Hello, Washington Press Corps. What is the thirty year rule that has defined every White House scandal since Watergate? It is not the crime, it’s the cover-up that gets you in trouble. And this White House has been actively covering up Karl Rove’s role in the Plame leak since 2003.
Karl Rove and Scott McClellan have been lying to you for two years about Rove’s involvement in the Plame leak. Okay? Lying. For two years.
Scott McClellan said “the president knows that Karl Rove wasn’t involved.” Not that “the president knows Karl Rove told Matt Cooper that Ambassador Wilson’s wife was a CIA agent working on weapons of mass destruction but slyly didn’t tell Cooper Plame’s name” — he said “the president knows that Karl Rove wasn’t involved.” That is not true.
Scott McClellan said “There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, brought to our attention to suggest any White House involvement.” He said it was a “ridiculous suggestion” to say that Rove had any involvement in the leak.
In 2003, Karl Rove denied to ABC news about even having any knowledge about the leak. Later he told CNN that “I didn’t know her name and didn’t leak her name.”
Those are statements that would make Lanny Davis blush. Are you really going to let Rove get away with that?
Leave the legalities of whether not actually saying Plame’s name saves Karl Rove from having committed a crime to Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.
In the meantime — do your part and hold the White House accountable for the fact that they have actively tried to cover up Rove’s role in this matter for two years.
— Jennifer Palmieri