This morning's Times had a story which strongly implied that Rove learned Plame's name from Novak while confirming the story whose main source was another "high ranking administrative official":
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050715/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/cia_leak_roveor,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1629018&mesg_id=1629018or, if you have registered for NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/politics/15rove.html&OQ=hpQ26exQ3D1121400000Q26enQ3D15d2c0ff1133350bQ26eiQ3D5094Q26partnerQ3Dhomepage&OP=1fb72f53Q2FXQ22FQ26XfQ24bneQ24Q24IQ27XQ27EE8XEpXQ5E8XQ3DQ24g3I3bnXQ5E8eQ24-FQ25Q51IQ2BgTherefore Rove is both a main source (for Cooper) and a confirming source for another (Novak). Another high administrative offical who was a source is today reported to be Scooter Libby. At any rate, with 6 initial sources and at least 3 confirming sources (both as reported), someone would have to coordinate the operation, assuring the initial callers that no two called the same source, that no one was overly eager, but would "drop it in," and a number of other officials would be ready and willing to confirm.
Therefore at least 2 people(Rove and Novak's initial source, which may be Libby
) served as main sources. (The fact that one source released Cooper from his agreement of confidentiality but one source did not release Miller also suggests at least 2 sources.) Rove would have to coordinate! To establish guidelines like: No source should call another's contact, Pitch the information off hand, not as the main subject, Make the contact think the source is trying to do him or her a favor ("Don't go too far out on this Wilson thing, I don't want you burnt."), etc. AND Rove would have had to field a group of officials to support the sources stories.
I say Rove coordinated because it is obvious he did so since anyone in the administration in possession of the Plame-Wilson-CIA link would have gone straight to the world master of deceitful politics, and now we know Rove was at least one of the leakers.
So, we could have at least 2 indictments for Rove (exposing and conspiring to expose) and (perhaps) 1 or more indictments for others (Novak and/or Miller's source). Not to mention exposure of those who condoned and confirmed the exposure.
I think the great thing we have going for us on this case is Patrick Fitzgerald. By all accounts a fine prosecutor.
Wow.