CNN - A Cerulean (democratic) News Network

Ok so its a stretch, you'd have to be an artist to know that Cerulean is a type of Blue. I didn't want to use "cobalt" because people would think of a dirty bomb -- which may be appropriate for the type of news "reporting" they engage in.

So why am I p-o'd with them today? It is a failure to report news, and in particular, political news. You see, Valerie Plame the"outed"spy had her suit thrown out of Federal Court yesterday. And as may be guessed at, CNN focuses on the wrongs done to her, and the "unsavory" behavior of the defendants -- Cheney, et al. Look, it is really simple: Judge Bates pointed out in a 40 page decision that since Plame works for the executive branch, things done to her by superiors in the executive branch do not rise to the level of crime/tort. Cheney has the right to do what he did in the execution of his duties. No whether "outing" her was in the course of his duties....

Which brings us to what CNN did not go into: was she "outed" at all. That is, can you be outed with the attendant inconveniences when you are not working under cover in the first place? If you are working in the big square building at Langley, are you protected? The answer is simple: no. The legislation was put into place to protect undercover operatives, to prevent them from being arrested as spies in foreign climes where such disclosure might have a distinct negative impact on their health. It is not a crime to be an American spy, working for the Company in the US of A. So what harm was done to Plame? Well, the intended harm was to discredit and hurt her lefty husband Wilson. Job done. Sleazy of the Cheney group? Without doubt. But harm to Plame? It only prevents her from working undercover abroad -- in hostile foreign climes -- where she would not be going anyway due to her marriage and life with Wilson. It does not stop her from being a useful member of the CIA. Of course, suing Cheney and making a big political brou-haha will negatively impact her future career -- the Company does not really like people who have an interest in public life. So in making her a Democrat poster-child for the continuing assault on the Booshies has done the real harm to her. Not that CNN will ever report that.