak had *revealed her name*, and it's been a point that's been beaten to death. So Kevin's post is directly on point.

Jeezus, it's a figure of speech, Pamela. Putting her name right next to the words "CIA operative" is what Wilson was talking about.

Lots of articles talk about Novak "outing" her, too -- does that make her a lesbian?

Get a frickin' clue, people!

Okay, lots of posts while I was commenting. Please pay attention to what the CIA guy said. *The story he (Novak) had wasn't true, but, if he (Novak) wrote it, he shouldn't use her name.*

Note that nowhere did he insist on leaving her out of it completely. So, if we believe what he claims his testimony to the grand jury was (and he's CIA, he wouldn't lie, right?) then you cannot conclude, from what the CIA agent testified, that Novak did anything wrong.

Now, there may be other reasons to conclude guilt, but NOT based on what the CIA guy did. And folks, the statute says that the CIA had to be making concerted effort to protect her covert status. Based on what the CIA agent testified, doesn't sound like they were fulfilling their part of it, if indeed she was covert.

Wilson's original flogging point was that Novak had *revealed her name*

Are you guys really this stupid, or just pretending to be stupid? Because if you're just pretending, then I feel sorry for you. It must be frustrating to be forced to soil your reputations by making stupid arguments like this one with a straight face. But I guess you have no choice!

This is what Novak wrote:

Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction.

Novak revealed the name as that of a covert CIA agent. The secret wasn't that he had a wife.

I don't know how to use the internet... so can you list some lies for us? We would all like to be informed.

Hmm, you guys talk about logical arguments, but I have yet to see one.

1) Please give me an example of Joe Wilson being caught in a lie that's on point to the issues being discussed with Niger, yellowcake, and the outing of his wife.
2) Please explain how the public knowledge that Joe Wilson was married to Valerie Plame is the same as identifying Valerie Plame as an undercover CIA agent.

Geniuses. Really.