Moved to keep this at the top a bit longer. This post will evolve as more comes out on this story during the day.
I suppose that even political geniuses can screw up. According to this article, the mysterious source that allowed the Time reporter to break his confidentiality deal was in fact, Karl Rove. There’s been a whole slew of rumors to that effect wandering around the blogosphere, but no concrete evidence. Now it seems that Rove’s attourney has admitted to the crime.
Ya know, it’s all well and good to do the political thing and take out your enemies on a political level. However, revealing the name of a CIA agent, who’s in the field in hostile territory on a regular basis really takes the cake. Putting that person’s life in danger for your political maneuvers is not only highly irresponsible, it’s illegal. So far, there is no proof that Rove revealed the name.
Much as her husband is a conspiracy theorist ass, putting her life at risk still was not cool in my opinion. Whoever is responsible for that needs to be in jail.
Update: Here is the Newsweek article that broke this story as it will appear in the July 18th Issue. This gives more details about Roves involvement with Cooper and explains more about what he said. Apparently Rove was very careful to avoid mentioning Valerie Plame’s name when he talked with the press regarding her. If this is true, and he never said her name to anyone, then he didn’t break the law or endanger her life. It seems, based on what’s here in this article, that Rove was trying to discourage reporters from breaking the story on Ms. Plame’s husband.
Update: Rove is already under fire from some unscrupulous people who apparently can’t read the articles they cite. A fisking might be in order for this one.
Update: But there is a rather nice answer to the arguments made my Mr. Corn, oddly enough, posted on Powerline yesterday. The Powerline boys can apparently see the future.
And another… Update: MoveOn PAC has issued a demand for Rove’s resignation, or that the President fire him. I saw this one coming from a mile away. Here’s a copy of MoveOn’s official statement.
More Updating: The White House is refusing to comment on the connection of Rove to the leak of a CIA agent’s identity, and for good reason. The people investigating the leak told them not to.
