It's Time To Talk About Rove

I get the impression that everyone here at The Red Voice is waiting for the other guy to post on the Rove-Plame situation. No one wants to step on anyone else's toes. Well...I have been covering the story all week at Les Enfants Terrible, and there are many revelations that can be shared with readers.

First of all, let's be very clear. No crime has been committed that we know of. Not even close. Over the course of the week we learned from Michael Isikoff that the e-mails sent by Rove to Cooper were full of background information that was indeed factual, and in response to the pack of lies published by Plame's husband Joe Wilson. Not only were Wilson's findings wrong, which he has since admitted, his claim that he had been sent to Niger by the CIA and the VP's office were flat out lies.

Perhaps the most substantive legal question is whether Plame was a covert agent. Not only was Plame's identity common knowledge around DC, her name had been published at least twice before Novak's "outing." In fact, Wilson admitted as much to Wolf Blitzer last night. And, while David Gregory and Terry Moran are making asses out of themselves, their own parent companies are in court fighting this investigation based on the decided lack of illegality.

"an article in the Washington Times indicated that Plame's identity was compromised twice prior to Novak's publication. If this information is accurate --another fact a court should explore-- there is an absolute defense to prosecution."

Today's revelation is that it was Novak who leaked Plame's name to Rove, and not the other way around. In fact, it was both Cooper and Novak who initiated conversations with Rove, in which Plame's role in Wilson's partisan attack was discussed. If it was reporters who contacted Rove, and not the reverse, it is unlikely that there is a "conspiracy."

One note of blatant hypocricy. In April, John Kerry "outed" covert C.I.A. agent Fulton Armstrong during a confirmation hearing for John Bolton. Although Armstrong's name had appeared in the paper a couple of years before (like Plame) he was, at the time of his outing, working covertly. The C.I.A. had even asked that his identity be held secret in the hearings.

When Kerry was asked about the fopah, he downplayed it and concluded:

...besides, said Kerry, the secret agent's name "had already been in the press."

Despite the fact that Kerry's breach of security was far more serious than Rove's appears to be (which is in fact, no breach of security), Kerry's official statement on the matter reads, under the heading " America's National Security - Not Karl Rove's Job Security - Should be Administration's Only Priority," thusly:

"Then the question is what are the White House's fundamental values? Is it the value of day-to-day politics, the value of political advice? Is the value of Karl Rove's position greater than the value of the national security of our country? Is he more important than the protection of the identity of CIA agents or even George Bush's own word?

"The White House's credibility is at issue here, and I believe very clearly that Karl Rove ought to be fired."

The point is that this entire story appears to be nothing more than partisan hair-splitting from the left. An opportunity to roast Rove because they hate him. But like every other desperate attempt, this falls short because it isn't based on any legality or ethic, but is instead purely politics.

Those feigning outrage over Rove should be asked if they were as outraged over Kerry's "outing" or Sandy Berger's breach of national security. Trust me, they weren't, which further proves the point I think.

The fat lady appears to be tuning up folks. She's running scales and breathing exercises. She ain't singing yet, but a concert appears to be imminent at this time.