Plame Gossip

Look, I don't know what the truth is in all the hubbub around the Leopold/Truthout story, but I do still hold the position they published what they were told.

It's been my opinion all along that Rove was merely a step in the investigation towards the eventual end goal of the underlying crime. That clearing up Libby's testimony, Rove's testimony, and the "missing" emails was all just a clearing of the evidentiary decks, clearing the umpire's eyes as it were, before Fitzgerald finally heads on to the "underlying crime." To that end, any deal with Karl Rove that cleared him in exchange for information on the underlying crime would make sense.

I'm not saying that this interpretation, or the facts within it, represents the truth, I just don't know, but it does mesh with my general conception of the grand arc of the investigation. This is Mark Ash of Truthout supplying their version. After everything else, take it for what it's worth.

Yes, it does appear that Truthout was used, but not lied to or misled. The facts appear to have been accurate. We reported them, and in so doing, apparently became an instrument. From all indications, our reports, first on May 13 that Rove had been indicted, and then on June 12 when we published case number "06 cr 128," forced Rove and Luskin back to the table with Fitzgerald, not once but twice. They apparently sought to avoid public disclosure and were prepared to do what they had to do to avoid it.

The electronic communication from Fitzgerald to Luskin, coming immediately on the heels of our Monday morning, June 12 article "Sealed vs. Sealed" that became the basis for the mainstream media's de facto exoneration of Karl Rove was, our sources told us, negotiated quickly over the phone later that afternoon. Luskin contacted Fitzgerald, reportedly providing concessions that Fitzgerald considered to be of high value, and Fitzgerald reportedly reciprocated with the political cover Rove wanted in the form of a letter that was faxed to Luskin's office.

Our sources provided us with additional detail, saying that Fitzgerald is apparently examining closely Dick Cheney's role in the Valerie Plame matter, and apparently sought information and evidence from Karl Rove that would provide documentation of Cheney's involvement. Rove apparently was reluctant to cooperate and Fitzgerald, it appears, was pressuring him to do so, our sources told us.

One interesting bit that does support the idea of a Rove "arrangement" has been the White House's reaction to the Rove news. Were they out in front of the White House with a bullhorn trumpeting it? No. Was Rove's defense team claiming credit for a job well done? No. The only sense of that was provided by pundits not associated with the White House and news "reporters" who filtered it into their interpretations of the Luskin statement.

Look, I may be completely wrong here, and have nothing other than supposition to support it, but it is my sense that Rove did take a deal (probably better said, came to an "arrangement" so that they could formally deny a deal,) that will move the investigation forward towards someone higher up the chain or guilty of greater crimes(or both.)

(One other side note. This concept of Truthout being "used" does mesh with my earlier suspicions that Leopold was pulling from a source within the Fitzgerald camp. (I'm not going to dig through my 150 Plame posts to give you citation, you're just going to have to believe me.))