[13] Fleischer claimed that he and Bush "faithfully and accurately reported" the assessments of the Intelligence community. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea (Cato Institute Book Forum, 2011) . Become a Member today for a growing stake in the conservative movement. In November 2002 the Bush administration pushed for the, UN Security Council to pass Resolution 1441. , which found Iraq to be in material breach of its disarmament obligations. He relies on the copious notes he took that day (the originals are locked in a vault in Northern Westchester), saying that despite the intense pressure and stress of that period, it was imperative that everybody did their job. . Ari Fleischer has drawn suspicion for announcing the end of his near-annual recounting of the 9/11 attacks after being hired by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. Scott Ritter is a former Marine Corps intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union implementing arms control treaties, in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, and in Iraq overseeing the disarmament of WMD. Case closed! [citation needed], Upon his graduation from Middlebury, Fleischer worked as press secretary for Jon S. Fossel, a Republican candidate for a New York congressional seat. The fact is, the Iraq War was never about WMD. While Fleischer gives Trump a better than 75-percent chance of landing the nomination, he doesnt necessarily view him as a Republican, but rather an independent renting the GOP because it suits his interests. Johannes Vermeer's treatment of love distinguished him from his peers. I get a lot of satisfaction if I can get them through it., Though the company was founded in 2003, the firm first took hold when political junkie Sandy Montag, president and CEO of The Montag Group in White Plains, noticed that Fleischer would often make sports references during his daily briefings at the White House. "[36] In Salon.com, Eric Boehlert declared that despite "a few curious nuggets," the book is "long on praise for his boss and criticism of the 'liberal' media, and short on revelations."[36]. Fleischer remained on board as a consultant for the CFP, proving magically malleable on the issue of the sports postseason. In November 2002 the Bush administration pushed for the UN Security Council to pass Resolution 1441, which found Iraq to be in material breach of its disarmament obligations. And hes decided, this year, that his tradition has run its course. Rebecca Davis married to Fox News political contributor Ari Fleischer. For a guy who could have written his ticketa very lucrative oneas a Washington lobbyist or set up shop anywhere in the world, its telling that he returned home and remains so accessible, says Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who met Fleischer in 2005 during his first unsuccessful run for the post he currently holds. It does not present compelling portraits of cabinet members or members of the White House supporting cast. Fleischer, who spent much of the fateful day in 2001 with Bush, had his gripping accounts reported by HuffPost as well. They reside in New York with their son and daughter. During his days at the White House, his walls werent full of pictures or mementos of Washington but of his hometown: old portraits of the village courthouse, storefronts, and historic maps of Bedford and Pound Ridge (just to remind me that this is who I am) and of the place he would one day return. Which puts the inspectors in a very hard position., But Fleischer had no evidence that Iraq was getting advance notice, and, the experience of UNMOVIC inspectors on the ground, suggested otherwise. After Dole left the race in 1999, the Bush campaign drafted Fleischer. He gave me the good, the bad, and the ugly about what its like, Astorino says of Fleischers advice about running in a high-stakes, high-cost race for New York State governor. [3] His parents were Jewish; his mother is a Hungarian immigrant who lost much of her family in the Holocaust. While in the Beltway, Fleischer landed a job as press secretary for Long Island Congressman Norman Lent, served as field director for the National Republican Congressional Committee and for a short time worked with Westchester Congressman Joseph DioGuardi, a Republican who was unseated in 1988 by Representative Nita Lowey, who still holds the seat. Sep 11, 2016, 9:03 AM. The two immediately hit it off, not just as Republicans but as Miami Dolphins fans. Which puts the inspectors in a very hard position., But Fleischer had no evidence that Iraq was getting advance notice, and the experience of UNMOVIC inspectors on the ground suggested otherwise. He is the son of database coordinator mother Martha and recruiting company owner father Alan A. Fleischer. Fox contributor Ari Fleischer says most Americans live in a media-created fantasyland. He testified that "The information about Wilson's wife was news to me. Its Extremely Revealing. Now, with his eponymous communications company, he has achieved