And what of the younger generation, who never heard of Joe Wilson and his courageous, patriotic sacrifices? I doubt that any school textbook even mentions him in passing.
I would suggest that some of the energy being used to rail against the wrongs of long past, even though they clearly resonate in the present, instead be used to educate people about Joe Wilson and wrongs of the immediate past that not only affect our nation immensely in the present but which also can serve, in the person of Wilson, as a role model for our youth. Getting rid of a civic statue of Robert E. Lee is certainly the right and legitimate thing to do. However, putting up a statue of Joe Wilson might well do even more to foster the education of and serve as inspiration for our youth and, thus, our nation's future.
His partner in victimization, courage, and patriotism, his former wife Valerie Plame, is currently running for Congress in New Mexico. A fitting tribute to Joe Wilson would be to support Plame, not because she was his wife, but because like Joe, she is the rare individual who has demonstrated she can take the worst Washington politics will throw at you and come back swinging.
307
If only Joe Wilson's warning had been taken seriously, Congress could have prevented the horrors of the U.S. war in Iraq. We should be grateful for his courage to speak out.
Now it's long past time to end endless war. The House-Senate conference committee must keep the amendment to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Force (AUMF) in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Rest In Peace, Ambassador Wilson. In his memory, Congress can take action to end endless war.
275
A whistleblower, and a hero dies as another whistleblower and patriot takes the difficult mantle of defending the Republic. Shakespeare couldn't come up with this.
676
@PubliusMaximus
I hate to disagree but Shakespeare understood and only the fools dared speak truth to power.
33
In light of the Ukraine situation, I was thinking only yesterday that Joseph Wilson had been a rather more visible type of whistleblower -- and look how he was treated with the unmasking of his CIA wife. Politics is a cruel game.
649
They ruined his life, his wife at the time and sad to hear that their marriage did not survive the horror of what they did to them.
102
I still remember reading that op-ed by Joseph Wilson. I read it in the Int'l Herald Tribune and was stunned. We'd already been through the stolen election in 2000 and after I read that piece and experienced the events that followed, and another stolen election in 2004, I vowed to leave the US forever. And now I have, and I'm happy about my choice.
88
@Marilyn Burbank
I, too, remember this man and his honesty and the TWO stolen elections. Lest we forget the evil playing out today is not the first; we need to remember its roots were back then, 20 years ago.
It's interesting that you did in fact move away, as many US citizens speak about that and never do. I love France, but doesn't every country have its politics and issues? Would be very interested to hear how it is indeed better to live in France/Europe vs. here these days.
Best wishes to you.
24
RIP Joseph Wilson. You are remembered for your true patriotism and integrity.
Where is integrity in government today?
10
Seems like the GOP has been standing on "alternative facts" for a long, long time.
Not that the Dems are much better. Power seekers have always used whatever story justified their aims. If the facts don't fit, change them, replace them, deny them, or hide them.
So waht's the poor voter to do? Hold your nose while you cast your ballot, and hope for the best? That's not enough. I won't bore you with the details, but we all know that for democracy to thrive, citizens must at all times pay attention to what their representatives are up to.
5
The George W. White House tolerated whistle-blowers. (Wilson never faced legal charges for stepping out of bounds on secrecy rules while working for the CIA). Obama aggressively persecuted/imprisoned CIA whistle-blowers.
2
“He had the heart of a lion. He’s an American hero” ... Valerie Plame
Yes. And we need more like him.
11
This obituary inexplicably omits the fact that it was not Libby who was Novak's source. It was Richard Armitage, the Deputy Secretary of State. See the book "Hubris" by Michael Ishoff. It also omits the fact that Wilson himself disclosed his wife's role in the CIA in a green room to another Fox guest. See the Wikipedia entry for Mr. Wilson. Of course, it's important to keep the myth alive.
2
yes, Iraq had a nuclear weapon program, its the one the Reagan Adm installed to fight Iran....also, we went to the Moon but could not see a sliver of wmd's before the invasion?...
1
Contrary to the "criminal genesis" of the CIA as former covert assassins of "Office of Strategic Services" (or O.S.S.) during World War II, we must admit, with admiration, grace, and thanksgiving: That by his tenacious, persistent, and courageous love for our great nation as proven by his bold disclosure of the truth, opposing and dispelling the perverse falsehood — Saddam Hussein having "weapons of mass destruction" — that triggered the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, Joe Wilson is a great American patriot who inspires and exhorts us with the miraculous hope: That, indeed, even in these dangerous times "that try man's soul," historical redemption is indeed possible for our great country!
God bless America, One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all; the land of the free and the home of the brave! *
1
A true hero for America. Good timing, it may put more emphasis on the Trump fiasco, which I'm sure he would love.
Someone should have gone to jail for outing his CIA wife - she could have been killed. One of many examples of how really dirty Republicans play. They laid the groundwork for Trump turbo charging hate and nastiness.
9
He was a hero in the moment, and a potent reminder now of how much depends on men and women of good will and sound ethics to step forward and tell the truth.
For those of us spinning into the stratosphere of disbelief, alarm, and despair that our nation was hell bent on launching an illegal war that was guaranteed to harm the hundreds of thousands (now more than a million) that it did, Mr. Wilson's and Valerie Plame's examples were emotional lifelines.
At the time, I experienced their stories viscerally and with the profoundest gratitude imaginable, even as I was alarmed at the coordinated attempts to silence and punish them. Punish them...for telling the truth.
It's still hard to process that reality; it was a sign that something dire had gone wrong in government and a piercing wake-up call that speaks to our current crisis. We must stop waging war on truth-tellers. It's destroying us.
When their story was published, I remember thinking, "Thank god. Not everyone has lost their moral barometer." In those dark days --days when this nation lost its footing in ways we have yet to recover from--they cast a very bright light. That is a legacy worth celebrating.
With sincere condolences to his family and profound thanks for his magnificent example of real public service...
9
It seems almost quaint, doesn’t it, that at one time this nation could be scandalized when the President told a lie.
12
"And the unmasking of Ms. Plame — who worked in the C.I.A. unit responsible for determining whether nations were building weapons of mass destruction — led to investigations and ultimately a trial for Vice President Dick Cheney’s top national security aide."
Of course, Vice President Dick Cheney knew nothing about the actions his "top national security aide."
And, now, because that "wrong was not righted" we have Donald Trump as President of the United States.
When you don't solve a problem in government, you only create more problems for the future.
Donald Trump once said to his supporters that he could shoot somebody on the street, and nothing would happen.
It's time for Adam Schiff to put an end to this nonsense.
11
Joe Wilson was a hero. Please accept my sincere sympathy, Valerie Plame.
17
Another patriot gone. RIP Mr. Wilson.
9
Organ failure? The cause? Many things can cause organ failure like intense radiation. This death needs more explanation!
12
The Bush/Cheney treatment of Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame traces a direct line to Trump’s treatment of our national intelligence agencies and its people. In the age of Trump, it’s easy to airbrush the worst of the Bush presidency. But I remember similarly waking up daily outraged at that administration’s lies and dirty dealings, including its blaming the CIA for the rationale for the Iraq war. When Wilson outed Bush/Cheney’s lies, they used Robert Novak to out Wilson’s wife. This is of a piece of the same kind of threats Trump wields against Andrew McCabe, the FBI, and now the whistleblower who has outed Trump’s latest seditious activity. So when we justly speak outrage over Trump’s dishonesty, corruption of our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law, remember its roots go back to the last Republican president—and seemingly to the DNA of the Republican Party itself.
14
It is gratifying refreshing to hear about and know that there are truly patriotic Americans in the so-called "intelligence agencies" who put the real interests of our great nation and of the American people above their own petty personal ambitions and against the tide of "peer-influenced corruption." There are the "Snowden's" and there are the "Manning's," both of whom, also did their patriotic duty, but, in a different way that contributed to their persecution or prosecution by certain unjust, self-serving, and deceitful public officials in our federal government. However, the way Mr. Wilson chose to perform his dutiful obligations as "a good citizen" is also a remarkable miracle: He did it in an open, truthful, sincere, honest, and direct way that addressed, specifically, the moral turpitude and perverse corruption of certain individual public officials, such as President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney, whose underhanded, if not, criminal actions, disparaged, not only the integrity of our form of free government, but also contributed to eviscerate the trust which the American public and the world-at-large, are usually predisposed to ascribe to our government as "a force for good on the earth." Given the genesis or "criminal history" of the CIA as former covert assassins of "Office of Strategic Services" during World War II, we must admit, with admiration and thanksgiving: This is a great, inspiring hope, that, indeed, redemption is possible for America. *
6
I hope, that in his memory, some consortium of journalists and former intelligence officers will complete the tale ...
... Of how much intelligence and how many people were lost - either dead, imprisoned, or simply made useless by the first act of an administration destroying an agent.
And the paranoid side of me requests a clarification of the cause of death.
Someone can die of cascading organ failure at a relatively young age due to inherited medical conditions, lifestyle (a taste for nothing but the fattest meat or alcohol or a variety of chemicals) or, as happened in the UK, deliberate poisoning by an angry government.
His patriotism led him to thrust himself before the public to attempt to stop the needless destruction of a nation (far more people lost their lives besides a dictator in a region which has only one fairly free government - and a crushed Iraq has continued to suffer because we destroyed its infrastructure and gave a home to ISIL) - meaning a question that could have been embarrassing to a man now beyond embarrassment needs answering.
I believe Mr. Wilson is owed, at least posthumously, honors for his for his service to the people of the United States, hope Ms. Plame’s life work was not destroyed by a man who wanted to show daddy he could run a better war - with his direct phone-line to his deity - no matter what it cost, and apologize to his family for asking what might be an uncomfortable question.
8
Perhaps we need a new edition of Profiles in Courage.
4
"It takes time for Americans to fully understand when they have been duped by a government they instinctively want to trust. But it is axiomatic that you cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and our citizens inevitably react to the deceit.”
The final line in his obit reminds me of the GOP and Trump. Please get our country and planet on a healthy track by voting all these buffoons out.
8
George W. Bush has morphed in the public mind into a self deprecating almost lovable goofball but he and his administration were guilty of more horrible things than any president of modern times. We should never forget.
9
Oh, I just found this.
I am so sorry at Mr. Wilson's passing. He impressed me as a man of integrity and honesty, rare qualities in the higher government officials. The world is a lesser place for his not being in it. Condolences to his loved ones and friends.
6
Please see "Fair Game" which tells this story of courage of both Joseph Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame.
The film became a sleeper that didn't really wake up.
I am sorry for the death of this man, who had the kind of integrity so rarely seen today. He was truly loyal to the interests of truth and to our public.
My condolences to Valerie as I wish her best of luck in her Congressional bid.
This is a reminder of how most of us were caught up in a fear of questioning, fear of disagreeing, fear of being disloyal, and marked fear of even considering that a war that killed so many was based on lies.
Much of our political climate today is based on people in one base scared of knowing things about their candidate, the President, that might make them question him and his actions.
When we support a leader and his policies at any price, we sacrifice lives, we sacrifice integrity.
