My guess is that the CIA intelligence community (present agents, retired, etc.) went ballistics when Novak's column first appeared. I think that was middle July. Tenet, who supposedly still has a good relationship with Bush, said something like, I'll straighten this out, let's keep it quiet, what we want is that whoever did it pays a price, and a public statement is made. But let's keep it in channels.
For some reason, that failed to work. It now looks as if the CIA is almost in open revolt. They file with the Justice Department. It's a criminal issue. But they don't trust the Justice Department so they simultaneously call in the media, that looks like Dana Priest. That gets it very, very public. And forces the White House and the Justice Dept to deal with it.
That takes one back to Bill's question. Those Post reports over the weekend included statements from a White House official that the White House had been involved. What's that all about?
Now that it's public, it will almost all come out. And a lot of innocent people will get hurt, pay a great deal of money to lawyers, the whole bit. Let's hope folk who did it get caught.
As for narrow minded Dem political interests, those are for the WH to stonewall, to keep the issue alive in the media, perhaps even some folk in the WH start a coverup, etc. Let's hope Bush's political instincts take over or else a lot of innocent folk get hurt. |
