How did the "Get Wilson" conspiracy get cooked up?

[BurtWorm]

If Rove and Libby really are both targets of Fitzgerald's investigation into "retaliation against a whistleblower," then it is a conspiracy involving at least those two and probably more--or amazing evidence of synchronicity between "Bush's Brain" and Libby's. So how do you think it got launched?

The Post story today suggests the possibility that someone might have seen the Ford memo given to Powell and passed the "S" paragraph info to Libby or Rove. Or did Powell ask for the memo specifically looking for the "S" memo because someone asked him for it? (Not likely considering Powell's relationship with the administration.)

Who was on the flight to Africa with Powell and Bush? Was Ari Fleischer there?

Was it noted in the building that Cheney or Bush or both were pissed to see Wilson's charges about how they got us into the war in the Times and Post? Was the Ford memo a serendipitous opportunity that someone who knew how pissed Bush and Cheney were jumped on? Did Cheney (or Bush--yeah, right!) say "Bring me the head of Joe Wilson, and I don't care how you get it"? Or did he come up with a plot during a meeting with someone else?

So many questions!

[BurtWorm]

1. kick

[ArkDem]

2. I'll bet Spaulding had something to do with it!

[BurtWorm]

3. Excellent post.

As usual.

[Supersedeas]

4. Didn't Ari and Dr. Rice discuss Wilson with the WH press corps

during that trip?

[BurtWorm]

5. Ari did. Someone posted the transcript of an AF1 gaggle last night.

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/hyper/2003/0709/epf301.htm

[BurtWorm]

6. kick

[ripple]

7. Bush told Rove

The memo was discussed and Rove got the info and ran with it.

That's my take, at least. Unfortunately, Bush will be absolved, because he'll say he didn't know Rove was going to leak the information.

Either way, I think Rove is going down.

Just my take.