Went to see a preview of the new film Syriana, written/directed by the team who did Traffic, and based in part on the work of former CIA officer Bob Baer, tonight. Learned a little detail in the Q and A with the writer afterwards about one of your and my favorite topics, something for later, along with more on the film, which I recommend. About the Bob Woodward scoop in the Post flagged by Josh Marshall, I just -- was struck - during the time period when Miller was released from jail and we learned more about the kind of free rein she had at the NYT, that what was the one other journalist in America who had that kind of relationship with their paper where they could essentially do whatever they want? And it was Bob Woodward. Several colleagues I discussed this with disparaged my comparison, telling me that Woodward had shown himself to be a far more consummate pro than Miller throughout the years. No doubt. But the thing that struck me, was what I had heard from a Hill source researching another story several weeks back, concerning Woodward's relationship to people in power that, like Miller's, had an almost quasi official or chosen quality to it. It concerned what was obvious to them about Woodward's Bush at War: that it was full of highly classified information the Bush administration had apparently passed to Woodward, because they thought it would make Bush look good. Some Senators had actually tried to get this referred to the CIA for another possible investigation, but it didn't go anywhere, because the CIA recognized that someone very high up in the Bush administration had authorized these leaks to Woodward. (Very high up). As I understand, there is a paper trail about this series of requests and the responses they got. I don't know where this is going except the fact that Woodward sort of had a de facto security clearance with the top levels of the Bush administration is something of which people had been very well aware.

And about who was Woodward's source on Wilson's wife at the CIA in mid-June, 2003 -- I have no idea, but I wonder if it was Hadley.

Update: It's worth considering, that what Woodward has said in various interviews, that he thought Plame's identity was initially being tossed around as gossip, is how he experienced it. I am also thinking of Novak's second source, the "no partisan gunslinger."

Posted by Laura at November 16, 2005 12:13 AM