To me this, the actions of Ambassador Wilson, were truly courageous because he risked a great deal. He didn't know he risked the outing of his wife, and the subsequent danger posed to all those in Iraq to whom she had promised safety if they gave her information.
Again, repeating myself, please see the movie "Fair Game". It is readily available, as is the truth of what happened.
5
Quote:"Bush had built the case for the invasion of Iraq on a faulty intelligence report — one that critics said was cherry-picked to provide an urgent rationale for a war"
I am sorry to hear of his passing. We need good honest men these days and Washington is in short supply. The best way to honor him is by learning from history.
3
Joe Wilson was a hero, putting country first and fighting wrong doing. Right now we have a hero doing the same, and we worry about his safety. The reprisal against Joe Wilson was done to his wife. Please, let's keep our current hero anonymous and safe! And thank him for his service.
4
Life is short.
Tell the truth - do the right thing.
We are in desperate times - pending collapse of not only the US empire, but of civilization itself, as the climate emergency intensifies.
We'll need to work together.
5
For the first time, I learned today in the video interview with Joseph Wilson that he had gone directly to both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to report the lie told by President George W. Bush in his national television address lead-up to the Iraq War.
No one in government listens to legitimate complaints from We the People. They are "smarter" than are we.
This criticism is directed to both Republicans and Democrats.
4
What a terrible loss to our nation. Joe Wilson was a hero in every sense of the word. It is rare that we see heroism in real time. Joe Wilson did that for us. I hope he is honored throughout the nation.
5
And what of the younger generation, who never heard of Joe Wilson and his courageous, patriotic sacrifices? I doubt that any school textbook even mentions him in passing.
Some of the energy being used to rail against the wrongs of long past, even though they clearly resonate in the present, should be used to educate people about Joe Wilson and wrongs of the immediate past that not only affect our nation immensely in the present but which also can serve, in the person of Wilson, as a role model for our youth. Getting rid of a civic statue of Robert E. Lee is certainly the right and legitimate thing to do. However, putting up a statue of Joe Wilson might well do even more to foster the education of and serve as inspiration for our youth and, thus, our nation's future.
His partner in victimization, courage, and patriotism, his former wife Valerie Plame, is running for Congress in New Mexico. She is the unusually qualified person who can go to Washington and not be cowed, manipulated, or bought off. She has taken the worst the political establishment could throw at her and tossed it back in their face. She is what Washington needs more of, someone in Congress who has demonstrated she can and will walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
A fitting tribute to Joe Wilson would be to support Plame, not because she was his wife, but because like Joe, she is the rare individual who has demonstrated she can take the worst Washington politics will throw at you and come back swinging.
53
@Steve Fankuchen
Valerie Plame is indeed courageous and I thank her for her service to our country.
But the job description for a member of Congress is to represent her district. In her eleven years in Santa Fe, Ms. Plame's engagement with New Mexico and any of its issues has been minimal.
Fortunately, we have an equally courageous woman, Teresa Leger Fernandez, who has devoted her adult life to solving issues such as water rights, affordable housing, voting rights and economic development of our pueblos. Aside from time at Yale, Stanford Law School and as a White House Fellow, Teresa has spent her life working on issues in our Congressional district. She has earned the endorsement of Emily's List and my support.
3
And what of the younger generation, who never heard of Joe Wilson and his courageous, patriotic sacrifices? I doubt that any school textbook even mentions him in passing.
Some of the energy being used to rail against the wrongs of long past, even though they clearly resonate in the present, should be used to educate people about Joe Wilson and wrongs of the immediate past that not only affect our nation immensely in the present but which also can serve, in the person of Wilson, as a role model for our youth. Getting rid of a civic statue of Robert E. Lee is certainly the right and legitimate thing to do. However, putting up a statue of Joe Wilson might well do even more to foster the education of and serve as inspiration for our youth and, thus, our nation's future.
His partner in victimization, courage, and patriotism, his former wife Valerie Plame, is running for Congress in New Mexico. She is the unusually qualified person who can go to Washington and not be cowed, manipulated, or bought off. She has taken the worst the political establishment could throw at her and tossed it back in their face. She is what Washington needs more of, someone in Congress who has demonstrated she can and will walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
A fitting tribute to Joe Wilson would be to support Plame, not because she was his wife, but because like Joe, she is the rare individual who has demonstrated she can take the worst Washington politics will throw at you and come back swinging.
14
I share the admiration for Joseph Wilson that so many of these comments express. I am bothered, however, that many of the comments seem to imply that the Iraqi war would have been justified if Iraq actually had the so-called weapons of mass destruction that the Bush Administration claimed that Iraq had. Even if Iraq had possessed such weapons, I believed in 2002-03 and continue to believe today that war would have been unjustified anyway because there was almost no reason to suppose that Iraq would have used such weapons. Many dictators have commanded nuclear weapons, but none have used them. Saddam Hussein may have been a brutal dictator, but I have never seen any evidence that he was a suicidal madman who would have started a nuclear war even if he had the means of doing so. I remain astonished that so many Americans of both parties believed that Iraq had weapons AND that Iraq would use them, and that so many Americans were willing to rush into what obviously would be a horribly deadly and costly war. This shook (but did not destroy) my faith in American democracy, far more than anything that has occurred during the Trump Administration.
22
We need a statue of this brave American in the Capitol to remind future generations of his devotion to our country.
19
A man of integrity, conviction, statesman, gentlemen's gentleman and a true American Hero kind of whom America is having lesser of today and gone too early. He will be missed. RIP Ambassador Wilson.
My condolences to his family.
21
Why are we all so surprised at the misdirection??? The military-industrial complex must eat.
6
The Iraq War has directly led to the subsequent chaos and war in Syria, followed by refugees streaming into Europe, leading to the rise of the right in response. Iran no longer counter-balanced by Iraq, still a broken country.
How many lives destroyed, including those of our own soldiers, and money wasted ? Still the architects of that war have paid no price, Bush (he’s nice to Mrs Obama) now celebrated compared Trump.
12
Mr. Wild Ms. Plame were made victims because they stood for the truth against the Bush administration. This is the sa story of what happens to people who do the right thing. I hope all their children are proud of their parents.
18
It is haunting that because of the lies perpetuated by a few powerful men such as Bush, Cheney, & Rumsfeld we invaded Iraq all those years ago resulting in 100's of 1,000's of deaths, billions of dollars, and an endless flood of suffering and destruction.
Thank you to Mr. Wilson for your efforts to shine a light on truth. It takes courage. Pay attention America
26
While find intuitive the truth in the remark, “It takes time for Americans to fully understand when they have been duped by a government they instinctively want to trust. But it is axiomatic that you cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and our citizens inevitably react to the deceit.” I come to wonder, has the Republican Party come to be the party of deception and of deceptive beliefs? True, politicians of many a stripe will publicly utter a thought only to later morph into a contradictory belief. But I see that nowhere to same degree as the modern Republican mindset. This is what Mr. Wilson clearly among others exposed. For this I hope his exposition becomes a standard point of study in tracing the degradation of Republican governance through the second half of the twentieth century.
10
I thought Bush 2 making torture an official policy of the US was criminal plus pardoning Cheney too (misuse of power) but other than that most of his policies were just wrong not criminal.
Trump has taken it to a much higher level where most of his actions are criminal/border line criminal whereas only some are legal.
This is what happens when you don't enforce the law.
12
I believe it was Cheney who made sure Valerie was outed. This spin happened so quickly, we were attacking Iraq before any of the general public had a chance to know the truth.
I hope she wins the seat she is seeking in NM. She will be a great representative.
Sorry she had to say farewell to her husband.
24
@Hj It was actually Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State, who was Novak's source. See Wilson' Wikipedia page for details and confirmation.
3
As citizens of the world, we're fortunate to have had gutsy people like Joe Wilson amongst us. RIP.
14
As bad as our current President is, his latest impeachable actions pale in comparison to the damage wrought by the Bush-Cheney administration's fraudulent decision to "drain the swamp" in Iraq. Thousands of American soldiers maimed or killed, millions fleeing a lawless Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead, Isis sprouting in the chaos, and the waste of enough money to provide healthcare and education for millions of Americans while keeping Social Security humming for decades to come.
22
The death of Ambassador Wilson remains us that the depravity of the Republican Party is not a recent phenomenon. Trump is the natural result of it. We need more Joe Wilsons now. RIP.
25
I remenber that the mass media at the time didn’t have the courage to challenge the dubious assertions from the CHENEY-BUSH administration, much to the contrary.
8
The New York Times itself went into the tank supporting the bogus claims of the Cheney-Bush clique. It's doing the same now by "equivalence journalism" in covering the 2016 campaign and the antics of the criminal now in the Oval Office.
1
Joseph Wilson showed by example what patriotism and courage looks like.
The aftermath of his op-ed showed that contempt for the truth and putting politics before country would have political hacks unmask a CIA agent working to keep us safe.
He is an example for our time.. don't forget, Trump pardoned Scooter Libby. 'nuff said
17
Someone (I can’t remember her name) who knew Wilson said on MSNBC today that she had spoken to him not long ago. He said to her, “I only have a few weeks. I will see you on the other side.” I had already been shocked and saddened by her announcement of his death, but that almost stopped my heart. He fought for truth. The Iraq War travesty was never rectified. We still suffer from its consequences..No one has ever been held accountable. Bush has ironically been redeemed mainly because Trump is so much worse. And Scooter Libby, who outed Valerie Plame, has now been pardoned by Donald Trump, a hypocritical thug, who got elected falsely claiming he opposed the war, where Wilson put himself on the line by actually doing it. After witnessing so much injustice, that Wilson should end his life on such a positive and hopeful note is really humbling.
23
I liked him a great deal. A big life. And, yes, a patriot. What the Bush WH did to him and Ms. Plame is reprehensible. They went to war for oil. Period. "Remember the Maine." Rise up in his name. Selah Joe. Thank you.
12
It is comforting to remember Joseph Wilson, a patriot, at a time when most of our senior executive officials are such traitors. RIP Mr. Wilson.
16
He and Valerie together near 21 years...and now...21 years....gone...
what a price...they BOTH have paid
TRUEST of Patriots!!!
Rest in your Earned Peace
11
Joe Wilson, an American hero. He spoke truth to power, which is always what a patriot does! Bush, Cheney, Rice, and the rest were wrong to start two wars, Afghanistan and Iraq, both un-winnable. And here we are 18years later, trillions wasted for...what?!
Be at peace, Mr. Wilson, you served your country well. My sincere condolences to, Ms. Plame.
13
The Iraq invasion killed countless, gave rise to murderous terrorist factions, and destabilized the entire region in a way that it continues to suffer from to this day. The destruction and human misery it caused are immeasurable. It warped what we are as a species. It stained us. Nobody who helped inflict this murderous abomination upon our world should have been permitted to work in politics, government or media ever again, and its primary facilitators should be in prison for war crimes. The fact that its chief architects remain not just free but celebrated members of society proves that we are ruled by a sociopathic empire. Nothing has been done to prevent it from happening again. Nobody suffered any consequences, no changes have been made, no transparency measures or checks and balances put in place to ensure that the US war machine is never again permitted to paint the earth red with the blood of the innocent in an act of mass murder justified with lies.
