Bob Woodward: Just a Bitter Old Barfly?

THE STORY: As it turns out, Bob Woodward was about the first journalist to be told about Valerie Plame's identify as a CIA agent, AND by a high-ranking White House Official who was not Scooter Libby. But Woodward covered it up back when, and he is trying to protect the White House now, even as Patrick Fitzgerald closes in. Alas, Woodward's slimeyness is making Judith Miller look better!
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/16/cia.woodward.ap/index.html

MY RESPONSE Has Bob Woodward, of "Watergate" fame really become just a sad and broken tool of the floundering Bush administration. Or is there some mitigating factor forcing him to become a pathetic toady? Rumor has it that the White House has something very big on Woodward - yep, we are talking blackmail. That he roughed his wife up at least once was whispered as one possibility. Others, more charitable toward Woodward, suggest he and/or his family have been threatened, while still others say Woodward has some heavy "private" debts.

My guess is that there is nothing so dramatic at work here. I suspect Woodward is just a "simple drunk" (dry or wet!) as the Twelve Steppers say. Like so many loud-mouthed barflies, he lives to piss people off. His arrogant, 'f*ck you!' behavior is typical of a bombastic, bitter old has-been who has allied himself with other bombastic bitter old has-beens - namely the Bush administration.

Here's a funny poll from Daily Kos on Bob Woodward:
http://dereklarsson.dailykos.com/view_poll

Secrecy order in CIA leak case challenged by media —Ralph Rowe, Wed Nov 16 14:54