Follow the steps

Here is a perspective on the Rove story that I have not seen laid out. If we go step by step from worst scenario to most benign it shows some interesting things:


*-Rove 'hunted' down the information that Plame was a covert agent and maliciously outed her to get revenge on Wilson
*-Rove knew by word of mouth that Plame was a covert agent and maliciously outed her to get revenge on Wilson
*-Rove knew by word of mouth that Plame was a covert agent, but to correct the misconception that Wilson was sent by Cheney to Niger outed her
*-Rove knew Plame worked for the CIA and called the media to name her as the person who recommended Wilson to correct the misconception that Wilson was sent by Cheney to Niger
*-Rove knew Plame worked for the CIA and in calls from the media about other issues attempted to correct the misconception that Wilson was sent by Cheney to Niger by naming Plame as the one who actually recommended Wilson
*-Rove knew Plame worked for the CIA and in calls from the media about other issues attempted to correct the misconception that Wilson was sent by Cheney to Niger by alluding to the one who actually recommended Wilson not by name but as "Wilson's wife"

In order for this to be a criminal or unethical act all of the following criteria must be met:

- Plame was a covert agent for the CIA
- Rove knew Plame was a covert agent for the CIA
- Rove gave the name to the press
- Rove plotted to leak Plame's covert status to the press

However, none of the four are true. Plame was not by definition covert. Since she was not covert, Rove could not have known something that is false. Rove did not give her name to the press, but alluded to her as Wilson's wife. While Rove may have plotted to defend the administration against false accusations, he could not have plotted to out her covert status since she was not covert. Liberals are habitually offended when they accuse conservatives and they accually defend themselves. (not unlike they are defended when a gun owner defends himself when a criminal breaks into his home in the middle of the night) In the list the first 3 would be in the criminal and unethical arena. From 4 down, there is neither criminal or unethical activity. If you boil it down to facts, the truth is likely in the last scenario which is 3 full steps from illegal or unethical activity.

This is such a dead story, but with liberal news agencies in such trouble with viewership and circulation they are willing to sink their credibility to keep the story alive for a little longer.