18
the lessons to nobody ...it looks like...
2
It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry..
At a time when most in Washington cowered before the flying wedge of Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld and their henchpeople, Joe Wilson was one of the few courageous enough to stand against them and their sociopathic lies. Anyone who has read his memoir "The Politics of Truth" knows that he and his wife Valerie Plame paid a fearsome price for his having done so. What a giant. What a man.
18
The G.W. Bush administration's determination to wage war on Iraq had invaluable assistance from one Judith Miller, a woman of untrammeled mendacity and opportunism whose front page myths about WMD in Iraq were published on this paper's front page almost daily. Her myriad assaults on fact and decency were so egregious that the NYT eventually had to force her to seek employment elsewhere.
I write this to illustrate a sharp contrast between Joseph Wilson's courage to speak truth to power, even at the risk of penalty and opprobrium, and the complicity of the NYT by encouraging mass murder and continued suffering in Iraq.
Thank you, Joseph Wilson.
17
take a good long memorizing look
because they’re dying out.
Patriot
79
Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
94
@slb
"The evil that men do, live long after they are gone, the good is often buried with them".
Wilson is one of those who's good deeds will be buried with him, and the evil that Bush, Cheney, have perpetrated on those who have served in this war and those who's lives may have been squandered for the republicans political gain, will live on. That is until we get a democratic president who will wind it down and bring home the soldiers. We can pull out, with the caveat of, don't make the U.S. come back.
10
A reminder that the roots of Trump's lawlessness reach back many years and through many abuses of power by successive Republican administrations.
124
An excellent reminder that the GOP's awfulness is not a recent phenomenon- the only real change is that they say the quiet parts out loud now.
391
But that's what makes them a Grand Old Party to you, right? Else why would you refer to them by their branding statement?
@Greg
Whats funny, no one on Faux News, or any right wing radio hosts will admit, is that the republican party lied to the people to start a war, where the only exit strategy is to not have an exit strategy. Think of the infrastructure, education, healthcare etc, that the billions we've spend on this never ending republican war.
33
Wilson spoke the truth, even though it cost him. At a time when we need those who stand up for the truth, we lose them.
And Trump pardoned Libby. We are truly through the looking glass.
88
@Andrew
I share your deep respect for Joseph C. Wilson IV. There are Americans that are standing 'up for truth' now. 'You cannot fool all the people all of the time.' The exposure of Trump's and his carriers' venality is begun.
5
When people say that the Intelligence Community was responsible for misleading the Bush White House on the existence of nuclear WMD, they should remember Amd. Joe Wilson. He did his job honestly and faithfully.
The neocons in the White House ignored him and led us into an invasion that was not just.
And then they retaliated by outing his wife, a CIA agent.
Amb. Wilson was a Republican. Maybe one of the last Republican who loved his country ore than his own interests.
84
@Rita It was not the U.S. intelligence community who provided the faulty report of weapons of mass destruction.
I don’t think anyone says this. I think everyone knows that the Bush cronies cherry picked data to manufacture the ‘transformative’ war they’d written about 5 years earlier. Contradictory opinions were vanquished and the lapdog media mounted their laps- including this publication.
3
It was nice to see that men of character, ethics and morality once walked the earth. It has become clear that this is another species that is soon to be extinct. It is being replaced by a much lower functioning and very dangerous group of primitives that is increasing in ever greater numbers.
53
A true patriot. My condolences to his family. Bush, Cheney, Rice, et al should be in prison for treason. We have been in Iraq and Afghanistan for 17 years. We have spent so much blood and treasure and for what? For nothing. I used to think Bush would go down as the worst president ever then came Trump. Bush still remains the worst closely followed by Trump.
70
@Doris Keyes,
Probably you are right, Bush may still be the worst. It's an interesting, although very sad, discussion. It
It's just so astonishingly, jaw-droppingly, eye-poppingly, implausibly absurd - that Trump would not be the worst president..
6
This article reminds me that Trump is not the worst President in U.S. history....yet.
32
Yes, I remember Scooter Libby. A man of letters-- graduated from Yale, and also from Yale, two Bushes, a Kavanaugh, two Clintons. Is there something wrong with this picture?
24
@JBonn all represent, as they say in Italy, "entitlement without accomplishment." Frat boy Kavanaugh ought to be your tell.
8
Thank you for your service Joe. The Bush/Cheney presidency did great harm to our country by pushing us into the Iraq war under false pretenses. You stood tall against their lies. Rest in Peace and condolences to Ms. Plame.
62
The lies of the Bush "W" administration contrasted with the truth told by Joseph Wilson are the reason I cannot and will not trust the information provided by the Trump administration about Iran's nuclear program.
Too many lies, too many deaths and the vengeful actions of "W' and Dick Cheney bent on destroying the reputations and careers of Valerie Plame Wilson and Joseph Wilson left a lingering stench...
Mr. Wilson’s decision to challenge Mr. Bush’s argument that Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, was secretly reconstituting his nuclear program changed both the narrative and the politics of the war. It forced the White House to concede, grudgingly, that Mr. Bush had built the case for the invasion of Iraq on a faulty intelligence report — one that critics said was cherry-picked to provide an urgent rationale for a war that quickly turned into a morass.
Mr. Wilson’s action ultimately created a rift between the White House and the Central Intelligence Agency and led to inquiries about whether intelligence had been politicized, a debate that racks Washington to this day.
23
He was a true American hero!
RIP, Joe Wilson
37
Let's also remember that the U.S. involved itself in the Vietnam War based on phony intelligence about the Gulf of Tonkin incident (the first sea battle was provoked by U.S. troops, the second sea battle never happened), and involved itself in the Gulf War based on phony testimony from the Kuwaiti ambassador's daughter (Nayirah). As our government itches for conflict with China, let us all remember our government's history of lying and manufacturing wars.
Whistleblowers like Mr. Wilson are not traitors, they are heroes.
64
"“It takes time for Americans to fully understand when they have been duped by a government they instinctively want to trust. But it is axiomatic that you cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and our citizens inevitably react to the deceit.”
In the end, this is the hope I hold onto in the face of Trump's ongoing assault on our institutions and our democracy, with his supporters seemingly immune to any suggestion of his wrongdoing: in the end Americans want to do the right thing. I believe this latest crime by Trump has begun to crack the wall of denial of some of his supporters. They are having to confront the harsh reality that if they support Trump, they are then in opposition to what makes America great: our commitment that "all men are created equal", and no one is above the law. Trump's actions clearly show that he believes that he's above the law.
I'm grateful for Mr. Wilson's courage in standing up to hugely powerful forces, and being a lonely voice, when even the so-called Fourth Estate of the media was singing in harmony with a corrupted Presidential agenda. Some day we'll give thanks to the as yet anonymous whistle blower for having this same kind of courage to confront an extremely powerful and vindictive man and his enablers. It's people like this who have saved America from itself, when most are too willing to just go along with the status quo.
You and your courage will be missed Mr. Wilson, but you leave your brave example behind for us to follow.
41
I fully agree that Joseph Wilson was a true patriot and American hero with "the heart of a lion." More if us need to uphold the truth for our Democracy to survive.
My heartfelt condolences to his family, especially His former wife Valerie Plame, who is an American hero with the heart of a lion, as well.
38
That was obvious, as Saddam Hussein had been under sanctions for so long, it was more than doubtful, that he would of been able to have much of a weapons program. I remember watching Colin Powell present the information, and I stood in front of the television shaking my head no.
22
Yes, they lied us into war in Iraq, but the reason wasn't political. The reason was national security. Bolton and Cheney and others believe that if the US goes too long without a real war, military leadership will lose its edge. That no amount of training or war games makes up for real war experience.
So they went about manufacturing the war in Iraq. Ironically, this has led to less security not more. It destabilized the Middle East and empowered Iran. The six trillion dollars spent on the Iraq War means less money for the rest of the military. We need that money now to secure US bases from climate change and all the projects put on hold while money is diverted to the wall.
Yes, the lied and they justified it to themselves by saying it was for national security. This is also why they said anyone against the war was against the US because it was in the US interests even if the case for war had to be built on lies. The ends justified the means.
But in the case of the Iraq War, bad means led to a bad end.
14
@DB You are being far too kind. They did it for personal gain, because they could, with no concern whatsoever for this country.
2
I’m so sorry to see this brave man go...his family should be very proud!
18
Punishing whistleblowers, federal workers. What could be a more (re)mindful reading this week? I wish our younger generations found obits more compelling because I believe this obit will be referenced in history. Thanks to David E. Sanger and Neil Genzlinger for an important entry in these times - really - this writing in our context is critical to understanding the ethical crises we faced and did not resolve and linger still.
18
Ambassador Wilson's contribution in speaking truth to power was heroic. Sincerest condolences to Ms. Plame, who was also a hero in facing the Bush/Cheney deceitful administration. Rest in peace, Joe.
19
It's not just since the Trump era, the so-called GOP has a history in betraying the fine men and women who keep our country safe.
19
Condolences to a hero surrounded by traitors, Bush, Cheney, Libby. the list goes on and on.
All war all the time.
117
No mention of the fact that his wife, Valerie Plame, is running for Congress?
33
A true American patriot!
54
So when is Bush going to jail?
58
RIP Patriot. Condolences to Valerie Plame.
57
There is one fact about the yellowcake-from-Niger scandal that I have never heard mentioned in public: the intelligence report on which it was based was publicly exposed as a forgery long before President Shrub mentioned it in his SOU address. Even I knew this at the time.
44
Rest in peace Joe Wilson. You were a hero.
The men who lied and betrayed our country were war criminals and should have been tried as such. You tried to stop that war that was responsible for the death of close to one million Iraqis, the death of at least 5000 American troops, the destruction of Iraq's infrastructure, the creation of 4 million refugees and the creation of ISIS.
May there be more men like Joe Wilson the next time a president lies to get America into an unjust war.
113
So Trump pardoned Scooter Libby last year.
Isn't the acceptance of a pardon an admission of guilt?
40
@B. B. B.
Nixon was pardoned by Ford. As far as I know, Nixon never actually admitted guilt. People around him went to prison, but he flew back to California and became our China "expert."
8
@B. B. B. From what I recall, acceptance of a pardon is not necessarily an admission of guilt. A person might not have gotten a fair trial, or a person might have been given a penalty that is all out of proportion to the offense committed. I don't think those considerations played any role in Scooter Libby's case; he could afford good lawyers, and President GW Bush commuted his prison sentence so that he did not have to serve much time in jail.
2
Thankfully, Mr. Wilson will be remembered for exposing to the American public that the U.S. government has a peculiar tendency to lie about matters pertaining to war. In light of this, you'd expect the Trump follower to lionize Wilson. Only trouble is, Wilson told the truth. RIP Joseph Wilson.