just that. Fleischer, who served under former President George W. Bush, had a problem with Biden bringing notes to the media, apparently thinking . [7][8] In January 2003, after UN weapons inspectors said they had "not found any smoking gun" evidence of an active WMD program, Fleischer said, "The problem with guns that are hidden is you can't see their smoke We know for a fact that there are weapons there." Fleischer, a former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush and a Fox News contributor, on Monday dismissed the accusations as "foolish conspiracy theory." Fleischers appearance as the moderator at Saudi-backed LIV Golfs press conference Tuesday was just the latest eye-rolling moment from a guy who has never failed to fail while working for the CFP. The electorate is fed up. Across from his desk, theres an image of Fleischer speaking with Pope John Paul II, of whom he says, You instantly know you are in a special place with a special person. Peppered throughout are photo ops with world leaders, menus of state dinners, a framed Navy Seals pin given to him by a friend, and scores of sports memorabilia, including signed jerseys from slugger Mark McGwire (whom Fleischer advised during McGwires return to baseball, as a batting coach, after his steroid scandal) and a bat from Cal Ripken Jr. that references those damn Yankees.. He kept detailed notes of what happened throughout the day. Theres a comfort to being here that Ive always cherished.. I didnt tweet last year because I was at Ground Zero to mark the 20th year of the attack on our country. In his book Suppression, Deception, Snobbery, and Bias: Why the Press Gets So Much Wrong and Just Doesn't Care, Fleischer argues that "there's a younger generation of journalists who think their job is to be subjective" and that "They don't believe in objectivity. Since leaving the White House, he has worked as a media consultant and commentator. As of press secretary in the Bush administration, he was a prominent advocate for the Invasion of Iraq and made numerously exaggerated and misleading claims about Iraq in the lead-up to the Iraq War. nytimes.com. The question of whether the Saudi government as an institution provided support to the hijackers is still being debated. Lawrence Ari Fleischer (born October 13, 1960) is an American media consultant and political aide who served as the 23rd White House Press Secretary, for President George W. Bush, from January 2001 to July 2003. The declaration, I felt, might give Iraq a chance for a new start, Blix noted, . Fleischer says the tribulations that corporate leaders, sports leagues, and athletes go through are remarkably like those in elected office. It wasnt until the botched rollout of the plans to expand the playoff from four to 12 teams last year, when the June leak caught several conference commissioners unhappily off guard, that anyone remembered the CFP had a media consultant. Ari Fleischer has drawn suspicion for announcing the end of his near-annual recounting of the 9/11 attacks after being hired by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. All Rights Reserved. A 2002 congressional investigation, according to a document that was declassified in 2016, concluded there was widespread belief among FBI and CIA agents even before the Sept. 11 attacks that the Saudi government did not want to participate in intelligence efforts that might have weakened Bin Laden. Thirteen years . Fleischer served as President George W. Bushs press secretary from 2001 to 2003, through memorable historic moments including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Anthrax scares. Ari Fleischer was born on September 13, 1960 in Pound Ridge, New York, USA. The list of aggrieved parties is lengthy and vocal every season. The Fleischers now have two children: daughter Liz, 11, and son Asa, 9. He personally liked and respected many reporters, even if it was their job to give him hell on a daily basis.But Fleischers White House days werent only productive on a professional level. He served as a. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.. We all turned out to be wrong. Theres just something magical about this area that always drew me home, Fleischer adds. Thats why Im home. It's going to take a while and we're not going to have a little slap on the wrist crap.". Montag, whose sports-marketing and consulting company manages a slew of big-name broadcasters and coaches, notably football color-commentator John Madden, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas, former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, and local CBS anchor Mary Calvi, boldly cold-called the White House in 2003, thinking there might be a way the two could work together. In 2005, he wrote a New York Times bestselling memoir, Taking Heat, which gives readers an insiders look at the press room and its machinations. On July 7, 2003, at The James S. Brady Briefing Room, Fleischer was asked about Joseph Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador who