Elephant In Exile

It depends, I guess, on what "name' means...

Ok, I'm trying to bring myself up to speed on this whole Valerie Plame/CIA agent leak scandal like thing that seems to have inflamed just about everyone, especially the liberal bloggers who have unleashed a torrent of pithy T-shirts for sale on this very topic. (And they say they hate capitalism). Anyway, here's what I've picked up on so far.

• Someone in the White House or Administration leaked the name of an 'undercover' CIA agent.
• This CIA agent was the wife of Joseph Wilson, a former diplomat and a critic of the Bush Administration.
• Wilson had been sent by the CIA to Niger to investigate claims Sadaam Hussein had tried to buy uranium on the black market. This later proved untrue.
• Early in the 'scandal' Bush said he'd fire whoever was responsible.
• Two reporters had information identifying the source, but refused to turn it over to the federal investigators. (One Judith Miller, is now in jail until she spills the beans).
• It appears that prior to Valerie Plame's name being published, Cooper, the reporter from Time, spoke with Rove who told him that Wilson's wife was a CIA agent.
• Under federal law, it is a crime to reveal certain enumerated employees of the CIA, Ms. Plame, although on desk duty, was in one of these positions.
• Rove and GOP leaders are now claiming that Rove didn't technically 'name' her as he never said her name, he said "Wilson's wife."
• So, therefore we should all move along, there's nothing to see here...

Despite the best defense put out by administration officials, party loyalists and the like, this does not appear to be something that is going to go away anytime soon. The very arguments used by the GOP to attack the left (or far left) of undermining our defense seem ready to come home to roost against Bush and Co. Bottom line is that someone (allegedly Rove) leaked the name of a CIA agent (who happened to be the wife of a critic of the war in Iraq) that may be in violation of federal law. On top of that Bush has promised to fire those responsible. I may say many things critical of Mr. Bush, but one of his biggest strengths is that he is no Clinton or Gore. We're not supposed to have to parse out his words (which is so much easier as most of them are monosyllabic). At this point it appears that the line of defense the GOP is using is that the whole controversy boils down to what 'to name' means. The stuff scandals are made of.

The biggest barometer of if Rove did or did not do what is alleged will come when the special prosecutor closes the case or files charges. What and listen people. If the administration or their allies start trying to paint the investigator ala the dems did to Kenneth Starr, then they're running scared.

GOP on offense in defense of Rove
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8557461/