43
Here's what happened:
The one person even obtusely connected to outing a CIA agent has his sentence commuted..then fully pardoned. By Trump.
No one has ever paid a price for outing this CIA agent. NO ONE.
People like Snowden and Manning pay a price but never the criminals at the top.
This must stop. Now!
This is why we must pursue and punish Trump & Co.
Or it will surely happen again and again.
88
@Edward
Congress needs to restrict presidential powers and pardons as they should have after Nixon to create some Incentive to comply with the rule of law.
10
I am sad to read that Joe Wilson is dead. I wonder what killed him at age 69? I met him once at the American Booksellers Association convention when his book was about to be published. We had a brief conversation, and he was one of the most pleasant, down-to-earth authors I've ever met. If he was "prickly," I never saw it. He did a great service for the country in telling the truth about Niger.
77
''President Trump issued Mr. Libby a full pardon.''
Once again spitting on the intelligence community.
51
The man is a hero, and so is his wife. What Republicans won't do to make money!
We must never forget that 4 months before the beginning of the Bush's administration terrible hostilities against Iraq began, Hans Blix and his UN team of inspectors were actually working on the ground in Iraq. Blix said there was no attempt to control where the team went by Iraq. And just a month or so before Bush decided to stab Iraq in the back, Blix said that they had found nothing - nothing - that even smelled like a WMD.
Bush and his cronies not only tried to take down patriots like Wilson and Plame, they lied to the USA and the UN, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were murdered, along with thousands of American soldiers and soldiers from other countries. Anybody who read a newspaper or watched the news absolutely knew what Blix reported. Yet we couldn't stop the horror. Thank you, Republicans.
78
@Sam D
It is still heartrending. I was part of a synod who sent a petition to Congress in February 2003 with over a 1000,000 signatures. Other synods sent far more. This doesn't include all the other petitions. I really should check the Congressional Record on how many petitions were received and the total number of signatures.
The famous prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi wrote a scathing indictment of Bush for murder.
10
@Sam D, Right! Thanks for bringing this up.
5
@Sam D I agree, but do not forget the corporate Democrat senators who aided Bush’s war crime by voting for the invasion. They are also complicit.
10
JW should be Profile in Courage Award nominee. He and his family certainly paid the price.
46
Joseph C. Wilson and John McCain, American heroes whose names can be uttered in the same breath.
29
The Iraq War narrative was certainly challengeable.
Lie after lie from Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and many others in The Bush-Cheney administration. Neither history nor their maker shall judge these individuals kindly.
43
Well done Mr. Wilson!
29
Outing of Valerie plane as CIA agent was crooked Cheney’s crime. It seemed so big at the time. Trump and his cronies make those days look like a walk in the park now.
37
We need another Joe Wilson today.
38
@joe hirsch
We've got another Joe Wilson type with the whistle blower exposing Trump's conversation with the Ukrainian leader.
14
The way to honor Wilson’s legacy is to pursue truth in our present constitutional crisis. It is not an easy path for the brave and the honest to risk everything to speak truth to power, but they are remembered in our national conscience and revered in our memories.
45
I met Joseph Wilson in Santa Fe, where I live part of the year. An engaging, funny, brilliant man who adored his country. So poignant that he passed today, in the middle of the mess we find ourselves in.
49
I am so truly saddened by this news. This man and his wife are true patriots. Valerie Plame please know there are many Americans who grieve with you. Thank you both for your dedication to our country.
36
George Bush was, arguably next to Johnson (Lyndon, that is) our worst President, leading us into the 20th centuries second unnecessary war, creating chaos in the region. The absence of WMDs was evidence enough that he was duped into the Iraq invasion, or did so intentionally, knowing that there wasn't any credible evidence of a nuclear program or that Iraq had any involvement on the 9/11 attack, by offering support for its perpetrators. Next to last is about right.
11
@heyomania Johnson was far from our worst president. Remember, the deceptions underpinning the Vietnam War started under the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations and continued into the Nixon Administration. Johnson was well-intentioned but lacked the knowledge and the ability to say no to his generals. Remember also the anti-communist zeitgeist pervading the mid-20th Century. All of this tragic history is contained in the Pentagon Papers, made available by the ultimate whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg. The Trump Era is arguably more sordid, but in a way that is more farcical than tragic.
4
Repeating the thoughts of so many others, a true American hero.
You did what you could -- everything that you could -- to prevent the needless deaths and life-changing disabilities of thousands of bona fide patriotic American heroes and of uncountable hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis. Alas,
In a very real sense, Sir, we thank you for your service, and I wish your former wife the very best in her efforts to continue to serve our no-longer-great Nation.
29
I never will forget reading the Op-Ed article in The New York Times on July 6, 2003, titled “What I Didn’t Find in Africa,” I had to read it twice to actually absorb what I was so stunned to read. Thank you Mr. Wilson for doing the right thing, it was heroic.
47
I was moved by the integrity and commitment that this couple uniquely provided at a time when many of us thought the Bush Cheney era would destroy us all. Their stance and the journalists that covered the era were heroes to me—Someone not involved in government or the DC culture—just an American who honors those who serve as Plume and Wilson have.
14
“It takes time for Americans to fully understand when they have been duped by a government they instinctively want to trust. But it is axiomatic that you cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and our citizens inevitably react to the deceit.”
Joesph Wilson
American Profile of Courage
20
Ironically he passes the same week as Jacques Chirac, who also wasn’t buying the story.
27
Given the comments here and the reputation Mr. Wilson enjoyed after his NYT Op-Ed in July 2003, I'm sure my comments will bring a reaction. I hope they do, maybe then somebody will be able to explain something I never quite understood about the adulation for Joe Wilson.
Joe Wilson went to Niger and investigated a possible source for Iraq nuclear weapons in 2002. Wilson knew what he knew in 2002. G.W. Bush's drumbeat for war and false claim of an Iraq nuclear threat was in Bush's State of the Union address in January 2003. The invasion of Iraq was in March 2003.
In between Bush's speech and the invasion, Bush and Cheney continued the false claim while millions demonstrated in the streets and there were speeches and debates in Congress opposing the war. Colin Powell's speech to the UN was on Feb. 5, 2003. My recollection is that within six weeks of the invasion it was widely reported and concluded in the NYT and elsewhere that there were no nuclear weapons in Iraq. The first I heard about Joe Wilson was his Op-Ed in the NYT was in July 2003.
What gives? Who knew what, when, and was in a position to do something about it?
8
@Robert Plautz
The bottom line Is that Congress knew that the Intelligence was questionable but ignored it. It was a case of blood for oil. Cf Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill.
11
@Robert Plautz You could ask similar questions about 9/11.
1
@Stan Current
My point is, Joe Wilson also knew immediately after Bush's State of the Union address in January 2003 and said nothing until July 2003, well after the invasion and debate in Congress in March 2003.
This man was a true patriot, may his memory be a blessing.
19
R.I.P. Joe Wilson.
You are what bravery and heroism look like.
22
In 2016 Republicans nominated a candidate that said Bush “lied” about WMDs and that the Iraq War was a mistake from day 1. The crazy thing Republicans still attack Wilson and Plame even though Trump said unequivocally Bush/Cheney lied about WMDs.
70
George W. Bush and Richard Cheney lied about an Iraqi connection to 9/11/01 and Iraqi WMD's.
And Colin Powell made a fool of himself before the U. N. with the CIA Director sitting behind him making the case for Iraqi nukes. Condi Rice was National Security Adviser when a month before 9/11/01 the Presidential Daily Briefing led with ' Bin Laden determined to Strike in America. "
The 9/11 Report noted the incompetence and laziness that failed to deter and detect and defeat the terrorist attacks.
76
Why does it always seem like the good really do die too young. Meanwhile the Koch’s and Cheney’s of the world last into their nineties.
136
@Wonder Agree. I always hope it's because many more good people are taking their place, creating a new tipping point. The current upcoming generations are fueling that hope.
14
@Wonder
I was just thinking this myself.
10
@Wonder One of the Koch brothers recently passed.
6
Why do the good die (relatively) young and before their time? Why do the corrupt, the liars, the unprincipled stay like the odor of a dead skunk on a country road? It's a mystery to me.
Mr. Wilson served his country well and was not afraid to unmask the people who betray the trust of his country.
We are the less for the loss of people like Mr. Wilson.
100
@Michael Keane
This is biblical. But God hears our lament and will strengthen us. John Brown was the meteor of the Civil War. Don't be surprised by any sudden strength of spirit to persevere for the sake of our Democracy.
2
A true American Hero. Rest In Peace.
86
America has lost an authentic Patriot today; I am grateful for his many services to us over the years, and particularly for his integrity, which is too often absent among our representatives, both home and abroad these days.
My sympathies to his family and friends, and especially to his wife, Valerie, who is currently running for office in Arizona. I so hope she wins.
59
She's running for office in New Mexico. Like you, I hope that she wins as well.
20
We have not had enough heroes during the post- WWII era. Mr. Wilson was a hero. Every American who loves their country will be sad to hear this news.
54
A man with integrity and a deep commitment to report the Truth. His example should guide today’s partisan civil servants.
46
Nice guy i spoke to often as a parent in scouts. You will be missed. Best travels friend.
60
A fine reminder that we've survived previous disasters in the oval office. Trump has lowered the bar so much you could hardly stub your toe on it, but he's got a ways to go before he does as much worldwide damage as Bush and Cheney.
39
@bp
You conclusion is sad, but absolutely true to this point at least. The Iraq invasion II was score settling and was obvious at the time to me at least. I had read Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" in 2002 and was stunned by how closely real life (remember "Curveball") was imitating art.
Apparently Wilson never received an apology for being right; Hans Blix was similarly slandered and scoffed at and was right also.
20
Rest in peace, Mr. Wilson, and my condolences to your family. Thank you for your service and your willingness to speak up in a time of ginned up war fever.
It's not only tragic but also criminal that we went to war in Iraq based on lies. And we still don't know the full consequences of that pointless invasion. So far, virtually none of them have been good.
43
Speaking truth to power is rarer by the day. Ambassador Wilson was brave, and his desire for the truth, despite the consequences should be an inspiration to every citizen far and wide. A great patriot.
55
Ambassador Wilsons brave decisions to expose a lie that was used to send America to war will stand as a shining example of how well our democracy works. Under a Trumpian view of the world, the Ambassador would be treated as a spy and sent off to the a gulag or worse.
31
One should consider Joe Wilson an exemplary patriot, much as we should consider the current Trump/Ukraine whistleblower.
Wilson and his former wife, Valerie Plame, paid their dues big time for doing the right thing. Currently Plame is running for Congress in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. She is the unusually extremely qualified person who can go to Washington and not be cowed, manipulated, or bought off. She has taken the worst the political establishment could throw at her and tossed it back in their face. That is precisely what Washington, especially Congress, needs more of: people who will stand up for principles, when the going gets tough. It is extremely important to have someone in Congress who has demonstrated she can and will walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
I expect there are other candidates running in Plame's district who advocate for good policies. However, especially at this juncture, what America needs is someone who will stand up and be counted no matter what, someone who already has demonstrated that a career destroyed by Washington politics can make one stronger, who can bounce back and say in deeds, not just words, "In your face, you slimy, unpatriotic, bought-off wimps!"