had recently written an editorial for The New York Times criticizing the intelligence information the Bush administration had relied upon to make its case for invading the nation of Iraq. The company has a small-town charm about it, but he and his staff work with large corporations, sports leagues, coaches, and premier athletes. Ari and her wife Rebecca are blessed with two kids a son and a daughter Sarah Elizabeth Fleischer. It just wasnt right, Fleischer felt. I try to hit a golf ball into a small hole. A 2009 State Department cable released by WikiLeaks states that donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide.. Michael J. Kelley, a Roman Catholic priest. The work of the inspectors was undermined from the start by the Bush administration, led by Ari Fleischer. Ari's Thoughts on the 2016 Election. Fear Factor: How did we survive Ari Fleischer's reign of terror? Why the College Football Playoff wants to continue paying that nincompoop to help it form strategy is as mystifying as the reluctance to expand the playoff. Why have that guyin the room with the most powerful people in college football when theyre making the big decisions? Because Americans don't trust the media", "Harper hired former Bush spokesman twice", "Redskins GM Leans On GOP Consultants To Deflect 'Ignorant' Questions About Team's Name", "CFP Media Consultant Ari Fleischer's Bad Publicity Tour Continues", "BOOKS OF THE TIMES - After Years of Taking Heat, Spokesman Takes Potshots", "From Pound Ridge To Pennsylvania AveAnd Back", "Ari Fleischer spotted in his over-40 league baseball uniform". He gained his fame for being the White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush for two years. The couple is living a happy married life since then. Both parents were Democrats who were "horrified" when Fleischer became a Republican, he told an interviewer in 2003: "While I lived at home and when I started college, I was a liberal Democrat. The president, once a part-owner of the Texas Rangers, needed some practice before tossing out the opening-day first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers gameand Fleischer, who always kept his glove handy in his trunk, was called into service. He served as the White House press secretary while President George W. Bush was in office. Its the same rural, small-town feel with friendly people, he says as he gazes out the window of his office. Fleischer stood at the press-secretary podium during what is one of the more interesting and controversial periods in modern American history: a presidency that was arguably decided by the Supreme Court, invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, bad intelligence on Saddam Husseins WMDs, Anthrax scares, and, perhaps most defining, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and set off a war on terror that is still being fought 15 years later. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer previewed the latest polls and voter turnout ahead of this year's November midterm elections on Tuesday's "The Ingraham Angle." ARI. He worked as deputy communications director for George H. W. Bushs 1992 reelection campaign. If you dont, you lose your re-election, he says. When we find out who did this, they're not going 2 like me as President", "I can't wait to find out who did this. When asked by a reporter about the possibility of giving the UN weapons inspectors more time to complete their task, Fleischer fired back, asking More time for what? To preview the event the circuit held an opening news conference at Centurion Golf Club in St. Albans, England on Tuesday. | Photo by Stefan Radtke. That will be it for 9/11 talk, from Ari Fleischer, because of his unavoidable conflict (taking a flight on an airplane that apparently wasnt equipped with Wi-Fi) and personal exhaustion. It is through the work of UNMOVIC that Ari Fleischers defense of George W. Bush collapses. This is the conclusion that anyone taking umbrage with Ari Fleischer over his attempt to whitewash the role he playedas an extension of President George W. Bushin facilitating the Iraq War should rely on. The Iraq war began sixteen years ago tomorrow, Fleischer tweeted on March 19. He now has his own public relations firm and works for private clients. (Broadside Books) "Suppression, Deception, Snobbery, and Bias: Why the Press Gets So Much Wrong - And Just . They were engaged a year later. Fleischer has been busy. In truth, it is exhausting to relive the day. FLEISCHER: Well, there is zero, nada, nothing new here. But between 2013 and 2020, he spent every year tweeting detailed real-time recollections of 9/11 on its anniversary. Inspectors from UNMOVIC were dispatched to Iraq shortly thereafter in a last-ditch effort to account for the totality of Iraqs WMD. