Re Woodward, It’s Worse Than We Thought

Bob Woodward has sold his soul in order to write his books. He probably is a GOP shill. So, that too. But while watching him on Larry King last night trying to excuse his cowardice in reporting his complicity in the Wilson/Plame case, I saw a Bob Woodward who cuts corners, tells lies and ingratiates himself with the power elite because these acts of dishonesty make it possible for him to get published. Apparently, Bob Woodward thinks the ways in which he has allowed himself to be corrupted is okay because he’s a journalist. It’s okay because it’s in service of getting the story. And getting the story has become more important than personal integrity to Woodward. Woodward made an interesting admission at the time Mark Felt said he was Deep Throat. All during the thirty years Woodward and Carl Bernstein refused to divulge the identity of Deep Throat, Woodward said he had told no one Deep Throat’s identity except Ben Bradlee. Then, when Felt outed himself, Woodward mentioned in passing that he had told his wife Deep Throat’s real identity. That’s interesting because it’s a clue to the Woodward persona. When Woodward lies it isn’t a lie, it’s a right he grants to himself. Woodward denied on Larry King’s show on October 27th (the night before Fitzgerald’s press conference about Scooter Libby’s indictment) that he had a “bombshell”. He said that night that he didn’t even have “a firecracker”. Last night Woodward refined his denial. He said, “On the night of October 27th I was telling you the exact truth that I did not have a bombshell or any story for the next day's paper.” So now he says he didn’t have a bombshell for the next day. Last night Woodward told Larry King that when his source said Plame was an undercover agent for the CIA, it was “offhand and casual”. At that point, Woodward said, “on your show I didn't know what that meant at all because it was such a casual offhand remark.” If that is true, why was he so afraid of being subpoenaed that he decided not to tell his editor he had privileged info? Last night, he said he was “focused on getting the book done…you know the significance of this is yet to be determined….” You have to marvel at the man’s ability to excuse himself. Even now, after Libby has been indicted and has resigned because of the Wilson/Plame case, Bob Woodward still claims, as he has done for the past two years that the significance of White House officials outing Valerie Plame is yet to be determined. He even said that he doesn’t think Valerie Plame was undercover. King asked, “Did the source indicate whether Mrs. Plame was an undercover agent or a desk analyst?” Woodward said, “Good question. And specifically said that -- the source did -- that she was a WMD, weapons of mass destruction, analyst. Now, I've been covering the CIA for over three decades, and analysts, except -- in fact, I don't even know of a case. Maybe there are cases. But they're not undercover. They are people who take other information and analyze it.” So what we’re left with, after having seen Woodward on Larry King last night, is that Woodward doesn’t think the Plame outing is significant, he doesn't think Plame was undercover, he doesn’t think his role in the White House attempt to slime Wilson and his wife is significant, and he thinks the whole investigation pales in comparison to his having access to the White House and to writing his books, He said, “I've been able to interview President Bush for the last book "Plan of Attack" for three and a half hours over two days, no limitations on questions, no practical limitation on time". Later he said, "You know, I am protecting not a person but a relationship and the information I get for my newspaper and books and that's the vital lifeline.” People do not change. They only get more like themselves. Bob Woodward is, after all, only Bob Woodward. He cut corners when he was reporting on Watergate but back then he had Ben Bradlee to keep him in line. But like the folks in the White House, Woodward is listening to no one now.