Plame in Congress is the best way to vindicate Joe Wilson's patriotic sacrifice. As well, it might inspire the younger generation, who never heard of Joe Wilson and his courageous, selfless patriotism. I doubt that any school textbook even mentions him in passing.
66
@Steve Fankuchen I live in NM. Valerie Plame is a fine person. While has used her experience and story to get national acclaim (and possibly raise money) -- the district in which she is running is ethnically diverse, with strong Spanish and Latino heritage of hundreds of years, Native communities including tribes and Pueblos. The people of the district want someone who knows and loves the district, understands the diverse cultures, is embedded in the history much like it's current Representative Congressman Ben Ray Lujan --- that is not Ms. Plame.
2
@Diane Denish Is not Rep. Lujan running for Senate? Senator Tom Udall announced his intention to retire back in March.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/us/politics/tom-udall-senate-retire-new-mexico.html
You can look at this as dominoes, or simply moving up the management chain.
1
As he was using his excellent French, I have listened to his most useful explanations on the Irak War on our French tv network of Radio-Canada in 2002 and 2003. A man of utmost competence and integrity. A sad news.
43
Richard Armitage at the State Dept outed Wilson, not Cheney or Libby.
Libby was prosecuted for incorrectly remembering some minor detail.
Democrats, as always, criminalize policy differences.
3
@EGD - He lied to a federal agent and that's a felony. Libby wasn't prosecuted for leaking Plame's identity. You fault democrats for lying about WMD's and mushroom clouds? Well, a few trillion dollars later and the deaths of thousands of US servicemen and woman alike, you point fingers at democrats. As Viet Vet that served and was injured in combat, I remember well all the saber rattling republicans like John Wayne extolling the virtues of the war I served in. Trumps answer to breaking the law was a full pardon. At least W had enough integrity to avoid giving Libby one.
21
@EGD The Iraq War based on a pile of deliberate lies was not a matter of policy differences.
It should have been considered a war crime by the Bush/Cheney, Blair regimes with those perpetrators tried, convicted and sentenced to prison for the rest of their lives.
20
Armitage took the fall. There's a difference. And for services rendered, he likely was "taken care of," as Mister Bush promised. Very well taken care of.
8
A patriot and a hero. RIP
30
Ambassador Wilson will be remembered for his diplomatic service to our nation. He will always be remembered for his honesty and forthrightness in telling the truth about Iraq.
Every now & then a true public servant comes along one who believes in public service not in personal gratification or proving a point. Rest in Peace Ambassador Wilson & thank you
28
That man was a genuine patriot.
35
@John Adams a now critically endangered species in this country.
8
Maybe the investigators that caught the leaker Libby can be hired by the Trump Administration to ferret out the leakers in the Deep State that want to bring down his Administration so badly. Probably a pipe dream on my part.
2
@Jay Terry
The deep state is something Trump pulled out of his......
Trump himself is doing enough now to bring his administration down, without any fairy tales.
13
It should be called the "Iraq Invasion", not the "Iraq War" - the latter phrase deflects US responsibility for that deadly destabilizing illegal venture.
34
One less honorable man, a patriot.
Condolences to his family.
21
"Now cracks a noble heart..."
11
Joe and I corresponded this July, after I learned he was in hospice. Here's an abridged version of my last note to him. His final reply moved me to tears.
Hi Joe,
When I arrived in South Africa as a junior diplomat thirty-seven years ago, I lucked out because you were my first boss—and I can say with all honesty—the best boss I ever worked for during my career with the State Department. The job of junior GSO in Pretoria was no picnic, but you were always there—to protect and defend me—and to cheer me up when ‘you know who’ was driving me nuts.
Your courage and resourcefulness while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Baghdad in 1990--dealing with Saddam Hussein, protecting and safely evacuating your staff and the 1,000 Americans trapped with you in Iraq--lifted you to a whole new level of government service after you returned to the U.S. My admiration for you increased again when you had the guts to stand up to Cheney, Bush and that whole criminal cabal with your 2003 NYT op-ed. You and Valerie bravely held your own when the attacks on you and your family from your own government began.
You are one of those rare principled people willing to risk everything by standing up and speaking truth to power.
I am so very sorry to hear about your failing health. I hope you are comfortable and still able to do the things you love.
Our nation owes you its gratitude for your courage in standing up for the truth.
You are one of the greats, Joe.
All the best, Pat
416
@Patricia McArdle
Beautiful tribute, Patricia !
His 2003 NYT op-ed should be required reading for every high school student's ,"Profiles in Courage" class.
57
@Patricia McArdle
What a privilege for you to have worked with a man of such integrity. An unwavering standard in the face of what we have today.
52
Sorry to see him go. A great American.
54
I will always remember Joe Wilson's desire for Dick Cheney to be frog marched out of the White House. It didn't happen.
Scooter Libby took the fall for Cheney. Bush commuted Libby's prison sentence. Trump pardoned Libby.
Republican war criminals and petty criminals.
Before that we had Reagan trading weapons for hostages, Iran/Contra, convictions and prison sentences. Pardons by G.H.W. Bush.
Before that we had Nixon and Agnew criminal activities with Gerry Ford pardoning Richard Nixon.
The list of crimes is lengthy in Republican Administrations from 1972 up to today.
244
@James Barth
It would be easy to match your list with Democrats that did similar mistakes. How about a couple, like LBJ and the Gulf of Tonkin incident leading to a ramp up in the Viet Nam War. Or did you forget Hillary and Obama launching the Arab Spring which caused much of the mess in the Middle East today. Oh, and dont forget Hillary and John Kerry, among other Dems supported the 'use of force' in Iraq...
6
The amazing thing is/was that he wrote that Op/Ed immediately after Traitor Bush ( who, now because he has taken a paint brush in hand, everyone has forgotten that he is responsible for the longest war in our history ) and cohorts came up with their lies. Profile in Courage personified! He stood up for the truth in an open forum, not hiding behind walls. The world read his words. He didn’t go looking for people to protect him; he didn’t check to see if there would be others joining him. No, he said the truth because it was the right thing to do.
Rest In Peace, Joe, you are a true American Hero.
46
@James Barth,
To be fair,Gerry Fords pardoning wasn’t outrageous of Nixon,Democrats at the time saw the merit.To me,I agreed with Ford ,in hindsight I wished Nixon did time.
6
Feels as though a brother has died too soon. Would that he had been mine. A patriot, national hero for the truth. Hope his too swift final years had happiness and little physical pain. To his family, and you who knew, cared, liked and loved him, whatever the trials or circumstances life presented, you are fortunate to have known personally a great public person and honorable American citizen. History will be kind to Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame. "forewarned is forearmed" ASA/NSA/USA
54
Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld should have all been sent to The Hague for an investigation of war crimes. It galls me that Trump pardoned Scooter Libby. We hung German Army Staff Officers after WWII for instituting aggressive wars.
94
A true American hero has passed.
R.I.P., sir.
NOT my president
61
This is one of the few people who understood the obvious lies George W Bush most of the government and media went along with.
72
The most famous husband since Desi Arnaz.
-
Stephen Colbert
RIP mr Wilson
33
Joseph C. Wilson, a good man. RIP.
He tried to warn people like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden about the buildup to the Iraq war.
Unfortunately, neither of those two corporate military/industrial/surveillance hacks heeded his advice and voted for the invasion of Iraq anyway, making them ideal candidates to run for President in the utterly corrupt Democratic Party.
Fortunately for him, he blew the whistle before Obama was in charge. Otherwise he would most likely been prosecuted under the Espionage Act and thrown into jail like John Kiriakou, Chelsea Manning, and Julian Assange, or forced into exile like Edward Snowden.
Thank you Mr.Wilson for your service and I'm glad you don't have to witness any more of this CIA-instigated impeachment farce.
21
@Chris I guess they don't teach American history in Berlin. You've got most of your facts wrong. Chelsea Manning in fact had her sentence commuted by Obama. Juliam Assange has not yet been prosecuted for anything and has not been in jail.
6
@Bob R
Well, we all know they only teach CIA imperialist propaganda as US History in the US education system. I had to suffer through it myself.
Yes, Obama commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence, but only after torturing her for months in solitary confinement and she's back in jail now.
Julian Assange has been secretly prosecuted under the Espionage Act for years and is rotting in a British jail cell as we speak.
3
I think a movie made about this story could help avoid future wars.
RIP
21
@Mary Unfortunately Mary the American people will not learn from our past mistakes~Wars, Etc.
If only they would we'd never be in another war!
8
@Mary There’s a good one, I think, with Sean Penn and Naomi Watt.
11
You know every time I get nostalgic for GWB I think about Mr. Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame and remember this shameful episode. RIP to a true patriot with the emphasis on "true."
65
Where are the Joseph Wilsons of today? Maybe a few of the spineless, enabling Republicans will learn a lesson from a real hero.
40
A true American patriot. RIP Mr. Joseph Wilson.
32
Wilson was a man of honor coupled with strength. The outing of his wife Valerie Plame who was an undercover CIA agent is an example of the brutality that can be inflicted on whistleblowers and those who expose the truth.
The result has been almost 17 years in a senseless war leading to unimaginable death and destruction. R.I.P. Joseph Wilson. You're an American hero.
81
There should be a Pulitzer Prize named after Joe Wison for those who risk their careers in pursuit truth in a journalistic context.
52
Joe Wilson, another example of why whistle blowers must be protected from retribution by rogue presidents.
92
we need more men, and woman, like this man. courage is in short supply. cowardice seems to be the norm. i wish him well in the next life.
30
The outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative by Bush, Cheney, Scooter Libby and Robert Novak was disgraceful and every one of them should have been thrown out of the positions they were abusing and into Treason Jail and fed yellow cake for the rest of their lives.
We went to war under false pretenses - and those wars of choice go on, now, 20 years later, nasty little Forever Wars.
Today, in the world of the CIA and Republicans, there is no Joe Wilson who will honor the truth.
He did have a "heart of a lion", Valerie Plame.
We all regret your loss.
74
Divorce or not - she’s right - Wilson is a hero.
Oh, how we could use more.
28
W, Rice, Chaney, and the entire gang should have been charged as war criminals.
The reality that the GOP “leaders”, including the current liar in chief, continue to destroy lives without consequences is the root cause of the cynicism toward everything Washington.
No accountability, ever.
Tragic, but people die because of their lies and actions.
34
Joe Wilson and his wife were the targets of one the most despicable and disgraceful acts of treason committed by the George W. Bush Administration - and that's saying something.
Not only that, but by outing a top-level undercover CIA agent, who happened to be an expert on the Middle East and WMD's, Dick Cheney, in a fit of personal pique, not only made this country less safe, he pushed the GOP further down the moral rabbit hole which has led, inevitably, to the installation of that pinnacle of moral rot - Donald J. Trump.