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. And it does not shed new light on the president or his methods of governance. She found the book insular, defensive and wholly predictable. In Salon.com, Eric Boehlert declared that despite a few curious nuggets, the book is long on praise for his boss and criticism of the liberal media, and short on revelations.. Ari Fleischer, who served as Mr Bush's press secretary from 2001 to 2003, was finishing an appearance on the right-wing cable network program . More games are better. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer attempted to slam President Joe Biden's press conference on Thursday, but only managed a major-league self-own. Dickerson denied that such a conversation ever took place. The Consultant worked as a Fox News Contributor from 2017. After all the misleading, downplaying statements made by the WH, it's time for the FBI to seal the crime scene, bar anyone from the WH, including POTUS and his lawyers, from entering and conduct the search themselves. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer slammed the mainstream media's coverage of an illegal immigrant being the alleged rapist in the case involving a 10-year-old girl on " Jesse. In a sense, it was President Carter who drove me out of the Democratic Party and it was President Reagan who welcomed me into the Republican Party. Armed with the unique insights that came from this experience, I can state clearly and without any reservation that Ari Fleischer, once again, has misrepresented the facts when it comes to the Bush administrations decision to invade Iraq in March 2003. Some of his current and former big-name clients include IBM, MLB, NFL, NBA, US Olympic Committee, and the College Football Playoff, to name a few. It is very well true that the inspectors who are working as diligently as they can in an environment made very difficult for them by Iraqi actions, may not be giving notice, Fleischer explained in a press conference, but that does not mean Iraq is not receiving notice as a result of their electronic means and other means to know what the inspectors are doing. From 1985 to 1988, he was field director for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Military action was now seen as inevitable. David Moye. It was time to play ball at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Fleischer says he and Becki have settled down well in the burbs, and enjoy raising their kids together. Lawrence Ari Fleischer (born October 13, 1960) is an American media consultant and political aide who served as the 23rd White House Press Secretary, for President George W. Bush, from January 2001 to July 2003. [3] His mother was a database coordinator and his father was owner of an executive recruiting company. To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! [26] However, in the end it was discovered that Richard Armitage first leaked Plame's identity, not Libby or Cheney. Fleischer at home with Kitty, the Samoyed that rounds out the family. It is very well true that the inspectors who are working as diligently as they can in an environment made very difficult for them by Iraqi actions, may not be giving notice,, in a press conference, but that does not mean Iraq is not receiving notice as a result of their electronic means and other means to know what the inspectors are doing. Ari Fleischeris an American political scientist, communications guru, and former Press Secretary in the George Walker Bush administration. Fleischer had then relayed this information to Time correspondent John Dickerson and NBC's David Gregory in Uganda during the African trip.[25][26]. [27] Fleischer gave his final "Press Briefing" on July 14, 2003. [31] He has consulted for former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper,[32][33] Mark McGwire, the Washington Redskins,[34] Tiger Woods and the Green Bay Packers. CFP executive director Bill Hancock confirmed to Sports Illustrated Tuesday that Fleischer is still a consultant to the group. He has been married to Rebecca Davis since November 9, 2002. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. I'm proud of what we did to protect this country."[21][22]. The inspection process initiated in November 2002 to investigate Iraqs WMD programs was, from the U.S. perspective, a faade created to justify a decision to go to war that was made long before the inspectors ever set foot on the ground. There is a myth about the war that I have been meaning to set straight for years. Although Fleischer served as communications director for Elizabeth Dole during her presidential run in the 2000 election campaign, he joined George W. Bush's presidential campaign after Dole dropped out of the race. Libby said the information was "hush-hush, on the Q-T." Can he stay in power and have regime change?, Fleischer: Youre asking the mother of hypotheticals. Ari Fleischer Verified account @AriFleischer Ex WH Press Secretary. Tomorrow, I must be on an airplane and will not be able to live tweet my memories of what took place. On May 19, 2003, he announced that he would resign during the summer, citing a desire to spend more time with his wife and to work in the private sector. Jan 14. I Close-Read the 113-Page Complaint Trying to Ban the Abortion Pill in