HOLY MOLY, WAS ROVE THE LEAK?

By Rachel on July 2, 2005 4:27 PM

This is INSANE. At least TWO sources confirm that Karl Rove was the Plame leaker. If true, the implications are staggering.

Newsweek reporter and senior MSNBC political analyst Lawrence O’Donnell said so on “The McLaughlin Group” on Friday night and confirms it today on the Huffington Post. “Too many people know this. It should break wide open this week,” says O’Donnell. Newsweek is working on the story. Everyone is picking this up. It’s out and there’s no hiding behind a holiday weekend this time. This week is going to rock.

UPDATE: Here is Michael Isikoff’s rundown for Newsweek. Rove’s lawyer says that Rove did not so leak.

UPDATE: It’s 9:57 pm and there is still nothing on the NYT’s homepage. I was surprised at 4:30 pm when I last checked; now I’m shocked. Why aren’t they picking up the story?

UPDATE: Mickey Kaus isn’t going to take Lawrence O’Donnell’s assertion on faith. He notes, pointedly, that Newsweek doesn’t say out-and-out that he was. Well, Isikoff knows to be cautious.

UPDATE (last one of the day): It’s been pointed out that even if Rove confirmed it with Cooper, that does not mean he was Novak’s source. It’s quite possible that, subsequent to the Novak article coming out, he discussed it without saying either way. Also, Novak said his source “was no partisan gunslinger.” But Lawrence O’Donnell seems awfully sure, and has gone out on quite a limb for his “big scoop.” To be wrong on this is a colossal credibility hit, for him (and for Newsweek if they okayed his outing of their “It’s Rove!” story which did not, in fact, materialize). Then again, Rove is made of teflon. So it’s anyone’s guess how it will unfold. Accordingly, we have switched our headline, inverting it into a question. When we’re ready to invert it back you’ll be the first to know.

MSNBC Analyst and a Newsweek Reporter Say Karl Rove Named in Matt Cooper Documents [E&P]
Rove Blew CIA Agent’s Cover [HuffPo]