[tarheelswamprat]

Bush was stupid to appoint anyone at all. It was not neccessary, and it has created an absurd distraction and threat over a trivial matter. No one except the NYT was calling for it.

Bush didn't appoint Fitzgerald. Someone in the CIA (a commie/dem mole) referred it to the Atty Generals office. Ashcroft, not wanting to appear there was a conflict of interest, recused himself and a Special Prosecutor was allowed to "look into it".

I agree with Montag813. Even though President Bush did not directly appoint the Special Prosecutor, his team bungled this badly right from the start. The very first thing that should have been done was for President Bush to give DCI George Tenant (his subordinate, by the way) a direct order to furnish the White House a written statement of Valerie Plame's actual, official status as a CIA employee.

This was the critical variable in the whole mess. Either she was convert, or she was not. More specifically, the CIA leadership should have been forced to go on the record. If Tenet had acknowledged that she was not covert, then the White House could have simply said so, released Tenet's document to the media, pointed out that no crime was committed, and told everybody to shut up.

If Tenet had verified that she was covert, then the White House could have done the right thing and requested the investigation themselves, preferably through regular Justice Department channels, with the added benefit of the moral high ground.

It was mind-boggling to me why the President didn't just summon George Tenet and order him to verify her status immediately and put it in writing. At least then he would have some idea of the proper way to proceed with the investigation, and if Tenet lied to him on the record, he would have a measure of protection.

[demkicker]

I don't disagree with anything you said. In fact, I'm just as surprised as you are at the naivety of W's administration in their preparation of the typical democrat & MSM critical onslaught.

One would think that W and his handlers would be much wiser and prepared for the dirtiest of inside the beltway ruthlessness than he's demonstrated. He and his administration get an "F" in my book for not only their handling of this bungled mess, but their limp wristed retaliation on their enemies.