Adding 'A' Plus 'A'

No one outside special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's tight-lipped and discrete circle of bird-dogs really knows what the future holds in the investigation of the Bush administration's scurrilous outing of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson. But the usually reliable Archpundit and the always insightful Billmon are putting "A" and "A" together.

It spells Karl Rove.

From the October 28, 2005 indictment of I. Lewis ("Scooter") Libby:

21. On or about July 10 or July 11, 2003, LIBBY spoke to a senior official in the White House (“Official A”) who advised LIBBY of a conversation Official A had earlier that week with columnist Robert Novak in which Wilson’s wife was discussed as a CIA employee involved in Wilson’s trip. LIBBY was advised by Official A that Novak would be writing a story about Wilson’s wife.

From Fitzgerald's Washington D.C. press conference, October 28, 2005:

FITZGERALD: * * * We can't talk about information not contained in the four corners of the indictment.

QUESTION: Is Karl Rove off the hook? And are there any other individuals who might be charged? You say you're not quite finished.

FITZGERALD: What I can say is the same answer I gave before: If you ask me any name, I'm not going to comment on anyone named, because we either charged someone or we don't talk about them. And don't read that answer in the context of the name you gave me.

From the Associated Press, August 27, 2003, via Archpundit:

When asked, Fitzgerald would not comment on whether "Official A" was Ryan.

From Fitzgerald's Chicago press conference, April 3, 2002, also via Archpundit:

But despite branding two of Ryan's former top aides and his campaign committee as corrupt, Fitzgerald would not say if the investigation will eventually reach Ryan. The vast majority of the corruption uncovered so far happened under his watch when he was secretary of state from 1990 until 1998. The governor has not been accused by prosecutors of any wrongdoing in the past, and Tuesday's indictments did not include him.

"I cannot answer that question," Fitzgerald said when asked about any Ryan involvement. "We cannot discuss people not charged in the indictment."

Plus, further history, December 17, 2003(free subscription required):

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was charged today in a federal racketeering indictment with conspiracy and fraud while he was governor and secretary of state.

Ryan allegedly engaged in a pattern of corruption that included performing official government acts, awarding lucrative government contracts and leases and using the State of Illinois for his own benefit, members of his family, his campaign organization and certain associates, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Adding it all up is Billmon:

[Karl] Rove, er, I mean, Official A, on the other hand, is treated with studious neutrality. His paragraph in the indictment is carefully phrased to make no inference whatsoever about whether he told Novak or Novak told him that Joe Wilson's wife worked at the CIA:

"On or about July 10 or July 11, 2003, LIBBY spoke to a senior official in the White House (“Official A”) who advised LIBBY of a conversation Official A had earlier that week with columnist Robert Novak in which Wilson’s wife was discussed as a CIA employee involved in Wilson’s trip. LIBBY was advised by Official A that Novak would be writing a story about Wilson’s wife."

In other words, someone has tried very hard to keep Official A on ice, so to speak, while roasting Libby over an open Plame/Flame. Of course, that doesn't mean Fitzgerald will indict Rove, but it's the most tangible evidence that Rove remains in deep legal doo doo.

Also, the fact that it was Libby who ferreted out the info on Plame signifies nothing. Scooter committed no crimes in asking; his contacts committed no crimes in telling. The crime was talking to the press, and based on the evidence that's come to light so far, Libby and Rove are dead even on that score. Scooter talked to Miller, Turdblossom talked to Novak, the both talked to Cooper.

The real question, then, is whether Libby passed along what he learned to Turdblossom. And that, too, is left carefully indeterminate in Scooter's indictment.