Free Trade Agreement Derailed By Chavez, Others

NEWSLINES
The United States says the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, stretching from Canada to Chile, would open up new markets for Americans and bring wealth and jobs to Latin America.

The zone's main opponent, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, said it would enslave Latin American workers. He came to the summit vowing to "bury FTAA."

In the declaration, the five dissenting countries stated: "The conditions do not exist to attain a hemispheric free trade accord that is balanced and fair with access to markets that is free of subsidies and distorting practices."

NEWSBYTES
Summit Leaders Weigh New Free Trade Talks
(FOX News) Leaders from across the Americas, wrapping up a two-day summit overshadowed by violent anti-U.S. protests, considered a deal Saturday for negotiations sometime next year on creating a vast free trade zone, a top negotiator said.

Leaders Fail to Agree on Free Trade Talks
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (AP) - Leaders from across the Americas ended their two-day summit Saturday without agreeing whether to restart talks on a free trade zone stretching from Alaska to Chile.

Argentina summit turns violent
(AP) Leaders from across the Americas, wrapping up a two-day summit overshadowed by rampaging protesters, faced a deadlock Saturday over the future of a U.S.-backed free trade zone spanning the Western Hemisphere.

Americas leaders fail to end free-trade stalemate
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (Reuters) - Leaders from around the Americas failed on Saturday to resolve key differences over how to create a hemisphere-wide free trade zone during a regional summit overshadowed by violent anti-U.S. protests.

Trade Accord Stalled as Americas Meeting Ends
(NYT) The dream of creating a hemispheric free trade accord proved elusive as mistrust of the U.S. prevailed at a summit meeting.

No Free Trade Agreement At Summit
(CBS News) President Bush left the Summit of the Americas in Argentina without an agreement on the proposed hemisphere-wide free trade zone. After two days of political gridlock and anti-American protests, the president now heads to Brazil.

Also see: Argentine Protests Not Just About Bush, Polls, Rove

Political Tension: You can lead a horse to water....
Gravity: It flushes counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

Topics: current events, politics, Bush, Rove, News, Republican, White House, Journalism, Media, online, FTAA, Argentina, Hugo Chavez

Argentine Protests Not Just About Bush, Polls, Rove

COMMENTARY
By linking dubiously calculated Bush performance poll statistics with civil unrest abroad, some mainstream media news outlets are simply trying to perform a 'smoke and mirrors' trick with the facts.

The Bush poll numbers are taken from very small samples relative to the entire US population. In one pole, out of the 1000 or so respondents, almost two-thirds were registered Democrats.

The protests in Argentina, a country which has an unemployment rate of 20 percent, are an expression of that region's impoverished folks who see a lack of self-determination looming in the Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA) summit ... and the result of leftist meddling by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who opposes the FTAA. In a flair of theatrics custom-made to coincide with the summit, outspoken Bush critic Chavez, who frequently accuses the Bush Administration of plotting his assassination, ordered the Venezuelan armed forces to stage a mock US invasion of his own country.

On the opening day of the 34-nation Summit of the Americas in Argentina, 30,000 demonstrators, led by Chavez, took to the streets to protest against the presence of Bush and his proposal to create a Latin American free-trade zone that would stretch from Alaska to the tip of Chile.

Bush, having just experienced a pretty bad week, with Iraq, the CIA leak, and the Harriet Miers Supreme Court nomination withdrawal issues in tow, and with the press pounding the two new polls showing his popularity at a record low, was greeted on the first day of the summit by the political equivalent of of a sucker-punch.

At the coastal resort of Mar del Plata, Bush had to contend with mass street protests against the proposed FTAA plan and questions from the US press corps about the CIA-leak scandal.

The protest in Argentina is about the threat that 29 of the 34 countries in favor of the FTAA may move forward without the rest and put pressure on Argentina and Brazil to back the proposal while threatening to sideline Chavez.

NEWSBYTES
Thousands protest Bush in Argentina
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (Reuters) - Anti-U.S. demonstrations at the Americas Summit turned violent on Friday as protesters set fire to a bank, looted stores and battled riot police blocks from a luxury hotel where U.S. President George W. Bush met with regional leaders.