Texas. He was turned off by the yelling and table-pounding of those like his native states US senator, Alfonse DAmato, and others, deciding that it was the subtle ways and charm of Southern pols that proved most effective. Mar 25, 2021, 05:48 PM EDT. Senator Pete Domenici's press secretary from 1989 to 1994 and as spokesman for the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee for five years. It was upon his return to Westchester that his shift to the right was solidified: As an intern for the Westchester County Board of Legislators (under then-Republican chairman Andrew ORourke), Fleischer, still a registered Democrat, witnessed politics at play. The 59-year consultant resides with his wife and two children in New York City. Ari Fleischer is an American media consultant and political aide. Politics teaches you how to communicate in a crisis or in a pinch and how to do it well. With Ari, its not just a passion for sports; its a knowledge of sports, Montag says. Fleischer is portrayed by Rob Corddry in Oliver Stone's W., a biographical movie about George W. Bush. Deflecting blame onto the U.S. intelligence community ignores the fact that the decision to go to war was the exclusive purview of the Executive Branch that Fleischer served. Like the golfers, Fleischer seems to have a price at which he can relinquish his convictions. As President Bushs press secretary from 2001 to 2003, Fleischer served as the commander-in-chiefs chief spokesman, a go-to confidant and advisor. CFP Media Consultant Ari Fleischer's Bad Publicity Tour Continues The former White House press secretary's moderation of Saudi-backed LIV Golf's presser was just his latest of a string of. When LIV golfer Talor Gooch was hit with a question about Saudi Arabia sportswashing its unseemly global image for human-rights abuses, he answered, I dont think that assertion is fair. Then he sought to get out of that political sand trap by describing himself as, essentially, just a dumb golfer. A memorandum prepared by the head of the British MI-6 intelligence service, Richard Dearlove, following a July 23, 2002 meeting in Washington, DC, underscores this truth: There was a perceptible shift in attitude. In November 2002, he married his wife, Rebecca Elizabeth Davis, an employee in the Office of Management and Budget, in an interfaith ceremony. Its time to put it to rest., United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), in Iraq from 1991 through 1998, I was intimately familiar with the intelligence used by the U.S. Intelligence Community to underpin the case for war (which I debunked in June 2002 in an article published in. How will this play? It always made for a better process.. Then he worked for three years as a field director for the National Republican Congressional Committee. In a 2003 People magazine article, Fleischer said his wife was the best gift that President Bush ever gave him. This is one of those unique times in American history when "politics is on the hinge" and people want change, says Ari Fleischer, who has been on the inside of his share of campaigns. . His concluding theme, each time, has been the strength and grave determination that Bush showed, immediately, in his resolve to hold the perpetrators of the attack accountable. Being successful during a briefing with the press required a combination of substance and showmanship; the best press comes from mastering both, he says. Ari Fleischer says that if Donald Trump loses the election and returns to his private life, then the GOP can reset, but if he chooses to stay in politics, th. "[24], Fleischer also testified to the fact that Dan Bartlett, the president's communications adviser, told him the same thing on Air Force One days later on the way to Niger with President Bush. Talking about his education, he went to Fox Lane High School in Bedford, New York in 1978. Gridlock. Bush knew that the engagement with the United Nations, including the crafting of resolution 1441 and the dispatch of inspectors to Iraq, was simply an elaborate charade, cruel theatrics meant to dangle the prospects of peace, all the while preparing for warsomething Ari Fleischer knew all along, Deal of the Century: How Iran Blocked the Wests Road to War, Todays Psychology Cant Help American Men. Any other reason being speculated is a foolish conspiracy theory., Cannot get over Ari Fleischer getting a PR job with the Saudis and then announcing that actually his 9/11 play-by-play tweets have run their course, Ari Fleischer was the primary spokesperson for 9/11 as the White House press secretary to former President George W. Bush.TODAY, hes the LIV Golf Invitational Series communications consultant. The fact of the matter is that Saddam did, in fact, do everything listed by Ari Fleischer to effect a change in the policies of Iraq in order to preserve his regime. He also worked as a consultant for former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper. Not long after Ari Fleischer started working at the White House as President George