An American Tragedy.... Or Something

Details of Valerie Plame's 'tragic' existence were revealed Friday in the Washington Post. With her CIA cover blown by Bob Novak's July 2003 column, she has lived the past four years in a surreal world, but today she will speak out at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Since her retirement from the CIA, Plame's life has been fraught with hardship:

Over the past year Plame has completed a book, "Fair Game," which netted her a seven-figure sum, although the book remains tied up in a CIA review process and its publication date is uncertain.

She and her husband have sold the movie rights for their life story to Warner Bros.

Earlier this week the couple closed the $1.8 million sale of their Washington house, which they purchased in 1998 for $735,000.

They have relocated to Santa Fe, N.M., buying a spacious adobe home with a mountain view and a reported $1.1 million mortgage.

Her and her husband's fame give them access to top politicians (including, last week, Sen. Hillary Clinton, with whom the couple had dinner) and Hollywood types.

In his book, Wilson described a dinner in Los Angeles where "Valerie found herself seated between Norman Lear and Warren Beatty..."

Said Valerie,

"My life is becoming more surreal every day."

Why, it's positively heartbreaking.

According to the Post, Plame's goal in testifying is to dispel claims that she was not an undercover agent. We can expect soft toss questions from majority members of the committee which is chaired by the undoubtedly sympathetic Henry Waxman. Committee members from the Republican minority might be somewhat less sympathetic than Representative Waxman, and if they are permitted to interrogate Ms. Plame, a Rick Ballard Column in American Thinker offers suggestions for some questions they might ask.

Since the CIA maintains an office which is responsible for contacts with the press, on what date did you report your May 2 and 3 contacts with Nicholas Kristof to that office?

Did you also inform that office of the nature of your contacts? Who did you speak to?

Inquiring minds would love to hear the answer to these and other questions. For instance: What credentials did husband Joe have to offer Nicholas Kristof in order to gain the credibility for such prominent exposure of his story? You, perhaps? I've been wondering for a really long time now, what was the real reason for husband Joe's trip to Niger in 2002?