Americas Argue Trade; Protests Wreak Havoc
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (AP) - President Bush and Latin American leaders entered a final day of talks Saturday to debate the future of a hemisphere-wide free trade bloc, meeting behind an array of street barricades and armed security forces at a summit tarnished by violent street protests.

Hemisphere Summit Marred by Violent Anti-Bush Protests
(NYT) As protesters turned violent blocks from the Argentina summit, the Venezuelan chief led a peaceful rally against the U.S.

Violent Protests Tarnish Summit
(CBS News) The two-day Americas Summit in Argentina wraps up today with President Bush and Latin American leaders debating a hemisphere-wide trading bloc. But outside the meetings security remains tight following violent street protests.

Anti-American Protest Turns Violent, Spreads
(FOX News)MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina More than 1,000 demonstrators angry about President Bush's policies clashed with police, shattered storefronts and torched businesses Friday, marring the inauguration of the Summit of the Americas as leaders began debating creation of one of the world's largest free trade zones.

Political Tension: Leaning more left every day
Gravity: It flushes clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

Topics: current events, politics, Bush, Rove, News, Republican, White House, Journalism, Media, online, FTAA, Argentina, Hugo Chavez

'Katrina Cough' Lingers in the Wake of Hurricane

NEWS LINES
A large number of people along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts are developing a condition dubbed "Katrina cough,'' believed to be linked to mold and dust circulating in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the LOS ANGELES TIMES reports on Friday.

NEWS BYTES
'Katrina Cough' Floats Around
The storm's residual mold and muck may be causing respiratory illnesses in people who have returned home.

NEW ORLEANS — A large number of people along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts are developing a condition that some have dubbed "Katrina cough," believed to be linked to mold and dust circulating after Hurricane Katrina. Read full story.

"Katrina Cough" and a Call for Respirators
Residents and responders alike in parts of New Orleans appear to be suffering from a respiratory ailment some are dubbing "Katrina Cough," and Physicians for Social Responsibility – Louisiana are requesting donations of respirators for returning residents and workers.

While physicians in the area say that they do not want to alarm residents unnecessarily, Dr. Kevin Jordan, director of medical affairs at Touro Infirmary and Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, told the Los Angeles Times that the hospital had seen at least a 25 percent increase in complaints such as sinus headaches, congestion, runny noses and sore throats since Katrina. Many of the symptoms are probably allergy related, say doctors, because people are exposed to dust and mold while trying to repair and clean homes and businesses. Read full story.

JAMA -- Infectious Disease and Dermatologic Conditions in Evacuees and Rescue Workers After Hurricane Katrina—Multiple States, August-September, 2005

Tension: Hacking cough
Gravity: Spreading

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, tropical storm, Wilma, tropical storm, Politics, Katrina, Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi

Royals Tour Katrina Damage: News Photo Pictures

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Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, tropical storm, Wilma, tropical storm, photos, pictures, Katrina, politics, Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi

Hillary Would Be Better President Than Me: Clinton

COMMENTARY
I'm just not sure what it all means.

STORY
Clinton says his wife would make a better president
Bill Clinton says he has a good candidate in mind for the 2008 United States presidential election: his wife.

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Former President Clinton said in an interview Friday that he believes his wife would do a better job than he did in the nation's highest office.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has not said whether she plans to run in 2008. Nonetheless, her husband told Israel's Channel Two television that her experience as first lady would help make her a strong president. Read full story.

Political Tension: Hillary on the Hill
Gravity: Busted

Topics: current events, politics, Clinton, News, Republicans, White House, Democrats, Hillary, Condi Rice, 2008, President

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Bush Polls Use Very Small Numbers For Results

COMMENTARY
I'm not sure which is worse: news polls manufactured in a data-free environment, or news polls taken from a data-impoverished environment.