I don't know what anyone else would call outing an undercover CIA agent simply because her husband exposed one of the central systematic lies the Bush Administration had offered up in the build up to the atrocity that was the Iraq War. But, to me, there is no greater high-crime or misdemeanor.
Then again, high-crimes are the new norm for the GOP and it's leadership are they not?
Joe Wilson was a true patriot. A man who risked everything in order to expose the truth about a bunch of professional and extremely dangerous pathological liars. And he and his wife paid dearly for it. If only those responsible had paid the same price.
My thoughts go out to Mrs. Plame.
84
A true patriot who rose high above the toxic waste that was the GWB administration.
RIP, brave man.
29
So sorry Mr. Wilson did not live long enough to see current crew out of the White House.
Particularly galling, Trump pardon of ‘Scooter’ Libby.
Life well done, Mr. Wilson. Profile in courage.
82
We can no longer by governed with those who fraudulently claimed Whitewater, Fast and Furious, Benghazi and IRS audits were scandals while ignoring dire warnings of the imminent attack that was 9/11, and causing a war under false pretenses that cost 3/4 of million lives and cost $3 trillion dollars, and neglecting the regulation of financial markets that caused the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. These people are ignorant, and shamelessly so. And they know they are.
We are in the middle of a period when consensus is impossible, entirely because of the intransigence of these people. They will not change course; the returning to civility being more tedious than the destruction of the Republic their apocalyptic rhetoric predicates.
No matter the outcome of the next election, government cannot work. If the outcome of it goes against them the aforementioned will once again, as they have ceaselessly, sand the gears of goodwill and competence, while those who saw how the election of Obama was routinely thwarted thereby mocking democracy will not meekly accept defeat as anything other than another stolen election.
We laughed at Igor Panarin when he predicted the collapse of the United States.
28
RIP, Ambassador Wilson. May you serve as an inspiration for today’s civil servants to speak truth to power.
46
Thank goodness history is repeating itself.
Thank you Mr. Wilson and thank you Whistleblower.
40
There’s a timely lesson here. Wilson came forward and did the right thing and was pilloried for it. Somebody still should be in jail for the way his wife was treated. So, here we are again. Somebody has come forward to do the right thing. Will this time be any different?
33
So sorry to hear this news. He was a hero and a patriot. Condolences to Valerie Plame.
28
Let us not forget, Biden voted for this unconscionable attack on a sovereign nation.
Bernie fought against it every step of the way.
Integrity and unassailable character are what we need in the White House.
18
Was Biden supposed to know that his president was lying?
2
@Lorem Ipsum, anyone who saw Colin Powell address the UN knew it would be a war based on lies.
1
I met Joe Wilson a few times in the course of my lengthy career with the department of state. He was a complex figure, for more complicated then this narrative suggests. But whatever else can be said of him, his heart was in the right place.
26
I met him only once. I had been medically evacuated to Pretoria and was flat on my back, paralyzed from the waist down. He was the Deputy Chief of Mission. He drove my wife from one hospital to the next looking for me and we had a nice chat when they found me. He didn't have to do any of that. No question, he had his heart in the right place.
27
He served his country well. Thank you for your service.
19
I also mourn his death because he had served America.
This short obituary mentions President Bush cherry picking intelligence.
But wait, Congress voted to authorize this war and Hillary voted for it.
And just for a minute, think - if Mr. Wilson has been wrong.
Would Congress have regretted it.
Sure, he was a fine public servant - perhaps.
But let's not make him like he could have singlehandedly stopped Iraq war.
As to outing of his wife - again slightly cherry picking facts.
The Special prosecutor, Fitzgerald knew for a long time that Mr. Elliott Abrams - then number 2 in the State had told Me. Novak this fact.
Yet, Mr. Fitzgerald went on a fishing expedition to share the White House - not dissimilar to Mueller.
2
Neil--
Why spread misinformation?
16
@Neil
What's the point of trying to smear a dead man?
Does mom know you're on her computer?
9
One should consider Joe Wilson an exemplary patriot, much as we should consider the current Trump/traitor/Ukraine whistleblower.
Wilson and his former wife, Valerie Plame, paid their dues big time for doing the right thing. Currently Plame is running for Congress in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. She is the unusually extremely qualified person who can go to Washington and not be cowed, manipulated, or bought off. She has taken the worst the political establishment could throw at her and tossed it back in their face. That is precisely what Washington, especially Congress, needs more of: people who will stand up for principles, when the going gets tough.
Those of you who live in her district, keep in mind that it is more important to have someone who has demonstrated they can and will walk the walk, not just talk the talk. (Of course, that is true everywhere, though I don't know how many districts have candidates with Plame's very hard-earned abilities.)
I expect there are other candidates running in Plame's district who advocate for good policies. However, especially at this juncture, what America needs is someone who will stand up and be counted no matter what, someone who already has demonstrated that a career destroyed by Washington politics can make one stronger, who can bounce back and say in deeds, not just words, "In your face, you slimy, unpatriotic, bought-off wimps!"
Plame in Congress is the best way to vindicate Joe Wilson and his patriotic sacrifice.
36
@Steve Fankuchen
And what of the younger generation, who never heard of Joe Wilson and his courageous, patriotic sacrifices? I doubt that any school textbook even mentions him in passing.
I would suggest that some of the energy being used to rail against the wrongs of long past, even though they clearly resonate in the present, instead be used to educate people about Joe Wilson and wrongs of the immediate past that not only affect our nation immensely in the present but which also can serve, in the person of Wilson, as a role model for our youth. Getting rid of a civic statue of Robert E. Lee is certainly the right and legitimate thing to do. However, putting up a statue of Joe Wilson might well do even more to foster the education of and serve as inspiration for our youth and, thus, our nation's future. Perhaps
there should be a Pulitzer Prize named after Joe Wison for those who risk their careers in pursuit truth in a journalistic context.
His partner in victimization, courage, and patriotism, his former wife Valerie Plame, is currently running for Congress in New Mexico. A fitting tribute to Joe Wilson would be to support Plame, not because she was his wife, but because like Joe, she is the rare individual who has demonstrated she can take the worst Washington politics will throw at you and come back swinging.
6
@Steve Fankuchen
Didn't know she was running for office,
Thanks much for spreading true & imp. information.
8
So many patriots in this country. Proud to have them here. How these selfish politicians spin these things and motivate masses is amazing. However, I think the fault lies in the masses not willing to think for themselves rather than the charisma of selfish politicians.
11
Joe Wilson seemed to have integrity, something sorely missing in many of today's public figures. I'm sorry to read about his divorce but I'm glad the public is reminded that Cheney and Novak and Libby were involved in outing his wife, Plame, a CIA officer for political reasons. Sound familiar?
16
As you read through this, I remember when he contradicted Bush, and outed the GOP for starting a war, under false pretenses. Then only to have the republicans, punish him by leaking to news reporter that clearly had the same morals that the republican party has, which has bottomed out at zero.
So it seems that punishing people who work for the administration, because they have a higher duty to the people not to a president that is leading the country into what is now a 14 year 4 trillion dollar mistake, and god forbid actually admit that it's been a waste of soldiers lives, and treasury.
Wilson should have gotten a freedom medal, for doing his duty and outing a president that was lying all along (although you had to be a republican wearing the typical blinders that they wear, to not know Bush was lying.
18
Fortunately for this country, the stars have often aligned themselves so that patriots with high ethics, principles and guts were in a position to speak out. That's what has saved this country several times during its fairly short history and now we are facing perhaps its greatest challenge.
I wish people like Wilson were more common at all levels of government but especially where the most awesome powers reside.
16
@A Goldstein
Sadly, the stars have not always aligned themselves to support the honest or the wise in our nation.
After Lincoln was assassinated,
Andrew Johnson followed him.
Johnson then undid Lincoln's plan for Reparation &
Reconstruction.
A racist, backed by racists, he gave Southern politicians the power to effectively undo Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation which gave black men the right to vote.
The politicians Johnson backed made it impossible for blacks to vote by requiring "literacy tests" & also
by insisting that in order to vote they had to be able to interpret a paragraph of their state's constitution.
Johnson ushered in the "Jim Crow" era which lasted
for decades, and effectively made it legal to
lynch blacks in the South.
Andrew Johnson was worse than Trump & the damage he did lasted far longer.
There was a serious effort to impeach Johnson, & throw him out, but it failed.
6
@Maggie Mahar Interesting that so much focus in history education is on Lincoln and Johnson's undoing of his legacy is never taught.
4
Thanks to Mr. Wilson for his brave service. Similar situation in UK detailed in great new flick "Official Secrets". Iraq war probably worst foreign policy decision in US history; why people keep electing the political party and their worldview that got us into it - is beyond me. Like hiring a failed CEO over and over again and expecting a different result.
16
May his memory be a blessing to his family and friends, and an inspiration to all who seek peace and who believe in honor and professional integrity.
17
Even though I wasn't very old at the time, I was only about 9 at the time, I still remember the time leading up to the invasion of Iraq and the invasion itself. I also remember the revelations about the war itself, which Joseph Wilson helped bring to the light of day. It was supposed to be a war against terror, the only thing the war did, in my opinion, was destabilize a already fragile region, and put a target on the Coalitions Forces back, helped in the formation of IS and ended up costing many military and civilian lives, in the Middle East, Europe and in NA. If there weren't people like Joseph Wilson to bring the truth forth I can't imagine how the war would have looked.
12
Great man who had guts to speak truth in days of fear. Rest in Peace.
8
I get that politics and power naturally leave open the door to lies and corruption - no party is immune - it can be discouraging though to see with every administration.
What is encouraging is we live in a society with Free Speech and some built in checks and balances. And an opportunity to improve our laws. But it requires a lot of ongoing work, and perhaps most of all, courage like Joseph Wilson demonstrated.
We do need to honor and celebrate those with courage like this more in as apolitical way as possible.
9
Speaking truth to power is always a lonely path fraught with danger such as career ending pitfalls, social isolation, depression, dysfunction and broken dreams. Seldom is there ever an upside for a career civil servant to speak up and be counted. In many ways being a whistle blower is a compulsion to engage in a self-destructive behavior motivated by a persistent character defect that forces one to adhere to values such as honor and decency without compromise. Ambassador Wilson publicly blew the whistle and he paid dearly for having the moral temerity to do so. Our Republic and Constitution hang by a thread, and when there are no longer "a few good men or women" who are willing to risk everything they have worked their entire lives to achieve and impulsively, without regard for self-preservation, stand up and speak up against the prevarications of the powerful, we shall cease to be a Republic subject to the rule of law. Our Republic requires people of virtue to make sacrifices and fall upon their swords when times and conditions warrant. Thank you ambassador for taking one for the team. You paid dearly for your honor and no one can say whether speaking the truth was worth the personal sacrifice you endured other than future historians a generation or more from now. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke
21
@American Akita Team
A very nice, tribute, which I hope will inspire the rest of us. Thank you.
