John Kerry (did you know he served in Vietnam?) has recently spoken out on the CIA leaker, Mary McCarthy (among other things)

On ABC’s This Week he told host George Stephanopoulos (transcript via Drudge:

HOST GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: On another — on another front, excuse me, CIA official Mary McCarthy lost her job this week for disclosing classified information according to the CIA probably about a WASHINGTON POST story which reveal revealed the existence of secret prisons in Europe. A lot of different views. Senator Pat Roberts praised action but some former CIA officers described Mary McCarthy as a sacrificial lamb acting in the finest American tradition by revealing human rights violations. What’s your view?

SEN. KERRY: Well, I read that. I don’t know whether she did it or not so it’s hard to have a view on it.

But…. 

Here’s my fundamental view of this, that you have somebody being fired from the CIA for allegedly telling the truth, and you have no one fired from the white house for revealing a CIA agent in order to support a lie. That underscores what’s really wrong in Washington, DC Here.

Immediately he clouds it by raising the spectre of a whistle blower, someone who is being punished for doing the right thing.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That’s one issue of hypocrisy but should a CIA officer be able to make decisions on his or her –

KERRY: … Of course not. Of course, not. A CIA agent has the obligation to uphold the law and clearly leaking is against the law, and nobody should leak. I don’t like leaking.

But…. 

But if you’re leaking to tell the truth, Americans are going to look at that, at least mitigate or think about what are the consequences that you, you know, put on that person.  Obviously they’re not going to keep their job, but there are other larger issues here.

I don’t like John.  I admit it.  But even with that having been said, this next comment is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard him say. 

You know, classification in Washington is a tool that is used to hide the truth from the American people.

Bullshit.  Classification is a tool used to protect information which could compromise national security and possibly endanger lives.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan was eloquent and forceful in always talking about how we needed to, you know, end this endless declassification that takes place in this city, and it has become a tool to hide the truth from Americans.

I would have to check the quote but all that tells me is that both of them cannot conceive any reason to utilize a need to know policy on information.  And this is from a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a past (and prospective) candidate for the president?

And he wants me to trust him with National Security?

He wants to run the country and he cannot grasp even the simplest truth on intelligence and security?

STEPHANOPOULOS: These –

SEN. KERRY: So I’m glad she told the truth but she’s going to obviously — if she did it, if she did it, suffer the consequences of breaking the law.

(video here http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=1879870) 

Also see related ABC news Story here

Well thanks for that at least.  Watch it all, he is a master of rhetoric.  He takes shots at everything he can.

His comments crystallize what is wrong with a lot of people, who utilize an attitude of justification and rationalization to excuse bad behavior.  It is also another disgusting example of partisan games.

Oh and the Bush Administration lied.  He mentioned that.  He had to, it is still part of his campaign platform.

Oh…and isn’t it ironic that he is defending her, and she was a campaign donor for him?

Others discussing the Kerry Defense:  Mark Levin at NRO,  The Political Pit Bull, Captain’s Quarters, Hub Politics, and Wizbang

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