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| Leaks Abound in Leakgate Probe |
| Friday, October 21, 2005 |
Reporters insist that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald runs such a tight ship that it's impossible to discover what's going on with his Valerie Plame Leakgate investigation - before reporting in the next breath their latest "scoop" based, apparently, on leaked information.
Our favorite recipient of insider info is MSNBC commentator Lawrence O'Donnell, who confidently predicted last week that Fitzgerald was about to hit the Bush White House with 22 indictments of senior officials.
On Tuesday, one left-leaning Web site breathlessly reported that a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney was secretly cooperating with Fitzgerald's probe in exchange for not being indicted himself. The next day, the same Web site claimed that a second Cheney aide was talking to prosecutors.
The Cheney aides were identified by name in both reports - but since we can't vouch for the veracity of the leaks in question, we'll leave the Fitzgerald moles anonymous here.
In fact, based on a tsunami of leaks, rumors and tidbits emanating from "lawyers close to the investigation," pundits have been assuring for weeks now that indictments are on the way.
How can the media be so certain? There are only two possibilities. Either Fitzgerald's probe is so leaky that these reporters know things they can't discuss. Or they're simply making it up.
Far be it from us to accuse these fine journalists of fabricating news, so we can only presume that the leaks they base their predictions on are as genuine as they are ominous.
But that raises a different issue. In 1998, when all sorts of insider information from Independent Counsel Ken Starr's impeachment probe turned up in the press, Democrats cried foul and then-Attorney General Janet Reno launched a very public investigation.
Given the proliferation of Leakgate leaks seven years later, it would seem the same type of Justice Department investigation would be entirely appropriate. |
posted by Jay Are @ 12:10:00 AM   |
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