PLAMEGATE ABOUT TO BREAK?….The big news for today is that Lawrence O’Donnell says he knows who leaked Valerie Plame’s name to the press:
I revealed in yesterday’s taping of the McLaughlin Group that Time magazine’s emails will reveal that Karl Rove was Matt Cooper’s source. I have known this for months but didn’t want to say it at a time that would risk me getting dragged into the grand jury.
….Since I revealed the big scoop, I have had it reconfirmed by yet another highly authoritative source. Too many people know this. It should break wide open this week. I know Newsweek is working on an ‘It’s Rove!’ story and will probably break it tomorrow.
If this turns out to be true, it wouldn’t be a big surprise. We all remember what Plame’s husband, Joseph Wilson, said two years ago:
At the end of the day, it’s of keen interest to me to see whether or not we can get Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs. And trust me, when I use that name, I measure my words.
Based on this and other tidbits of information, Rove and “Scooter” Libby have been the prime suspects for a while. What’s more, the White House knows it. So if Newsweek does break this story on Sunday, what do you think their reaction will be? They’ve had plenty of time to prepare for this day, after all.
My guess would be: furious counterattack. Karl did nothing wrong. Everybody knew about Plame already. Wilson is on a witch hunt. Patrick Fitzgerald is out of control. Liberals are just trying to get even for Clinton. Etc.
Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
UPDATE: Here’s the Newsweek piece. Michael Isikoff reports that “one of Cooper’s sources” was Karl Rove, a factoid that he sources to “two lawyers who asked not to be identified because they are representing witnesses sympathetic to the White House.” Rove’s lawyer confirmed to Isikoff that Rove spoke to Cooper, but said “he did not tell any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.”