For the stories below, the Washington Post polled less than 1300 folks and the AP/Ipsos poll used about 1000 folks. Now, I'm no math genius, but the law of large numbers computes the approximate mean of the sample population and relates it to the whole population. So what do we know when using 1000 opinions to take the pulse of almost 300,000,000 individuals? It means we have the opinions of 1000 folks. Note that the AP/Ipsos poll is weighted against Bush with close to two-thirds of the respondents being Democrat (download poll details).

There's no need to discuss agenda here; simply hop on or hop off the bandwagon. Just remember, the truth is all by the (lack of) numbers.

NEWS STORIES

Bush's Popularity Reaches New Low
For the first time in his presidency a majority of Americans question the integrity of President Bush, and growing doubts about his leadership have left him with record negative ratings on the economy, Iraq and even the war on terrorism, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.

On almost every key measure of presidential character and performance, the survey found that Bush has never been less popular with the American people. Currently 39 percent approve of the job he is doing as president, while 60 percent disapprove of his performance in office -- the highest level of disapproval ever recorded for Bush in Post-ABC polls.

Public Support for Bush Slips to New Low
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's public support has eroded to its lowest level yet, with the Iraq war dragging on, a top White House aide facing felony charges and the White House rushing to replace a failed Supreme Court nominee.

A new AP-Ipsos poll found the president's approval rating was at 37 percent, compared with 39 percent a month ago. About 59 percent of those surveyed said they disapproved.

Topics: current events, politics, Bush, Rove, News, Republican, White House, Journalism, Media, online

Hurricane Katrina Aftermath News Pictures #4

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Pumping Up Part Four: Price Gouging

Pumping Up Part Four

Price-Gouging
Hurricane Katrina did more than damage homes and businesses along the Gulf Coast. The storm sent the price of gasoline through the roof. While prices have started falling a little, authorities continue to look into allegations of price gouging. What's being down about it? News 5's Kimberly Curth has that story, in a special report you'll see only on News 5. Read full story.

Watch video.

Alabama: Law Against Price Gouging Still in Effect as State of Emergency Continues

Tension: Gas Pains
Gravity: 200%

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Mobile Alabama, Hurricane, Katrina Wilma, tropical storm, Rita, Bush, economy

FEMA Chief's Katrina E-Mail Damning?

COMMENTARY
Forget the poor writing style exhibited in the CNN article (Plural e-mail, like regular mail, should simply be e-mail, not e-mails. No one says, "I received a lot of mails.") but keep in mind that no one sends e-mail to announce an emergency. For example, an e-mailed bomb or suicide threat just doesn't carry the weight of immediacy when it sets in an unchecked mailbox. I'm not defending Brown, but I just don't believe Internet access to e-mail was the first thing restored around New Orleans. I'd be more suspect of Brown's communication failings if all his e-mail was marked, 'URGENT.' Urgent e-mail, now there's an oxymoron for you. The only e-mail I receive marked 'URGENT' on a regular basis is from some barrister in Africa asking me to contact him to send cash in order to claim an inheritance from some long lost relative. In the disaster zone, radio calls and hand delivered messages are urgent ... not e-mail sent into an area with neither electricity nor telephone service. If you point to Brown's e-mail as evidence of his failures, you are most likely looking from a fool's perspective. Perhaps that's even more worrisome.

STORY

'Can I quit now?' FEMA chief wrote as Katrina raged
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Louisiana congressman says e-mails written by the government's emergency response chief as Hurricane Katrina raged show a lack of concern for the unfolding tragedy and a failure in leadership.

Political Tension: Consider the source
Gravity: Off playing the blame-game

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, tropical storm, FEMA, tropical storm, Politics, Brown, Melancon, Katrina, politics, Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi

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Vatican: Faithful Should Listen to Science

COMMENTARY
It could be that science and religion are not fundamentally separate. Some physicists feel that the science of reality is a divine expression in quantum mechanics and unified theory.

Vatican: Faithful should listen to science
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- A Vatican cardinal said Thursday the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks turning into "fundamentalism" if it ignores scientific reason.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, who heads the Pontifical Council for Culture, made the comments at a news conference on a Vatican project to help end the "mutual prejudice" between religion and science that has long bedeviled the Roman Catholic Church and is part of the evolution debate in the United States. Read full story.

