see, that makes sense

The White House today dismissed as "ridiculous" the suggestion that Karl Rove, senior adviser to President Bush, had illegally disclosed the identity of an undercover C.I.A. officer, as the F.B.I. opened an investigation into the case.

At the same time, the White House rejected growing calls from Democrats for the appointment of a special outside counsel to determine whether someone in the administration had disclosed the officer's identity in an effort to punish criticism of its Iraqi intelligence by the officer's husband.

Asked if there was a need for an independent counsel, Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, said, "At this point, I think the Department of Justice would be the appropriate one to look into a matter like this."

Pressed on whether there would be a potential conflict of interest for Attorney General John Ashcroft to oversee an investigation that could have immense political implications for Mr. Bush, Mr. McClellan said that there were "a lot of career professionals" at the Justice Department and that "they're the ones that, if something like this happened, should look into it."


I'll bet in the light of what's happened to Ambassador Wilson and Ms. Plame there are career professionals lining up for that job.

I'm trying out a new layout

have patience, please.

with all deliberate speed

A high-level U.S. official, who has knowledge of the case but asked not to be named, said CIA lawyers contacted the Justice Department in July after syndicated columnist Robert Novak identified Plame in print.

''It's not clear what they (the alleged leakers) hoped to gain by it,'' the official said.

Wilson said in a telephone interview that ''at a minimum, Karl Rove condoned'' the leak. Rove, Bush's top political adviser, would not comment on the charge of leaking classified information. A conviction on such a charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan denied the charge. ''Nothing has been brought to our attention beyond anonymous sources and media reports,'' he said.

The Justice Department has not sought interviews with White House officials or phone logs, a White House staffer said.


July - 31
August - 31
September- 30

Of course, we don't know precisely when in July they were contacted, so it could be that Justice has only been sitting on this and doing nothing for 61 days.

Maybe the CIA should have told Ashcroft the leakers were medical marijuana users.

hee.

Charles Pierce, from the letters page of Romenesko's MediaNews (which, if you've never been, is pretty much the watercooler for media professionals) on Ann Coulter:

...I do share her enthusiasm for Internet journalism; after all, it was the work done by heroic bloggers too numerous to mention that first exposed her entire oeuvre for the 50-pounds-of-b.s.-in-a-ten-pound bag that it is, while the mainstream media still reviews her periodic spasms of typing as though they were, well, books or something. As for her defining "What Is An American?" -- let's just say it's like asking a dog to define a hydrant and leave it at that.

go husband. go bear.

The bioterrorism expert under scrutiny in the 2001 anthrax attacks filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing Attorney General John Ashcroft and other government officials of trampling his constitutional rights and using him as a scapegoat for their failure to make an arrest in the case.

Dr. Steven J. Hatfill claims that, by labeling him a "person of interest" in the case, Ashcroft and other federal authorities have destroyed his reputation and ruined his job prospects.

"Mr. Ashcroft acted to protect both his department's and his own political future and public image at the expense of Dr. Hatfill's constitutional rights," said the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

The lawsuit also said Hatfill is under constant surveillance, leaving him unable to freely talk to his girlfriend, family or friends.

Hatfill is seeking unspecified damages from Ashcroft, the Justice Department, the FBI and other current and former FBI and Justice Department officials.


You might want to take a look at Don Foster's article in the latest Vanity Fair (the one with George Clooney on the cover) before you decide which of these gentlemen you sympathize with least.

if in case you were concerned about Bush not getting a clear shot at California's electoral votes

On the left side of the ballot, Camejo and Huffington might be suppressing support for Bustamante, who is running in a statistical dead heat with Schwarzenegger in some polls and who could benefit from a big turnout by Democrats and Latinos. But Camejo is not dropping out. "Peter has already decided he's in to the end," said his spokesman Tyler Snortum-Phelps. "This is a long-range struggle, for party building, for our issues." The Camejo Web site adds, "Peter understands those voters who cannot place any of the above considerations above their fear of a Republican winning the governorship."


See, the Social Democrats are really not that much different than that other party.

Peter "Thaelmann" Camejo. The choice for progressive change in California.

Plame on.

Calpundit and DeLong and slacktivist have most of the stuff and links to the rest of the stuff.

Special mention goes to Green[e]house Effect, for using the phrase "quelle effing surprise" to describe the good Professor Reynolds' reaction, which seems to be something of a sore point to most people who have been paying attention.

Sullivan appears to be somewhat confused as well.

quote of the day

in re: the Plame matter

Republicans said Democrats were playing politics. "Surprise, surprise, they are calling for a special counsel. My goodness," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said. "It must be in their political handbook, their campaign handbook."

DeLay went on to say that an internal Republican investigation is underway to see whose copy the Democrats got ahold of.

blogging down the information superfreeway in the left lane

The Scarlet Pimpernel has started a tribute site for the freeway blogger(s), th(at/ose) magnificent creature(s) who posted the dulce et decorum est sign.

Go take a look. This is neat.