Op-Ed Rips Woodward For His Silence

I came across this op-ed, while reading one of my favorite blogs, No Quarter. The op-ed is from The Tampa Tribune. Here are some excerpts Woodward Failed His Readers By Holding Back What He Knew Published: Nov 21, 2005 Bob Woodward is one of the most admired reporters in the world, so it was particularly disappointing to learn that for two years he withheld important information about the CIA leak investigation that led to the indictment of Vice President Cheney's top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. ------ The best-selling author, whose reporting for The Washington Post during the Watergate scandal three decades ago helped bring down a president and inspired countless young people to become journalists, let down his colleagues, editors and readers. ------ Once again the nation has seen a star reporter run amok. Once again, the nation has seen how Beltway reporters operate under different standards from those at community newspapers. And once again, the nation has watched a good newspaper gamble its credibility on a franchise player. If Woodward thinks for one minute that he rehabilitated his image with his appearance last night on the Larry King Live show, he should be sadly mistaken. If anything, he came across as a sanctimonious demi-god. His credibility is in the tank exactly where it belongs. He may have performed a service to his readers and the U.S. during the Watergate scandal, now he is only an aging self-centered jerk. Instead of thinking about the security of his country, instead of thinking about right and wrong and going willingly to Fitzgerald over two years ago with what he knew, he chose to sit on the information in the interest of writing a book (at least that is what he would have us believe - I don't). His first reason for doing this was "fear of being subpoenaed" by Patrick Fitzgerald. Now in his own words, he states it was "what can I aggressively push to get in the newspaper or a book". What a friggin' crock. The whole episode involving Woodward has a definite "can't pass the smell" taint to it. His cozy relationship and much to easy access to the Bush administration, combined with his historical ties to military intelligence (as pointed out at Watergate.com) , one can only wonder what his real role in this entire matter is.