Tension: So much for the intolerance
Gravity: Gravity just is, no one knows why

Topics: In The News, technology, science, religion, nature

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Katrina Costs Ala. $18.4 Million for Roads and Bridges

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Selected Hurricane Wilma News Photos #14

Also see: Hurricane Wilma News Photos / Pictures Digest

NOTE: All rights are reserved by image owners; site content is linked only.

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Wilma, Florida, tropical storm, photos, pictures

New Evidence of Massive Black Hole In Galaxy

New evidence of massive black hole in our galaxy
LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese scientists said on Wednesday they had gathered evidence that shows a giant object in the center of our galaxy is a super-massive black hole.

Zhi-Qiang Shen and researchers at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory captured radio waves emitted just beyond the edge of the mysterious object, known as Sagittarius A, with a system of 10 radio telescopes spread across the United States. Read full story.

Tension: Relative to mass
Gravity: Collapsing

Topics: In The News, technology, science, pictures, nature, astronomy

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Pumping Up Part Three: Oil Companies Post Record Profits

Consumer ire grows over oil profits
The major oil and gas companies knew there would be a public backlash against their massive profits from higher fuel prices and took out advertisements urging conservation, suggesting they were looking out for consumers.

Yet Amy Myers Jaffe, energy expert at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, says they could have done more than signal higher fuel bills; they could have helped prevent them.

Top execs from oil majors to defend record profits
Top executives from three major oil companies, including two from Houston, will be heading to Washington, D.C., next week to take on questions from senators worried about the huge profits the companies reported last week, according to Associated Press and Reuters reports.

Oil firms face questions over the industry's record profits
When gas shot above $3 a gallon, Rep. Lee Terry’s Nebraska office received about 50 constituent calls a day, about five times the rate of what had been considered a high-volume day.

The calls have since fallen along with prices at the pump. But the costs of diesel fuel, which local farmers often rely on, and natural gas, which heats 85 percent of the homes in Terry’s district, remain high, causing anxiety among voters and their representatives alike.

Also see:
Pumping Up: Oil Companies Post Record Profits
Pumping Up Part Two: Oil Companies Post Record Profits

Tension: Gas Pains
Gravity: 200%

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Katrina Wilma, tropical storm, Rita, Bush, economy politics, News and Politics

Hurricane Katrina Aftermath News Pictures #3

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CIA Runs Secret Terrorism Prisons: Report

COMMENTARY
In an effort to shed light on (er, blow the cover off of) covert operations, the news story below is circulating in the MSM. Ok guys, what is it going to be? Are we ranting about exposing a CIA agent's covert cover or are we exposing covert CIA operations?

CIA runs secret terrorism prisons abroad: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The CIA has been holding and interrogating al Qaeda captives at a secret facility in Eastern Europe, part of a covert prison system established after the September 11, 2001, attacks, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

The Soviet-era compound is part of a network that has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand and Afghanistan, the newspaper reported, citing U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement

Read full story.

Tension: Confused
Gravity: Eh?

Topics: current events, politics, News, CIA, terrorism, Iraq, war

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Selected Hurricane Wilma News Photos #13

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Hurricane Katrina Aftermath News Pictures #2

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Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, tropical storm, Wilma, tropical storm, Politics, photos, pictures, Katrina, politics, Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi

Senate Emerges From Closed Session on Iraq

COMMENTARY
Democrats, led by Harry Reid, forced the Senate into a closed session today in order to focus attention on demands for a more thorough investigation into prewar intelligence. Probably after being reminded of former President Clinton's administation's role in prewar intelligence failures, the Senate emerged from the closed session later in the day.

Senate Emerges From Closed Session on Iraq
WASHINGTON - In a day of political drama, Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accusing Republicans of ignoring the issue.

They have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why," Democratic leader Harry Reid said.

