It Appears That Karl Rove Is In Serious Trouble ....John Dean

[RedEarth]

It Appears That Karl Rove Is In Serious Trouble
by John Dean

As the scandal over the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity has continued to unfold, there is a renewed focused on Karl Rove -- the White House Deputy Chief of Staff whom President Bush calls his political "architect."

Newsweek has reported that Matt Cooper, in an email to his bureau chief at Time magazine, wrote that he had spoken "to Rove on double super secret background for about two mins before he went on vacation ..." In that conversation, Rove gave Cooper "big warning" that Time should not "get too far out on Wilson." Rove was referring, of course, to former Ambassador Joe Wilson's acknowledgment of his trip to Africa, where he discovered that Niger had not, in fact, provided uranium to Iraq that might be part of a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program. Cooper's email indicates that Rove told Cooper that Wilson's trip had not been authorized by CIA Director George Tenet or Vice President Dick Cheney; rather, Rove claimed, "it was … ilson's wife, who apparently works at the agency on issues who authorized the trip." (Rove was wrong about the authorization.)

Only the Special Counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, and his staff have all the facts on their investigation at this point, but there is increasing evidence that Rove (and others) may have violated one or more federal laws. At this time, it would be speculation to predict whether indictments will be forthcoming.

No Apparent Violation Of The Identities Protection Act

As I pointed out when the Valerie Plame Wilson leak first surfaced, the Intelligence Identities And Protection Act is a complex law. For the law to apply to Rove, a number of requirements must be met.

Rove must have had "authorized access to classified information" under the statute. Plame was an NCO (non-covered officer). White House aides, and even the president, are seldom, if ever, given this information. So it is not likely Rove had "authorized access" to it.

http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views05/0715-01.htm

[Lerkfish]

1. weird how all the nixonites and reaganites are turning out in dRoves

to find SOME WAY to help out the pigman.

[WildClarySage]

2. I still chuckle every time I read that phrase

"double super secret background"

It reminds me of Animal House, where the frat gets put on double-secret probation...

or it's something my 10yr old and his chums would say about their secret code for passing notes.

[eleny]

3. I'd never heard of the Randel case nor how it would relate to Rove

"The Randel Precedent -- If Followed -- Bodes Ill For Rove

Karl Rove may be able to claim that he did not know he was leaking "classified information" about a "covert agent," but there can be no question he understood that what he was leaking was "sensitive information." The very fact that Matt Cooper called it "double super secret background" information suggests Rove knew of its sensitivity, if he did not know it was classified information (which by definition is sensitive)."

Maybe this will be another log to throw on the fire to keep it burning next week. Have you sent this to Franken and others? This is good stuff. Thanks! I always like reading Dean and didn't know he wrote another article.


Thanks to Amazing Stories and William Carter Sawtelle