Today is Day 13 of the Joe Wilson abduction. A quick Nexis search shows that the last time he was on television was July 2. This is like a diabetic going two weeks without his insulin. Clearly, he must be handcuffed to a radiator somehwere. Why else would he not explain himself publicly?
In all seriousness, as James Taranto noted yesterday, for Joe Wilson to turn down TV appearances must mean he’s got real problems. Indeed, Josh Marshall says that White House staffers subject to criminal prosecution should just come forward and admit they accidentally outed Valerie Plame if that’s all they did. I agree in principle, but in reality that’s a bit naive. Who knows what’s going on behind the scenes between the lawyers and the prosectors (and I don’t recall Marshall saying all the Clintonites should just come clean to Ken Starr).
But Marshall’s disingenous suggestion can much more easily be directed against Wilson. Why on earth has he shut up? Can anyone think of another public figure who enjoyed preening in the limelight more than Wilson? Why, suddenly, when demand spikes for him to trot out to the studios has he gotten stage fright? His honor is at stake. He’s being called a liar — by lots and lots of people. His wife has been called a liar. And yet Wilson, who is facing no criminal charges, tells CNN he’s not doing television interviews. Indeed, since Wilson lied to Marshall himself, why isn’t Marshall leading the charge for Wilson to clear the air?
UPDATE: My apologies to Tim. See his breakdown on media coverage of the Wilson Abduction here.