Tension: Out of line
Gravity: Flagellatory

Topics: current events, politics, Bush, News, Republicans, White House, Democrats, Senate, Harry Reid, terrorism, Iraq, war

'Dirty Bomb' Seen As the Likeliest WMD

BACKGROUND -- DIRTY BOMB
A dirty bomb is an improvised nuclear device, created from radioactive nuclear waste material and conventional explosives. When a dirty bomb is detonated the explosion carries the nuclear waste material into the atmosphere where it is subject to dispersal by wind and rain. The aim of the dirty bomb is to cause wide-spread contamination of the target area. If detonated in a city a well designed dirty bomb could cause panic, radiation-related illnesses (both long-term and short-term) and possibly the the abandonment or demolition of highly contaminated areas.

'Dirty Bomb' Seen As the Likeliest WMD
ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands -- Truckloads of vegetables, dishware, even cranberry juice are setting off the radiation alarms at Europe's biggest port, as thousands of shipping containers bound for America pass through Rotterdam's new "dirty bomb" detectors.

They talk about our 'false' or 'innocent' alarms," Dutch Customs' Bert Wiersema said of his equipment, sensitive to even traces of radioactivity. "It doesn't matter. We want to detect everything."

And so far, over 18 months, they've detected everything but bombs.

Read full story.

Tension: Working on it
Gravity: 300

Topics: News, Politics, terrorism, Iraq, war

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FPL Power Restored to 80 Percent of Affected by Wilma

FPL Restores Power to 80 Percent of Customers Affected by Hurricane Wilma; Restoration Essentially Complete in Lee, Hendry Counties

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2005--The largest hurricane restoration force ever assembled by Florida Power & Light Company has restored power to nearly 2.6 million customers, 80 percent of the 3.2 million customers left without power by Hurricane Wilma.

FPL crews are now redoubling their efforts to restore power neighborhood by neighborhood throughout its service territory, but the vast majority in the tri-county area. Today, weather hampered crews and progress going forward will be slower since the repairs to neighborhood lines serve less customers.

Tension: Relaxing
Gravity: Turn on the AC

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Wilma, Florida, tropical storm

Selected Hurricane Wilma News Photos #12

Also see: Hurricane Wilma News Photos / Pictures Digest

NOTE: All rights are reserved by image owners; site content is linked only.

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Wilma, Florida, tropical storm

Selected Hurricane Wilma News Photos #11

Also see: Hurricane Wilma News Photos / Pictures Digest

NOTE: All rights are reserved by image owners; site content is linked only.

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Wilma, Florida, tropical storm

Losing War on Terror, But Still No Attacks In US?

From these two guys, it's old news -- but now there's a tour for their new book. Reuters hops on their theories as if they were facts.

Experts say US is losing war on terror
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. terrorism experts Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon have reached a stark conclusion about the war on terrorism: the United States is losing.

Despite an early victory over the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the two former Clinton administration officials say President George W. Bush's policies have created a new haven for terrorism in Iraq that escalates the potential for Islamic violence against Europe and the United States.

EDITORS NOTE: By 1:51 PM today, Reuters changed the headline of this story to:
Bush critics say US is losing war on terror
The new headline gives the story the lower weighting it deserves. There's nothing like the Web for keeping the Fifth Estate honest.

BACKGROUND

Daniel Benjamin: Former director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC) from 1994 to 1999. Benjamin served as foreign policy speechwriter and special assistant to President Clinton (Oh, the festering years -- one can only assume what his agenda is. )

Steven Simon: former State Department official who was also at the NSC (Ditto my comments above.)

Tension: Re-runs
Gravity: Weak

Topics: News, Politics, terrorism, Iraq, war

CBS To White House: Is Alito 'Sloppy Seconds?'

CBS Reporter to White House: Alito 'Sloppy Seconds?'
CBS News Chief White House correspondent John Roberts described the President's selection of Judge Samuel Alito as 'sloppy seconds' during today's press gaggle with White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

John Roberts: "So, Scott, you said that -- or the President said, repeatedly, that Harriet Miers was the best person for the job. So does that mean that Alito is sloppy seconds, or what?"