8
Joe Wilson, Daniel Ellsberg, and the current whistle-blower: true patriots who put conscious, ethics, law, and lives above career. They—and others like them—have my undying respect and love.
19
Another patriot has passed away. To paraphrase Longfellow, "He looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man." It saddens me, for there are so few patriots left.
Expediency has rendered our political system soulless,. Finally, one of my favorite poems from Siegfried Sassoon. "...Do they matter-those dreams in the pit?
You can drink and forget and be glad,
And people won't say that you’re mad;
For they know that you've fought for your country,
And no one will worry a bit.
A true hero. Our country needs them more of them now than ever.
18
A true hero of our time. So sorry to hear the sad news. I can still recall standing in the kitchen reading his article in the New York Times that day. There are no words to express how much admiration I had for this great patriot.
14
Again we have an instance of a patriot who cared more for his country than for his own welfare and who faced the political leaders of the time, whose concern for country was limited by regard for themselves. Politicians can be very vindictive especially where unpleasant reports about themselves are issued. Bush and company took out their anger on Valerie Plame. I fear that Trump is now on a warpath to get the whistle-blower and those who helped him.
10
A hero and patriot.
Something in short supply these days.
An honorable intelligent man.
Like we used to have in govt.
10
God bless him! He stepped up to the plate when the stakes could not have been higher. Said what needed to be said when the iron was hot. May we all learn from his example, snd above all, those of us in public service and governance.
11
A great man is in peace with himself.
10
We must also consider the fate of Ms. Plame's contacts in-country when her identity as a CIA agent was exposed. Some may have died pretty horrible deaths.
I can't imagine why Novak wasn't charged with anything. Is it legal to reveal the identity of a CIA agent?
14
That's why I never use the word "outed," a fate that befalls '90s sitcom characters, to describe what happened to Plame. That action put lives at risk. She was burned.
4
I hope Bush and Cheney read this, and these comments, and are reminded of their awfulness and lying to congress and the American People.
They wanted so badly to go to war, that they cherrypicked/created intelligence that suited their agenda,
and retaliated against any questioning, as has been seen
here, in the worst, most vicious way.
Also, at the time, anybody could see the likeihood that it was manufactured bc.
We were assured when halliburton/kbr, of all people, were no-bid chosen to provide "professional services" there would be no war profiteering - so much for that theory.
Now we are left with the whole region permanently destabilized, many killed, including many of OUR soldiers, and a massive ballooning of the deficit.
Unbelievable that republicans dare to complain about lack of fiscal responsibility, the hypocrisy is too ironic for words.
Yet, there has been no accountability for George Bush and Dick Cheney, and there never will be, in their lifetimes.
17
He definitely was an American hero.
8
I still remember reading his op-ed with my jaw on the floor during the run up to the Iraq invasion. May his soul Rest In Peace. A true patriot.
13
Rest easy brave spirit. You were an example to my generation. We will never forget you. I hope Valerie Plame has a very successful career serving her country once again.
63
Ambassador Wilson’s extraordinary effort to shine a bright light on the dangerous deception that was perpetrated on America by W and his henchmen deserves a special tribute and national recognition. May he Rest In Peace with the knowledge that he did his very best to save America from an unnecessary war in Iraq. My sympathy to Ms. Plame.
59
A true patriot who served his country honorably during both the Iran hostage crisis as well as the effort to prevent our disastrous intervention in Iraq.
My sincerest condolences to Ms. Plame, their children, and their friends and extended family.
42
It is truly my hope that the name of Joseph C. Wilson is more widely, much longer and very much more fondly recalled than that of our present resident in the Oval Office.
He is already more fondly thought of than the sitter of that same seat as when He was Ambassador. Bush and Cheney do well to keep themselves relatively hidden, in deep shame as well as concern for personal safety, I am sure. And to NOT be recognized as even in the same Party, I would think that GW and Cheney both prefer to stay well away from the WH at this particular time: They at least have some intelligence (Cheney) and tact (Bush).
16
I remember meeting him in Austin, Texas as he gave a presentation to a SMALL gathering with a slide show (remember those??) of his travels in the Middle East. What a cool guy.
RIP
33
He deserves the thanks of the nation. RIP.
36
He was not you're average Joe.
22
This should be required reading in every high-school civics class in between the USA! chants.
32
@Mark
That is when they start teaching civics again. This is why Trumps base thinks that one politician, regardless of party can take away their guns. Or when they blame the democrats for not writing comprehensive immigration reform. They seem to forget the democrats haven't been in a position to write or pass any legislation at all, or they certainly wouldn't have let the GOP do a bums rush and push though a tax reform package that has cost the government a 30% drop in corporate tax revenues.
look for yourself
www.itep.org
7
I remember him vividly from the Valerie Plame outing. Before Trump, that was easily in the top five Republican treasonous acts.
55
Somewhere out there may be another Joe Wilson. And that scares the bejesus out of Donald.
62
@kenneth
"Somewhere out there may be another Joe Wilson"
Very nice hopeful thought. If and when there is, I say
"Bring him/her on!!"
8
@kenneth indeed. And watch Trump take time out from his tv time to tweet how he was a fraud and scooter Libby a hero.
8
An award like the Medal of Honor should be created in this man's name to be given periodically to those who have exhibited exceptional bravery and decency in the face of threats or worse from the country's political establishment. The problem, of course, is finding a politician brave enough to hand it out even during his own administration.
Ambassador Wilson showed that courage is not limited to the battlefield.
273
@Heather Inglis
Yes, and the first recipient, perhaps, should be the person who courageously honored his oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and his duty to his profession and the American people by reporting Trump's alarming and likely illegal, possibly treacherous interaction with at least one leader of a foreign government.
God bless and keep both courageous and patriotic whistleblowers.
20
@Heather Inglis
And now we have to protect the brave person who has exposed Trump's incredible corrosive interference in our democracy.
14
@Heather Inglis
Precisely. The Medal of Integrity.
15
There is no higher goal than integrity.
There is no higher honor than having demonstrated integrity.
True gratitude for Joseph Wilson and his work, may others likewise be so inspired.
173
@Lynn Russell
The Joseph S. Wilson Medal of Integrity
6
a man of true courage, sincere condolences to his family.
100
Very sorry to learn of this. He was the whistleblower of his day and it cost him and his spouse dearly. Condolences to Ms. Plame, while sending her all good wishes in her run for public office. Her public service would be a great way to remember him, among many other good things for this troubled nation. Peace, and be well.
128
RIP, Mr. Wilson. You did the country a great service and tried to stop a catastrophic, unnecessary war--I (and millions of others, I'm sure) thank you for that!
94
A real American hero. How many deaths could have been avoided if the nation listened to Mr. Wilson. Demagogs like GW
Bush and his minions are what we need to wake up to. Today it is Trump and his minions. Will we learn before it's too late?
Rest In Peace Mr. Wilson and thank you for being a real Patriot.
93
@Patriot
I remember the hater Robert Novick spinning his web of lies,with the support of the administration that just had to go to war. Dick Cheney who like Trump never went to Viet Nam, Rumsfeld as advisers. The names are different but it is the same administration of Bush, lying to the public, distorting the facts etc.
Mr. Wilson we are sorry that you suffered for a country that after President Obama voted in another GOP con artist, his name is different, his methods are ten time worst than President Bush but the administration is known more for there racism than for moving the country forward.
We can only wish Ms. Valerie Plane and her children strength to get through these difficult days. The country owes Mr. Wilson and Ms. Plane a deep sense of appreciation for all that this family suffered to tell the truth to Americans and our politicians refused to listen. However there were many who believed the facts that Mr. Wilson presented. you are an American hero. May God look after you now.
6
Those who speak uncomfortable truth to the false narratives of power need to be listened to and protected.
Now is a good time to remember that.
Thank you Joe.
You take your place in the pantheon of true American heroes.
114
A courageous man. Thank you
68
Rest In Peace ambassador.
People should remember that Lawless Donald Trump pardoned Libby. This whole administration is stain on the US and on republicans for allowing it to continue.
100
This patriot tried to prevent us from engaging in one of the worst decisions in history-- and he and his wife were cut down by Republican assasins. May the GOP be reduced to the ashheap of history for their terrible deeds.
110
Joe Wilson's truth cost him dearly and his wife paid the price of having her CIA operations exposed, which ruined her career. The family has been greatly harmed by the American government. The horror is that it has gotten worse with the current regime. Joe Wilson, you died far too soon. I hope that where you are provides a meaningful rest and some justice for you out there. Peace.
83
Valerie, Sorry for your loss.
45
A man of courage and caring. Rest in peace.
211
Rest In Peace Joseph Wilson a true American Hero. Thank you for your service and sacrifice and for your bravery throughout your lifetime. My sympathy and condolences to Valerie Plame and all of his relatives friends and colleagues. Every American should learn your story.
198
RIP, Ambassador Wilson.
This story serves as a reminder that even though Trump is the biggest disaster to befall the US in modern times, Dubya and Cheney immensely damaged the world too. Future historians will point to Joseph Wilson as a beacon of integrity during a time when our nation's leadership lost its way.
298
Is Trump really more of a disaster than Cheney/Bush? Aren't their hands stained with the blood of several hundred thousand human beings?
I'm concerned that Trump has become the best thing that ever happened to George Bush. How does a crass, ignorant low-life become public enemy #1, ahead of the instigators of mass murder for the sake of money and power?
13
Ambassador, thank you for your service to our country. You were bravery personified.
92
RIP Mr. Wilson. Thanks for telling the truth.
122
I wonder if anybody thought about Diogenes as Joseph Wilson dies and Cynicism is starting to reign supreme. I wonder as we all start to understand Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn "Beauty is truth---Truth beauty" whether we are capable of handling truth.
54
He was an honorable man and paid a terribly price. We will pray for his soul and for comfort for his wife.
71
So yet another pardon for a crime against humanity...Cheney, Bush Jr. and Libby....and the beat goes on! They ruin people's lives and virtually send them into hiding and they get off scott free!!! My heart goes out to Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame...as well as others who have paid a price for being patriots! This nation is barely standing, because we have not paid attention to the powers given to our leaders by our own Constitution. It is time to get rid of the Presidential pardon and the electoral voting system if we are to elect better leaders and end the pre-empts that are used to protect villains.
138
@Stephanie Rivera
The Constitution didn't give the President the power to start wars. Congress did that.
1
Wilson was a true patriot and American. Like several others comments, The Bush Administration lied to the American public about so many things relative to Iraq. Yet, there were no consequence...
The end result were some 30,000 American wounded in action..many without limbs...and another 4,500 killed in actin (KIA). They look down now and say "why".
Iraq/2005-6 Plus 7 other deployments. LTC, US Army
139
@RH I joined during the Reagan Admin, Navy on Guam with Sub Tender, '80-'84, and I look back over the trail of 'conflicts' we have been in since Vietnam, the Marine Barracks blown up while I was in Uniform, and the whole list of tragedies since, primarily started under Repub presidents and then 'handed to' the Democrats who wee forced to try to come in and clean up, time and again.
