IMHO, this was in no way a bungle, but a deliberate treasonous act in a conspiracy to unseat a president in wartime. The bungle was Ashcroft's in recusing himself instead of RE-fusing to go along with it, and George W. Bush's in allowing Fitzfong to be appointed after both parties had "agreed" that special prosecutors were bad things.
Of course, the naive republicans didn't realize that what the dems meant was that a special prosecutor for dems is bad, but for republicans is good.
Comey and Fitzgerald were both at Justice in the 80s and 90s and worked on the original criminal case against Marc Rich. They were opposed to the pardon for Rich by Clinton. Libby was one of Rich's lawyer and they've made it plain that they hold a grudge against Libby for being instrumental in getting the pardon for his client. A clear appearance of a conflict of interest as well as looking like they used the entire apparatus of the U.S. justice system for an act of personal revenge.
Yes, I was aware of the Fitzgerald animosity, don't think I knew of Comey being involved in that case. Doesn't it appear to you that these two supposedly adult men have acted just like jealous, vindictive junior-high little boys? Am waiting for the two of them to come out on TV saying "Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, we got you Scooter!" Makes one despair for the country.