Scott McClellan: "Not at all, John."

CBS Correspondent Roberts Apologizes For Crude Phrasing of Question
(New York Sun) CBS White House correspondent John Roberts apologized yesterday for describing Supreme Court justice nominee Samuel Alito as "sloppy seconds" during a White House press briefing.

Posing a question to the White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, Mr. Roberts said, "Scott, you said that - or the president said, repeatedly, that Harriet Miers was the best person for the job. So does that mean Alito is sloppy seconds, or what?"

Tension: News You Won't See on the MSM
Gravity: Consider the source -- It's CBS

Topics: current events, politics, Bush, News, Republicans, White House, Democrats, Mainstream Media

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Voodoo Practitioners Scatter After Katrina

Voodoo Practitioners in New Orleans Scatter After Hurricane Katrina
NEW ORLEANS Oct 31, 2005 — The last time Don Glossop saw his customers they were ritually burning green candles, hoping voodoo would pierce the federal bureaucracy and hasten the arrival of desperately needed relief checks.

Glossop's shop, New Orleans Mistic, has been closed since Hurricane Katrina swamped the city two months ago, and most of his clients, who practice a local variant of voodoo, have scattered across the country.

RELATED

Voodoo Queen's Tomb Survives Katrina
The tomb of 18th Century voodoo queen Marie Leveau and graves of other famed artists and musicians have been unscathed in New Orleans' most famous 'city of the dead,' despite fears the flood waters from two hurricanes would destroy above-ground graves and scatter the remains of the long deceased.

New Orleans Cemetery & Voodoo Pages
This Web site has information and photographs about New Orleans-style Voodoo and the famous historic cemeteries. I was in New Orleans late Spring and took many new photographs. I've been adding new info almost daily not-so-daily. But I'm to keep adding photos and info between trips. I've added new photos of Holt and Cypress cemeteries and of St. Judes. We've also become an associate of Amazon.com allowing us to offer you quick purchase power for those hard-to-find books about Voodoo and about cemetery architecture. See the Voodoo Bookstore for more information.

Tension: Halloween's Over
Gravity: Below Sea Level

Topics: News, Current Events, Gulf Coast, hurricane, Katrina, politics, Louisiana, New Orleans

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Selected Hurricane Wilma News Photos #10

Also see: Hurricane Wilma News Photos / Pictures Digest

NOTE: All rights are reserved by image owners; site content is linked only.

Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Wilma, Florida, tropical storm

Selected Iraq War News Photos

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Selected Hurricane Wilma News Photos #9

Also see: Hurricane Wilma News Photos / Pictures Digest

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Topics: News, Gulf Coast, Hurricane, Wilma, Florida, tropical storm

Joe Wilson and Selective Reporting

Mainstream Media, Joe Wilson and Selective Reporting

Joe Wilson complained in an interview on the CBS News program, "60 Minutes," about how his wife, Valerie Plame, had her covert CIA career ruined by the publicity that ensued after the White House leak.

The one sided story, picked up and amplified by Reuters, fails to report the couple's responsibility in the events and the partisan politics that led to the whole issue.

Also not addressed is exactly why Wilson and Plame are complaining about her career ruining public exposure after having approved the publishing of their posed photos (see above), which have appeared repeatedly in the mainstream media.

Call me short-sighted but it seems after being exposed, if someone really wanted to salvage any sort of CIA career, they just wouldn't want their photo out in the news.

Wilson says leak destroyed wife's CIA career
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Valerie Plame's nearly two-decade career at the CIA and the secret life she crafted to conceal it were blown when her identity was revealed by a newspaper columnist, her husband, Joe Wilson said in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday.

For a full factual accounting of the events surrounding Plamegate, see Factcheck.org:

The Wilson-Plame-Novak-Rove Blame Game
Both sides twist and hype the case of a CIA agent's leaked identity. We document what's known so far.

Political Tension: Status Quo
Gravity: Outed

Topics: current events, politics, Bush, Rove, News, Republicans, White House, Libby, Fitzgerald, Mainstream Media, Democrats, Plamegate

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