And there have been tens of thousands of body bags, and what do they do, the Republicans vote themselves another pay raise and tax cut, again and again.
On top of that instead of telling the Corporations that were making billion dollar deals with the Wrong People in Foreign Nations, and getting busted for their bribes or thrown out of the host country for corruption, they need to be told Sharply that the US Military is not their get out of jail free card and pressure for compliance, on one hand, and a perpetual money making machine for the arms manufacturers on the other.
The Taxpayer and foreign nations pay huge money while us people, on both sides, who go into their military and fight, either because we are ordered to or because we are defending our homes, WE are the ones in the middle who are dying and paying for it all at the same time.
Please note, it is not that the Democrats do it too, it is that the Repubs get us so deep in the doo that it takes real work by the Dems to get it back OUT again, and a defiant Congress hobbled Obama Specifically there as well.
Republicans NEVER play fair.
19
@RH Resources sent to Iraq would have made a positive difference had they been committed or remained in Afghanistan at that early stage. My admiration! (LTC, in RCC, Afgh., 27 months, 2007-10)
6
@RH
yes and now Dubyah....works on behalf of wounded veterans.
Something about GOP stalwarts seems to dictate they must be immune to shame. And truth, of course.
(Note to currently serving GOP members of Congress).
13
I think this man was a patriot; in the truest sense of the term. What happens? His wife was exposed; a tragic thing for which irreparable harm was done. Bush and Cheney never saw any justice done to them. In my opinion, they are both "unprosected criminals"; and, as time and history shows, they will remain so.
164
Valerie Plame is now running for Congress in New Mexico's second congressional district! She is NOT backing down.
84
@Easy Goer
And let's not forget that, as a CIA operative, anyone who had ANY dealings with Ms. Plame was subsequently at risk. Soccer Mom is a great cover--until it's blown.
19
He was a public servant who did his job and got little to no credit for his great service. RIP Mr Ambassador. You and your wife were truly American heroes
85
Unlike the current crowd in the White House, Joseph WIlson was a true patriot and a great American. He will be missed.
87
What sadly ironic timing for this marvelous American's death. He will be sadly missed by we many who never met him but admired his and Valerie Plame's courage and honour. Kadish will be said many times for Mr Wilson tonight.
65
Class guy. He will be missed, Not by everyone, but by those that matter.
76
@Diogenes and by those who care(d) !
16
My thoughts are simple: this man was a patriot.
623
An administration lied to us, discredited experts, retaliated against someone who provided the facts and intentionally started a war under false pretenses. There were no trials, no prison terms, no consequences. It was a powerful message. Our willingness to let that go I believe has created the space for the liar we tolerate today.
256
@Beverlyj
I remember when President Obama took office many were calling for action against Bush,Cheney and the rest of the gang who allowed unspeakable acts to occur. I remember President Obama talking about healing, my mom has often told me about Nixon and Ford wanting to heal the country by pardoning Nixon.
It is when I listen to Dick Cheney's daughter mouthing off with so much hate, that I realize that the GOP take decency for weakness and dont care if they destroy the country or send children off to a endless war.
Hearing about the death of Ambassador Wilson today I realized that we were privileged to be touched by a true patriot and we cant let him die and be forgotten. We need to take back our democracy. We cant back down because he never did.
31
@B. Honest
I'm not exactly sure why you brought up Hillary, since you have zero idea what she would have done, she has realized that she (along with everyone that voted yes) was duped. So your asserting something that has no evidence to back that claim up. For me, I've gotten to the point, if people make an assertion, I want to see citations, links etc. Otherwise its nothing more than opining about something that has no basis in fact.
11
@Tony
Think about the number of people, both Americans and Iraqis, got killed from Bush/Chaney's lies about Sadam Husein possessed nuclear weapon. And they went on with their lives without acknowledging their lies. Chaney and Bush should spend some time imprisoned in Quantanamo. Mr. Wilson is the ultimate patriot, hero. He should be buried with other heroes of Iraq War in our National Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
6
It was never clear why Libby was charged and Armistead, who leaked her name, was not.
36
He was caught lying and in perjury in the cover up.
4
@Mike that wasn't my point. My point was, why wasn't the leaker charged.
3
Mr Wilson should be applauded for the stand he took against the lie of war. A true hero.
80
So remind me again what was the point of invading Iraq? it's been 16 years and I forgot.
82
And we are still at war there with an end far away. It’s a proxy war with Russia.
2
@cp
It was to over throw Hussein, (who we put in power) because he had weapons of mass destruction that he was going to use any minute. Even the inspectors at the time said, we don't see any evidence of WMDs. I remember thinking at the time, Bush is making this stuff up, so he could finish the job, he thought his dad should have finished himself. As you recall, once we pushed Iraq out of Kuwait, we were to go no further. In fact the military was was trying to keep Hussein's army from retreating back into Iraq, so we strafed them on the only road out of Kuwait. It was called the highway of death, (only if you were an Iraqi soldier).
But that's what war is, the whole idea is to win with overwhelming firepower and if any opposing army is fleeing, you destroy it, so it can't come back to haunt you. Like when Colin Powell was talking about the "kill boxes" Powell said, we are going to go in and kill anything in these kill boxes. As an officer in Vietnam he saw many half hearted offenses that just got people killed.
2
Under George Bush Republicans were making a mockery of the Constitution and the rule of law. Dick Cheney’s betrayal of Palme (it’s laughable to think his aide who took the fall did this without a nod from Cheney) and the American people with his lies about Iraq will never be forgotten. It will always be a Shameful Presidency.
155
I'm very sad to hear this news; my condolences to his wife and children. Mr. Wilson was a hero and tried to stop a stupid war.
The world is a sadder place today.
77
The Bush Dynasty is as dirty as they get.
87
@Purple Spain
In comparison to who, his dad. Trump is far worse than Bush could ever be.
2
Re: '...He contradicted a statement in President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address. A week later, his wife at the time, Valerie Plame, was outed as a C.I.A. agent..."
My / our family's condolences / thoughts / prayers, go, out to the Wilson_Plame family, aka...
Real 'Patriots'!!
68
a hero indeed...…..
40
Joseph Wilson - you are a real patriot. This country needs more heroes like you. RIP
61
And yet no one, not one person, in the Bush administration was brought to justice for their lies. And here we are again.
838
Actually Scooter Libby (who was Dick Cheney’s chief of staff) went to jail over this incident.
13
Per the article, Libby was pardoned by Trump.
74
@May
And Dick Cheney along with his daughter are sponsoring a fundraiser for Trump. Birds of a feather.
108
Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that would have been saved if he had been listened to. The Bush government had their own agenda and they managed to snooker the news media into believing that yellow cake uranium existed, in spite of Ambassador Wilson's truth-telling.
RIP, Ambassador. You will be remembered as a patriot.
560
The whole unraveling of the Middle East leads back to the fake WMD and invasion of Iraq. Cheney and Rumsfeld at least should be dragged to The Hague for war crime charges.
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@Katrina M The country should take notice that W, chaney and rummy haven't left the USA except the one time W went to Canada and the prime minster at the time guaranteed W would not be arrested as a war criminal.
43
@MAS
Joseph Wilson was the noble whistleblower in plain sight.
While he spoke with integrity, the administration whistled....Tunes of Glory. Very sad.
25
Joseph Wilson't editorial in the Times calling into question Iraq's plans for developing nuclear weapons was a major triumph in bringing truth to the lies of the Cheney-Bush rush to war. One singular act, but a heroic and historical effort which failed in the end to stop a war from which the US has yet to end.
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@kevin cummins The stain of Cheney is all over the entire mess that is now called the Volatile Middle East.
To worsen items, we have his offspring spouting the same rabble so to the detriment of the country and the world.
9
It's a sad day not only because we lost a patriot and hero, but also because this news served as a painful reminder of how rare those virtues are in our current administration.
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@Lynn Patriotism and heroism are rare virtues in our current administration? They are nonexistent.
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@Lynn
They were always rare, in every administration. That's sad, but true.
24
@Thomas Zaslavsky
I grow tired of false equivalence.
"In the 28 yrs that Republicans have held office over the last 53 yrs
they have had a total of ...
120 criminal indictments of executive branch officials. 89 criminal convictions and 34 prison sentences handed down."
"In their 25 yrs in office Democrats had a total of 3 executive branch officials indicted with 1 conviction and 1 prison sentence."
Reference: Sheila Kennedy
44
We have lost another true American hero.. About 14 years ago, I became acquainted with Ambassador Wilson through activities I was engaged in related to the threats to the Galisteo Basin from oil and gas exploration. We had several conversations (he loved the National Parks) and I admired him very much. He was always friendly and engaging. What a shame to lose such a patriotic statesman who possessed the integrity, honesty, morality, and dedication to our country that is so lacking in our political leadership today.
And only 69... very sad.
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@Tony Bonanno Tony, As you had the pleasure of meeting this great man, I consider you quite lucky, I was only able to admire him from a distance and to see what he contributed to the American people and the price that Cheney and "W" put him and his wife through.
America has lost an unsung hero.
Vote Dem Blue
No Matter Who
Mark Kelly Arizona For Senate 2020 Markkelly.com
43
This is what we have become:
“An investigation into the leak of Ms. Plame’s identity led to charges against Mr. Cheney’s chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., not for leaking the information but for lying about his conversations with reporters about Ms. Plame and for obstruction of justice. President Bush commuted his 30-month prison sentence, and last year President Trump gave him a full pardon”
A country where crimes of that border on treason and outright bigotry are endorsed through pardons and commutations as long as your access to privilege exists.
What a shame!
I truly I’m convinced that anyone who finds nothing wrong with this current administration’s lack of a moral center regardless of party affiliation is contributing to demise of this country and cannot claim in any measure to love America.
It has come down very clearly to that; any obfuscation or equivocation on the matter is utter nonsense.
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@Layo "I truly I’m convinced that anyone who finds nothing wrong with this current administration’s lack of a moral center regardless of party affiliation is contributing to demise of this country and cannot claim in any measure to love America."
Well said and 100% correct.
19
Sad news. He seemed like a good guy and was good for the country. Heard him speak a few times at political events and met him twice (amusingly once when we were both washing our hands in the venue's rest room).
Didn't realize that he and Valerie were divorced.
46
@J Darby I didn't know that either!
10
@J Darby Judging from the timing and the lovely words of praise for her ex-husband, perhaps this is one of those sad uncouplings that serve to prevent exhorbitant medical expenses from being passed on to the spouse.
Whatever the cause, he was a hero in a time when the word is too loosely tossed around.
9
@Hope Madison
I'm a family (euphemism for "divorce") facilitative mediator, and I agree with you. It's very rare.
3
Rest in Peace, Joe Wilson.
Interesting to see the Grand Old Party go from releasing the name of CIA agents to calling for the death penalty against whistle blowers in less than 20 years.
404
"Organ failure??" Sad...
18
“He’s an American hero.” —Valerie Plame
We need more heroes such as Joseph Wilson.
213
I thought well of Joseph Wilson.
55
Joseph Wilson was a true patriot.
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