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The Friday Office Blog Pool

The Story:

CIA Fires an Officer for leaking info to Media.

The Pool:

1. How long until the CIA Officer is referred to by the media to as a "whistleblower"?

2. How long until he/she shows up on Chris Matthews?

3. Rougly how many BTU's are being generated by quick fingers tapping on New York literary agents blackberrys trying to find this person, so as to sign a real hefty book deal before the competition?

Any takers?

Its a bit of a problem for the media. If they make this character to be a hero "speaking truth to power", it does make you ask why Libby is being prosecuted.

Theres much more to this story, and we havent seen the last of this for some time.

UPDATE: Fox News reports that the CIA officer is a "Mary Mccarthy" ho testified for the 9/11 commission. The 9/11 Transcripts show only this name:

"Mary McCarthy NSC senior director for intelligence, 1998-2001"
Testified on "Warning of Transnational Threats" as Mary O. McCarthy, former National Intelligence Officer for Warning, Central Intelligence Agency

Not just a deskbound "paper pusher", now is she...

My first clue on where to look for info on Mrs. McCarthy is that Porter Goss was seen today carrying a copy of the 9/11 Commission book. It turns out, she testified, and was involved at the very highest levels of National Security.

UPDATE II: More - In March 2001, Rice asked the CIA to prepare a new series of authorities for covert action in Afghanistan. Rice's recollection was that the idea had come from Clarke and the NSC senior director for intelligence, Mary McCarthy.