Fran Townsend To Step Down

Homeland security adviser Frances Townsend is leaving the White House.  Plamaniacs will note her passing because she is, per Karl Rove, the reason Novak called to chat with Rove in July 2003; that fateful phone call led to one of the Plame leaks.

Well, Novak's interest in Townsend was the story, anyway, and I presume Rove and his staffers produced the phone logs and briefing books to verify it.  But whatever Rove may have thought Novak was calling about, Novak had something a bit different to say at the trial - here is the classic EmptyWheel liveblog:

W When did you speak with Rove.

RN I called as soon as I returned [from chatting with Armitage on July 8], I can never remember getting him back right away, I think it was that day he returned the call. 

W Conversaion the next on July 9

RN When we had that conversation–it could have been July 8, I haven't been able to pin it down. Mainly I was interested in Rove, I'm sorry, mostly Wilson mission to Niger, Asked him about that and policy. Near the end, I asked about Wilson's wife, I asked if he knew, I commented, I had been told that she was an employee of CPD of CIA and had suggested mission. He said, "oh you know that too."

W Did you take that as confirmation

RN I took it as confirmation.

Here is Novak's July 10 2003 column, which has not panned out - Novak's theme was that Ms. Townsend, like Rand Beers and Richard Clarke, was a Clinton holdover who would eventually embarrass Bush.  That was the week that was for Robert.

Comments

[Topsecretk9]

Here is her resignation letter to the Pres.

[KBF]

Rice was supposed to be his thing.

It got him elected.

Killer Bean Forever

[narciso]

One can't help remember that Newsweek's early profile of her, focuses on her Jimmie
Chu shoes and less on her prosecutorial record. Novak is an odd character; avidly anti-Castro, but sympathetic to China's
ruling classes (a legacy of his Korean War
experience). Interestingly, he was a strong supporter of the military in Vietnam; his memoirs focus on his experience with Col. John Paul Vann; the one officer, Moyar, suggest you shouldn't put too much stock in. Intensely anti-Israeli and supporter of every Arab princeling to come down the pike (which led him in large measure to his opposition to the Gulf War and the Iraq War. Which makes his role in the Plame fiasco seem ironic. A supporter of rigorous intelligence measures, who often used his scoops to promote the out of favor dissident in the 'intelligence community'. David Sullivan in the SALTed 70s, Bob Baer in the Clinton 90s. One recalls his previous minute of fame was as a footnote to the story of Redford "Candidate" as someone who saw him as immature and not ready for the big leagues.