Biting Social Commentary

Apologies to Sophia Pottish.

Was Valerie Plame "undercover"?

I've been doing some research, trying to find out whether she was or not. The results are not very conclusive. I'm pretty sure of the following:

• She worked as an analyst of sorts.
• She went by her real name (well, maiden name, but she'd be doing that since before she was married).
• She didn't tell people she worked for the CIA. She had a "cover job".
• The journalist who first publically mentioned she worked for the CIA had no idea she was "undercover" at all (if she was). In fact, he called the CIA after he heard she might have been involved in sending Wilson to Niger, and the CIA confirmed she worked there. They asked him not to publish her name, but he did anyway. He later said, if they'd said it was important, he wouldn't have.
• The journalist has/had a source at CIA, which told him she was not "undercover" - just an analyst.

I found some of the interesting info here and here.

The whole thing seems silly to me. If the journalist could call the CIA, ask "Does Valerie Plame work for you", and get an affirmative answer, I don't think her name being mentioned in the press in connection with the CIA was really all that much of a big deal. Certainly not as big a deal as is being made out.

Anyone have thoughts on this issue? Only sensible information, please.

Puppy!

My friends got a Corgi puppy. She's very cute:



I think that's about all I wanted to say.

Update: More photos here.