W. Bushs press secretary, he had one of those stop-and-smell-the-roses momentsnot all that far from The Rose Garden. His proclivity for sports and politics were apparent early on. Then after he worked as a consultant from his company Ari Fleischer Communications. Fleischer apparently did his part to provide cover for the poor multimillionaires being asked questions about something other than hitting a golf ball into a small hole. In 2019 he claimed he and George Bush reported the a s sessments fo the Intelligence community and secured over 400 missiles and rockets containing Chemical weapons. He is the son of Alan A. Fleischer and Martha Fleischer. Ari Fleischer was born as Lawrence Ari Fleischer on 13th October 1960, in New York City, United States. Its time to put it to rest., Fleischer goes on to declare that The fact is that President Bush (and I as press secretary) faithfully and accurately reported to the public what the intelligence community concluded, before noting that The CIA, along with the intelligence services of Egypt, France, Israel and others concluded that Saddam had WMD. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says the press has "an inherent bias towards conflict" and an ideological bias "particularly on social issues" in an interview with The Hill. He went back to being a press secretary in 1988, working for congressman Joseph DioGuardi. When Fleischer speaks, his passion for sports is obviousas is his love for his family, his faith, and his hometown, which he says hasnt changed all that much since he was a child. In all cases, I have decided that my story has been told and I will not live tweet what took place on 9/11 again. His advice to naysayers and Dems that want to take on Trump: Get ready. But the political-science major who minored in French slowly began to shift to the right, in part because he didnt like what he was seeing in the post-Vietnam and Watergate eraprotests, no American flags on campus, and lackluster pride in the US. Iraqs alleged retention of proscribed WMD were merely an excuse to achieve the higher goal of regime change. Uncertainty. Part of HuffPost Politics. . Its a narrative that is playing out among voters across the country and is shaking up the 2016 presidential race. "[4] He graduated from Fox Lane High School in Bedford, New York, in 1978, and graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1982. The crises [I deal with] now arent life and death or war and peace, but for my clients, they are massive events. Find Out With This Weeks News Quiz. Ari Fleischer was born as Lawrence Ari Fleischer on 13th October 1960, in New York City, United States. Ari Fleischer. On July 18, 2005, Bloomberg reported that in his sworn testimony before the grand jury investigating the leak, Fleischer denied having seen a memo circulating in Air Force One on July 7, 2003, which named Plame in connection to Wilson's mission and which identified her as a "CIA" covert agent. In political circles, being the voice of a president and facing off with some of the sharpest members of the Fourth Estate is considered a nearly impossible job, the sort of acclaim one might get from sparring with a gaggle of prizefighters all at once. They don't believe in two sides. When Bush became the President in 2001, he tapped Fleischer to become the first press secretary of his administration. Ari Fleischer is married to Rebecca Elizabeth Davis in November 2002. [11] On one occasion Fleischer said that Hussein "has to indicate whether or not he has weapons. He belongs to mixed ethnicity and holds the American nationality by birth. But what Astorino remains most impressed with regarding Fleischer is that despite his success, he is so well-grounded. Ari Fleischer Age He was born Lawrence Ari Fleischer on October 13, 1960, in New York, New York, United States. Ari Fleischer Biography Ari Fleischer Wiki, Emmy Victor Wiki, Age, Husband, Family, Height, WRAL, Salary, Net Worth, Instagram, Wedding, Iris Jardiel Temptation Island Wiki, Age, Boyfriend, Height, Family, Ethnicity, Nationality, Filipino, Entrepreneur, Instagram, Nathan Chasing Horse Wife, Daughter, Net Worth, Wiki, Age, Movies and TV Shows, Instagram, Devin Goda Bio, Wiki, Age, Girlfriend, Height, Family, Salary, Net Worth and Instagram. Fleischer has a typical suburban existence, actually. Ari Fleischer has drawn suspicion for announcing the end of his near-annual recounting of the 9/11 attacks after being hired by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. He would probably tell you that he was not the best gymnast and that would be the truth, but he worked his tail off, says Mergardt. Upon his graduation from Middlebury, he worked as press secretary for Jon S. Fossel, a Republican candidate for a New York congressional seat. Less Ari is also better. His work in Fox News includes America's Newsroom, Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner, and Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. His wife works at the CIA," Fleischer recalled Libby saying.