I think it's all about, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

"But she gave you head."

"That's just making out with genitals."

That sort of thing. Semantics.

Wolfram, dude, you're a lawyer! You are supposed to know this stuff! Where's Narrator?

I see this in all the news reports too.

I do too. I suspect that they're quoting some henchidiot of Rove's (or, WH spokespeople, which amounts to the same thing) -- there's no way the "Wilson's wife" excuse is gonna fly with anyone halfway reasonable, but proving that he knew she was covert sounds like it really could be an issue.

I love yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Mmmmm..

My mother in law made me some of this this past weekend. AIWFG!!

That's what I'm saying. From a legal point of view, identifying someone by name or with specificity is the same damn thing. It's like saying "George W. Bush," or "the president," or "Karl Rove's monkey-boy." Same damn thing.

....but proving that he knew she was covert sounds like it really could be an issue.

Yeah, that'll be how they wiggle out of it. It's also weasly that Rove only magnanimously gave Cooper permission to identify him as a source when it became clear that it was going to come out anyway. Two years later he's all, "I've got nothing to hide."

Wilson may have only one wife, but I don't think that implies that Rove has only one monkey-boy. Then again, it's been a while since I took logic.

Where's Narrator?

What? Don't make me discuss what the definition of "is" is.

I scrolled, so, here's my brief thoughts --

From what I understand of the particular law, there must be proof of 2 things to convict Rove: (1) that Karl knew Valerie Plame was a covert agent; and (2) that he revealed her super seekrit identity.

I don’t know whether he knew that she was a covert operative.

As to the second point, from what I can see, there’s no difference between saying the name of someone and identifying someone as so-and-so's wife. So, if that’s the only thing keeping Karl out of jail for divulging the identity of a covert agent, then I hope he likes prison stripes.

BUT it may keep him from going to jail on obstruction of justice or – maybe – lying to a federal agent/perjury if he was asked if he told a reporter that “Valerie Plame” got her husband the trip to Niger. Courts tend to accept a bit of parsing when it comes to things like this (although even Clinton wasn’t going anywhere with the “it depends upon what your definition of ‘is’ is”).

if that’s the only thing keeping Karl out of jail

Elections 2000, 2004, and especially 2008 are keeping Karl out of jail. The likelihood of W & the GOP leadership throwing him under the bus is roughly the same as ABC deciding not to shoot Dancing With the Stars... Again!

Rove needs to go. GWB needs to be pressed on the whole "I will fire anyone who was involved in the Plame story."