The Woman at the Center of the Storm Fascinating article in the Times on the career of Valerie Plame, the CIA agent at the center of the Miller-Cooper affair. She sounds quite impressive. (She does not, however, talk to the Times for the article.)

Couple of things: I'm amused that the CIA is refusing to allow Plame to publish an op-ed. So the White House can disclose her identity, but she can't defend herself?

And two, I wish Republicans would stop attacking Plame and her husband, Joe Wilson, by saying that somehow she "got" him the trip to Niger as a kind of boondoggle. Let's say it's true. Wilson had been an ambassador to two African countries, and had worked under both Republican and Democratic presidents. He wasn't a partisan figure until all this happened—but he was a well-qualified diplomat.

But let's look at the larger picture: Is a fact-finding trip to Niger really such a desirable junket?

Finally, Republicans have insinuated that Plame's secret identity was actually widely known. The Times' piece strongly suggests otherwise....  ¶ 7:56 AM