We wouldn't be doing our job today if we didn't mention Valerie Plame at all today, so here's what is happening with the Plame Blame Game. Today's Washington Post runs A1 a story that Plame's identity was clearly secret. No if, ands, or buts. In Hotline's "Overlooked" feature today, though, they ask an important question: "If the name mentioned in the State Department memo was Valerie Wilson (as reported by the Washington Post) and if the memo was truly the source of the leak (as widely speculated), how is it that Bob Novak used the name Valerie Plame in his column?"

Salon's Tim Grieve noted the prominent placement of the story and commented "maybe the Post's editors really think this morning's Plame piece is worthy of front-page attention. But maybe this is what the White House can expect from some journalists who have finally grown tired of getting jerked around."

Relatedly, the press transcript from today's briefing shows that the John Roberts appointment might have been too good of an appointment--the controversy around him doesn't seem enough to knock attention away from the Rove leak investigation. It took exactly two questions about the London "incidents" today before the press corps dove back into Rove.

Notice the questions are more accusations than interrogatives--you can sense the frustration that has built up within the press corps after two weeks of stonewalls.

Q Why does Karl Rove still have security clearance and access to classified documents when he has been revealed as a leaker of a secret agent, according to Time magazine's correspondent?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there is an investigation that continues, and I think the President has made it clear that we're not going to prejudge the outcome of that investigation.

Q You already have the truth.

MR. McCLELLAN: We're not going to prejudge the outcome of that investigation through --

Q Does he have access to security documents?

MR. McCLELLAN: -- through media reports. And these questions came up over the last week --

Q Did he leak the name of a CIA agent?

MR. McCLELLAN: As I was trying to tell you, these questions have been answered.

Q No, they haven't.

Q Let me ask --

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, David.

Q And they most certainly haven't. I think Helen is right, and the people watching us know that.

Man, NBC's David Gregory is getting pissed--probably it doesn't help that the guy who sits next to him in the briefing room from CBS just got nominated to the highest court in the land while Gregory is stuck banging his head against the same old brickwall day after day.