It is pretty much common knowledge that Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rove were all opposed to Collin Powell. That is why he was replaced by Condi.
Why would Powell come forward to Fitzgerald and say that he had leaked to Woodward. What would that do for or against Libby? And it has gotten Woodward a lot of negative press for hiding this from his bosses. Why would Powell want to get his buddy Woodward in trouble?
Libby is the one facing trial. Someone coming forward after the indictment can only have one of two reasons. That person wants to help Libby or that person wants to hurt Libby. The person who outed Woodward is the leaker.. perhaps the only leaker.
We know Fitzgerald has said that leaking Plames name and job was not against the law. The law says she had to be covert with in the last five years. It had been 9 years since she had been covert.
But up until the indictment of Libby there was no way for the Leaker to know Libby was going to be indicted.
Libby was indicted for saying his source of information about Plame was Tim Russert of NBC. Libby said other reporters mentioned it to him, but Russert made a big enough deal that it stuck in his mind.
Russert says he was not Libby's source. Thus Russert says Libby was lying. And to support the belief that libby was lying the prosecutor says Libby was the first one to mention Plame to the press.
So according to Fitzgerald Russert was not Libbys source and Libby committed Perjury when he said Russert was his source.
Why would the leaker come forward now? It is obvious to me that Novak told the Prosecutor who his source was. But leaking info about Plame was not a crime .. according to Fitzgerald. Covering up by lying was the crime. Had Libby said.. yes I leaked it he would not have been indicted .. according to Fitzmas.. And if you believe that you are really not well.
But what if the Leaker was really wanting to get Plame in trouble.. for hiring her husband. What if it were a CIA official who had taken some flack from the group to which Plame and Wilson belong. The object was to get Plame in trouble for hiring her husband. Only Bush bashers could believe nepotism is good.
We know the leaker told Woodward... But Woodward never published the story. It was leaked to the Washington Post, Time magazine and the New york times. Novak went with the story. The Post, NY Times and Time did not.
Who else got the story and did not use it. The leaker had to be pretty well down the list before he decided to leak to Novak. People leak to Novak when no one else will print or broadcast the story.
But what happens to the Libby case if the leaker leaked to Russert early on and so testifies? What if Russert says to the leaker .. you are lying you did not leak to me. But what if the leaker says I leaked to Woodward and You and several more who are under oath saying I did. Woodward admitts he was told by the leaker.
Since Libby says Russert was his source and Russert says he could not be the source becuase he did not know, then if it can be proved that Russert did know, Libby is home free. And Russert could face perjury charges.
For Libby to be lying Libby had to believe that Russert would lie to cover for him. That is hard to believe. No Bush administration official and certainly not libby could believe that Russert would lie to cover for him.
My bet is Russert is the one not telling the truth and it is going to come out in the press or in court.
I think Russert knew that no member of the press would rat on him. And Russert never once imagined that the leaker would turn himself in and finger Russert.
Karl Rove has had two years to think about his case. Rove is a certified Genius. Rove undoubedly had a defense prepared no matter who or what charges were brought by Fitzgerald.
I think Fitzgerald was certain that not a single reporter would step forward to save Libby. I doubt it occrued to Fitzgerald that Rove might line up a leaker or to to step forward to save Libby.
This is the first leak case in my memory where the leaker revealed the Reporters to which he leaked.
If I am right then it does smell like a Karl Rove strategy. .. doesn't it.
You had me with you, all the way, until you sprang Rove as the leaker. It was NOT Rove, but whoever it is, the rest of your post is spot on. :-)
Woodward said that the leaker is a FORMER official.