When Novak called the CIA to verify info on Plame, they did NOT tell him she was covert, nor did they warn him off of printing his story. Hmmmmmmm.
The Republicans/Bush administration should NOT have given in to the Dem demands of appointing a special prosecutor.
They should have made the very point you mentioned, that Novak checked with the CIA, who didn't tell him not to mention Plame and we have the Act which was NOT applicable here, so no crime, no investigation and told the Dems to go fly a kite, jump into the ocean, or whatever.