[Trust but Verify]

This is my theory.\:

This unnamed government official was hoping to stay out of the spotlight but his conscience got the best of him after Libby was indicted. My guess is that they now realize it was THEY who first talked to the press about Plame, and they do not want Libby to go to prison for something they did. Also, since it is clear that no crime was committed by talking about Plame, they are not in any legal jeopardy for doing so.

Comments?

[popdonnelly]

Makes sense. And by giving Woodward a release, the unnamed official put Woodward in a position where he had to testify.

[USS Alaska]

Government official with a conscience? This is not Ripley's believe it or not.

Either someone else knew and was going to rat out the gummint official or this person was already out of the gummint {George Tenent??} and knew that Woodward knew and was afraid of being the second man to the grand jury so he beat him to the stand to testify first.

I always believe that gummint officials think about CYA first, last and always. Pangs of conscience, I'll pass on that altruistic thought. It would be nice, but so would world peace.