Courtesy of Powerline, here's a cut from a New York Times article highlighting their investigative journalism:

"While posing as a private charter outfit - "aircraft rental with pilot" is the listing in Dun and Bradstreet - Aero Contractors is in fact a major domestic hub of the Central Intelligence Agency's secret air service. The company was founded in 1979 by a legendary C.I.A. officer and chief pilot for Air America, the agency's Vietnam-era air company, and it appears to be controlled by the agency, according to former employees.
An analysis of thousands of flight records, aircraft registrations and corporate documents, as well as interviews with former C.I.A. officers and pilots, show that the agency owns at least 26 planes, 10 of them purchased since 2001. The agency has concealed its ownership behind a web of seven shell corporations that appear to have no employees and no function apart from owning the aircraft.

The planes, regularly supplemented by private charters, are operated by real companies controlled by or tied to the agency, including Aero Contractors and two Florida companies, Pegasus Technologies and Tepper Aviation."


Looks to me like the New York Times exposed a covert CIA operation with the potential for damage to our national security MUCH higher than the Plame thing, even if Rove had named her by name and even if she was a covert agent. Where is the equivalent anger at the New York Times for exposing a real covert operation which could lead to real problems for some of our agents? If the Plame thing did not involve anyone connected to Bush, no one would care, just like with the operation I mentioned above. People in danger, secrets exposed for no real reason, no Bush connection, who cares? Oh, but here's an exposure which is so completely minimal that it doesn't matter, but it's a Bush connection, so let's fry 'em!