SCOOTER

Let's try to figure this out. Robert Novak wrote a column a few years ago in which he mentioned that Valerie Plame was a CIA agent. Ms. Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, was appointed by the Bush administration to investigate whether or not Saddam Hussein attempted to buy nuclear yellow cake from Niger. Mr. Wilson concluded there was no Niger-Iraq connection, but neglected to report that Saddam did make inquiries as to whether there was nuclear material available. Instead of keeping this information privileged for his employer, the United States Government and the President, Mr. Wilson wrote an Op Ed piece for the New York Times about what he didn't find in Niger. So much for confidentiality of public officials. He then claimed that his wife was "outed" by the Bush Administration as punishment for the Op Ed piece. There is a statute which prevents the outing of our secret agents, but it is highly technical in nature, and involves actual intent.

So the Justice Department appointed a special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, to find out who "outed" Ms. Plame. For some reason, Mr. Fitzgerald figured out that someone had leaked Ms. Plame's name to Judith Miller, a New York Times infobabe, who then refused to reveal her source. She went to jail for a long time for contempt, even though she had a blanket release from her source. When she finally sang, somehow she got into to trouble with New York Times, who is now mad at her.

Ms. Plame's source turned out to be Scooter Libby, chief aid to VP Dick Cheney. Mr. Fitzgerald then asked Mr. Libby who told him. He apparently answered "some reporters". But somebody else talked, and it turns out that Mr. Libby found out about Ms. Plame from Dick Cheney. Of course, Mr. Libby had security clearance, and it is not unexpected or illegal for Dick Cheney to discuss Ms. Plame with him, particularly in terms of who they should send to Niger to find an Iraqi connection. Mr. Libby claims he didn't remember the conversation which took place a long time ago.

So Mr. Fitzgerald couldn't find where anyone did anything wrong in "outing" Ms. Plame, whose CIA connection was fairly wide known before any of this happened. Having to indict somebody, Mr. Fitzgerald decided that because Mr. Libby didn't tell him about the meeting with Dick Cheney, a meeting subject to high security, Mr. Libby should be indicted for obstructing justice.

Twenty two months into the investigation, we now have a top official accused of a crime that wouldn't have happened in the first place had the special prosecutor not been appointed to investigate a crime that didn't take place in the first place, at least as far as we know now. Mr. Fitzgerald has decided he is not ready to join the ranks of the unemployed and decided to extend the grand jury to find out who else may have "lied" about the crime that didn't happen. Get it?

If it weren't so sad, it would be funny. Our boys are dying in Iraq, people are in trouble in Louisiana and Florida. This is what we are spending our tax money on? Right!!!!!!!