Spouse of outed CIA officer signs on with Kerry

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Joseph C. Wilson, a former Clinton appointee whose unsubstantiated charge that senior White House officials leaked the identity of his CIA officer wife and prompted a grand jury probe, has taken a prominent role in the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry.

The career diplomat and senior director for Africa policy for the National Security Council during the Clinton administration has campaigned for the Democratic presidential front-runner in at least six states. Mr. Wilson has also been offering the Massachusetts candidate speechwriting tips.

A two-day visit to Seattle last week, just a day before the state's Democratic caucuses, illustrates the role Mr. Wilson will play as the Kerry campaign ramps up.

"We went to war under false pretenses and that is becoming abundantly clear to the American people," he told hundreds of students during a foreign policy forum at the University of Washington. "I don't care who you vote for, but get out there and caucus. Don't leave it to the neoconservatives and evangelical Christians," Mr. Wilson said.

Mr. Kerry's press secretary defended the inclusion of Mr. Wilson in the campaign.

"I think his support speaks volumes about this administration's blustering foreign policy as well as about the breach of trust they've had with the American people," David Wade said.

Mr. Wilson did not return phone calls, but an agent for him said he is not talking to the press because he has a new book coming out in May titled "The Politics of Truth."

Most Republicans would not comment for attribution. But one said the use of Mr. Wilson -- especially with an ongoing federal investigation over the leak of his wife's name -- shows the kind of politics the Kerry camp will employ during the presidential campaign.

"With his political agenda so obvious, it calls into question his motives for the leak story last summer," said a top Republican. "He's a political animal and he's using all of the tools at his disposal to reach his political objective."