July 15, 2005
Follow Up Questions
A small round-up of late-breaking updates to my previous post on the Rove/Plame Scandal. The NY Times and Washington Post report that an anonymous source is now saying that Karl Rove found out about Valerie Plame from Robert Novak! Intriguing. Let's go to Today's Papers for some cross-checking:
Novak's original column outing Plame cited two administration officials. Reportedly it's the first official who told him about Plame and her until-then secret employer. Novak then supposedly mentioned it to Rove, who simply responded, "I heard that, too."The NYT's background on the single source for all this:
The person who provided the information about Mr. Rove's conversation with Mr. Novak declined to be identified, citing requests by Mr. Fitzgerald that no one discuss the case. The person discussed the matter in the belief that Mr. Rove was truthful in saying he did not disclose Ms. Wilson's identity.The WP files a late-night catch-up fronter on Rove and Novak, getting the same details from a (the?) source, whom it IDs, more helpfully, as "a lawyer involved in the case." Now who might that be?
Both papers cite their source saying Rove originally learned about Plame from—get this—a journalist. The Post gets curious and asks Lusk ..."the lawyer" whether Karl would like to share who he originally talked to. According to the lawyer, surprise surprise, Rove can't remember.
That lawyer, Robert Luskin, is Karl Rove's lawyer. We should probably take what he says with a grain of salt. Redstate, god bless them, has swallowed this hook-line-and sinker.
The other news item in this round-up actually comes from the comments section of Redstate's post above, and addresses question 13 in my previous post:
However, we have to be careful. President Bush did say he'd fire the person, if the investigation proved someone in his staff leaked the name. He said it during the G8 meeting. Here's the link and the important piece:QUESTION: Given -- given recent developments in the CIA leak case, particularly Vice President Cheney's discussions with the investigators, do you still stand by what you said several months ago, a suggestion that it might be difficult to identify anybody who leaked the agent's name?
THE PRESIDENT: That's up to --
QUESTION: And, and, do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts.
That's a wrap, I guess. Question 13 is now SOLID yes.
Posted by ben at July 15, 2005 07:50 AM