Rove Now Claims It Was Novak Who Told Him About Plame

by Steve

Friday’s New York Times runs a story that confirms Rove talked to Novak about Plame’s identity, but states that it was Novak who told Rove about Valerie Plame and her CIA job. Novak also told Rove about how Joe Wilson got to go on the Niger trip, information that could have only come from the Agency or another reporter with good contacts. Rove then turned around and told Matt Cooper about Wilson’s wife, who works at the CIA. But where did Novak get his information, given that he has said all along that he got it from two administration officials? According to the Times, Rove was the second administration source, so who was the first, when it appears that Novak was calling Rove for confirmation of something he already had had leaked to him by someone else in the administration apparently at the State Department (Bolton?)

Then Friday’s Post runs a story that adds a little to the Times story, while making the point that Rove got his information about Plame from a reporter (can you spell M-I-L-L-E-R). before taking a call from Novak. By the time Novak called Rove, he had already heard about Plame and her job from someone else in the Administration who was peddling the story that Plame got Wilson his Niger trip, a story peddled by people at State that was subsequently debunked by the Agency.

And if this is starting to sound like an intentionally designed game of telephone triangle between someone at State, on to Miller, on to Novak, and then on to Rove, who then told Russert and others that Plame was “fair game”, then you are right.

And how happy do you think Patrick Fitzgerald is at all these leaks from Rove’s attorney and others in the administration?

Can someone keep a list of all the GOP representatives and senators who are defending Rove now so that we can run their quotes down their throats in front of their constituents when Fitzgerald brings down the hammer?

Since the GOP prides itself on framing issues, perhaps we can frame Rove's behavior as that of a guy who learned his tricks in Watergate.