Rep Jane Harman was the potential wiretap target?

This is so, so ugly. Remember a couple days ago the story on NSA "overcollecting" that included the mention that a member of Congress had been a potential wiretap target after she had been incidentally picked up on a legitimate tap "with an extremist who had possible terrorist ties and was already under surveillance"

Well, that Rep appears to be Rep Jane Harman.

Supposedly, Rep Jane Harman was caught on an NSA wiretap offering an Israeli agent a deal, to help make the AIPAC case go away in exchange for their pressuring Nancy Pelosi to appoint Harman the head of the House Intelligence Committee.

Justice Department attorneys in the intelligence and public corruption units who read the transcripts decided that Harman had committed a “completed crime,” a legal term meaning that there was evidence that she had attempted to complete it, three former officials said.

It appears Porter Goss signed off on the investigation and notified the House leadership. The investigation was going to go forward until Alberto Gonzales scotched it because he wanted Harman to help pitch warrantless wiretapping to Congress. (I'm sure she was quite helpful after Gonzales' favor.)

All kinds of questions in all kinds of directions. Why was she preparing illegal acts to stay at the head of the Intel Committee? (That has to be more than ambition.) What further evidence of favors do we have between Gonzales and Harman? What else are we going to find going back to the Pelosi/Harman fight in 2006?

How did such a secret, which so many knew, stay a secret for two full years? Are the recordings still out there? Who has them?

There's an alternate version of the story that reads much less damaging, so who wanted this version of this story in public, and why now?

Then, of course, there's Rep. Harman's response,

“These claims are an outrageous and recycled canard, and have no basis in fact,” Harman said in a prepared statement. “I never engaged in any such activity. Those who are peddling these false accusations should be ashamed of themselves.”

This thing is explosive and it's going to keep going. Read the CQ piece. It's going to be the foundation for alot going forward.

(PS. Also the question of Gonzales' conduct. Killing an investigation in exchange for a Congressional action...?)

Later: Softer interpretations are coming out which makes the leak all the more intentional and interesting.

And, why was this given to CQ? More gossipy and slightly lower publishing standards. Likely to publish quicker with less vetting through outside established sources, so less warning. Read avidly inside the beltway, but not so much outside.

I think the choice of CQ as outlet tells us something, too.

And this comes right as Congress returns to town. What was Harman expected to oppose/support this week?