Here is the beauty of how evil Shumer is, ....let's assume that Shumer hates Novak ......Shumer can stand on his soapbox all day long screaming Cheney and even Bush's name, knowing that all the while he has Novak (whom he also hates) twisting in the wind, becauswe Novak will not want to identify his source.
It all sucks if that is what Chuck Shumer is doing and Novak gets skewered in the process. Is this plausible?
Very. It's one of the ways to play the game in Washington, put somebody in the position to disprove a negative. What would be required would be for Novak to either reveal his source, which Upchuck knows Noval wont do, or, call the Putz in public what he is, a partisan, out for blood, hack. Neither will happen, so, Wash. is twisting itself and their comrades in the press over this event. Hopefully, it will blow over again, like the last time those inside the beltway twisted their panties in a knot about the "16 words".