Ok, So say Rove is found to be the source of the leak....

[bac511]

The right-wingers are just going to say Bush didn't know about it!

[TahitiNut]

1. "Plausible deniability" is the last refuge of coWards and incompetents.

Chimpy qualifies on both counts. If he's unaware, even after two years, of the overtly criminal acts of those who directly report to him and with whom he's had many years of contact, then he's not only not qualified to hold office ... he's not competent enough to have a driver's license.

[LeftNYC]

2. He's not competent enough to walk down the hall and ask his old buddy

old pal, what the deal is...

[TahitiNut]

7. "Kenny who?"

The vacuous bag of vomit inhabiting the offal orifice has NEVER accepted responsibility for anything.

[Vickers]

3. But... that would mean....he's an incompetent fuckstick.

That can't be right, can it?

[shraby]

4. The plot was hatched aboard Air Force One.

How can he have plausible deniability? He isn't deaf and presumably he can read.

[kliljedahl]

6. He didn't read it

at least nobody saw his lips moving.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[skip fox]

8. The key is that it was a PLOT, as you say. It may have begun on AF1

but was an emergency meeting of the White House Iraq group in which Rove orchestrated the leaks.

In fact, each day's exposures make it seem more likely that there will be multiple indictments for "high administration officials" in Fitzgerald's final report including at least two for Rove.

I say this because in learning about multiple leakers for the six reported contacts and multiple confirming sources, it becomes apparent what occurred. One administrative official discovered the Plame-Wilson-Niger relationship, took it to the White House Iraq Group, turned it over to Rove, who on the spot assigned tasks to different primary leakers/sources assuring no source called another source's contact (so as not to appear too eager), that no source's "pitch" was exactly the same but that their information was all given in an "off hand" manner (e.g., "Don't go too far out on this Wilson thing, I don't want you burnt").

Simply "doing the numbers" has told me this all along, but as new information comes out my analysis is being confirmed. We knew there were at least 6 initial leaks/contacts. Now we know that there were at least three different initial leakers (Fleicher Rove, Libby) and of the 6 reporters 4 are confirmed as Miller, Novak, Cooper, and Pincus. We also realize that there must have been a number of other confirming sources (because you cannot assure who the reporter will call for confirmation).

A master-mind would have been necessary to coordinate all these calls by different people AND would have to insure that a number of other officials were ready and willing to confirm the initial leaks.

They would have gone to Rove immediately and he, probably in an emergency of the White House Iraq Group, assigned the roles, the stories and the stances, etc.

So he not only leaked by was the mastermind of a conspiracy to leak.

We can only hope he lead a cover-up and committed perjury as well.

[KnightoftheRepublic]

5. Of course

The only reason Bush is defending Rove now is to cover his own ass. Once Rove is convicted, though, you'd better believe he'll try to jump off the flaming wreckage.