If you’re ever on national TV and you’re on with stellar politicos like Bill Kristol and Brit Hume, NEVER show how much of a dumbass you really are. Juan Williams of National Public Radio has obviously not learned that lesson as I’ve previously pointed out.

Today on Fox News Sunday, one of the panel’s subjects was the recent firing of CIA employee, Mary McCarthy (see Expose the Left’s post) for sharing classified information with the Washington Post and others regarding stories of the U.S.’s secret prisons abroad. Like Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame, McCarthy’s political leanings clearly come into play here.

I was going to edit this video to be much shorter, but it’s just too priceless. This “smackdown” begins with the discussion of the situation with Mary McCarthy of the CIA. Here are just a few quotes from the exchange:

Juan began by arguing about citizens’ rights to speak out, whistle-blowing, blah, blah and more blah…

Bill: When I went to work in the U.S. government, I signed forms saying I would not release classified information. If I had released information like this, I could have been fired – I SHOULD have been fired! And let me tell you something…the Clinton administration would have fired her if this would have happened in the mid 90s. This was an outrageous leak of national security information.

Juan: She can take a risk, but you’re telling me that you don’t leak… that you’ve never leaked infor …???

Bill: Oh, COME ON! Come on!

Juan: People leak every day in this town!

Brit: Juan, there’s an important distinction between disclosing information which the government has not chosen to put out yet, or may never; and the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. That’s not to say that all information that is classified should be. However, there are people who are authorized to declassify information and then authorize its release, and there are people who are not.

This woman palpably was not such a person! In addition, she signed, as Bill pointed out, a statement when she joined the Agency in which she swore that she would not do that. So she was honor-bound not to do it, the law restricts the ability to which someone can do that, and she went ahead and did it! That’s not…Juan, that is manifestly not speaking out; that is not an exercise simply of 1st Amendment rights. This is…this was a violation of her oath and her responsibility!

Juan: Let me quickly respond, Brit, she took a risk. She was very aware of what she had signed. She is now bearing the cost of having broken that pledge…

Chris: …so this is an act of consciousness????

Juan: …and so in that sense, I do believe it!

Chris: Why did she do it surreptitiously?

Juan: She did it because she wanted to get the word out!

(cross-talk)

Brit: Why didn’t she walk out on to the street corner and just pass it out?

Juan: She could have! But she had a…

Brit: I know why she didn’t… because that way she would have become known. She wanted to do it and not get caught, THAT’S why!!!!!

Now, I know that Fox is trying to uphold their “Fair and Balanced” thing, but there comes a time when they have to realize that Brit needs to start charging Juan for tuition fees for his continuing on-air education. Today, however, Brit wasn’t the only headmaster in charge… Bill Kristol took his seat in the teacher’s seat. Juan made a mistake when he accused Bill of “leaking” as part of his every day life and work!

Heck, even Chris Wallace couldn’t help but chip in to the lesson at hand.

Juan ends his argument saying that “she” (McCarthy) is the one who will be paying the price for what she did. Excuse me? It’s called “National” Security… not “Personal” Security. Her revelation about our secret prisons probably cost lives. Now, can Juan explain that away? Doubtful. Stay tuned, as it appears Juan’s education is just beginning. He definitely flunked today’s lesson.

Watch Juan get schooled here.

(P.S. One of the funniest moments of the clip at 5:19 (5 mins, 19 secs) is when Juan opines that she was just doing this about something she might have thought was unconscionable in the organization in which she worked…. both Bill & Brit say IN UNISON … “Well she should QUIT then!” – PRICELESS!)

Linked at Michelle Malkin, Expose the Left, Right on the Right, Right Wing News, Jo’s Cafe, and Cao’s Blog, and Sister Toldjah.