PlameGate: Focus Now On Libby

A massive scoop from Murray Waas at American Prospect.

Fitzgerald already knew that Judy Miller met an un-named government official on July 8, 2003. That was two days after Joe Wilson published his column, and six days before columnist Robert Novak wrote his column unmasking Plame as a "CIA operative."

Now Waas reveals that the government official was Scooter Libby, who is already heavily involved in the scandal.

When the scandal broke, Libby said he had nothing to hide and issued a general release from confidentiality for anyone he'd talked to. Miller, however, always said she would not disclose information without a specific, personal release from her "source". Mind you, Miller also refused to disclose whether or not she had even sought such a release.

So now the obvious question is, why has Libby not given Miller a personal release from confidentiality, rather than allowing her to go to prison? Has Libby got something to hide, or was Miller actually his source, or (as seems most likely to me) were they both co-conspirators in the effort to smear Wilson's name and discredit his information?

Ongoing xpeculation about Miller's rold has led to a split between senior editors at the New York Times, who strongly support Miller, and top investigative reporters, who are more sceptical. Both Editor & Publisher and the Huffington Post have new articles examining the split.

Meanwhile, E & P also has a story that is says was "bound to happen sooner or later" (er... why?) - a man has been shot and killed in an argument over the Iraq War. I'll let you guess whether the victim was pro- or anti-war.