Unmistakable Signs or Irresponsible Rumor Mongering?
You be the judge...
By Brad Friedman on 5/14/2006, 4:46pm PT  

As longtime BRAD BLOG commenter, Czaragorn asked for some red meat today, and as we've been conflicted on whether to "report" anything on this or not, we'll just toss it out there and say, oh well, Czaragorn asked for it. And we aim to please.

Surely, you've all heard the many and various rumors and speculation of late about a Karl Rove indictment being handed down from the Grandy Jury in the Valerie Plame TreasonGate case. Either that, or you've read Jason Leopold's article from Friday reporting that Rove has informed the White House he's about to be indicted. Or the follow-up story yesterday, in which he reports that it's a done deal, Rove's attorneys have been served with the indictment and that Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald has spent Friday and Saturday with Rove's attorneys in pursuit of some sort of plea deal.

While we can't independently confirm or deny any of Jason's specific reporting, we have received various bits and pieces of note from sources that we have more than a fair bit of confidence in, while at the same time noting a few other interesting signs and tea leaves worth pondering...at least for Cazaragorn's sake...

For a start, one item that jumped out at us personally, in light of these various reports, was the news that Bush has asked for primetime network clearance for an oval office address on Monday night...on immigration. That sort of misdirection has become de rigueur for this administration whenever they wish to distract and attempt to pre-empt various bad news headlines. Does this mean they expect news of a Rove indictment to slip out somehow Monday morning? Dunno.

As well, since Friday, we've received various communications from both respected insiders and respected reporters who have told us in no uncertain terms that it's a done deal. The indictment was handed down by the Grand Jury on Friday, they say, and now it's only a matter of when the information will be made public.

Though we were not told by these sources who the sources were from which they received their information. So we cannot stand behind those reports ourselves, but we do believe that their certainty is worth notice.

Meanwhile, out there in InternetLand, former CIA man and spookmate of Plame, Larry Johnson sent an email (some of which he also posted on DU) claiming that: "Joe Wilson heard the same from other sources. And, more importantly, Jason [Leopold] is reporting based on multiple, more than two, sources. His editors realized what a big story this is and did the appropriate checking before posting."

NOTE: Though we've spoken with Wilson from time to time, he's not one of the "insiders" mentioned above with whom we've discussed the latest rumors.

For shits 'n' grins, Jeralyn Merrit over at TalkLeft recounts an amusing experience (for us, not necessarily for her) in trying to receive confirm from Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin late last night.

More useful, perhaps, is Jeralyn's always interesting and insightful analysis of the various tea leaves as they've been leaking out in drips and drops since Leopold's initial report on Friday.

Beyond that, it seems most of folks in Blogistan are staying eerily mum. Burned once, so twice shy after the last premature "Fitzmas" celebrations?

Since we didn't fall for the Fitzmas bait ourselves last time, we guess it's okay to help stir up some shit this time around on an otherwise quiet-ish Sunday when we've got some good stuff, but we'd hate burn it all on a weekend while you people are out enjoying yourselves anyway as we toil away on Mother's Day. So, much more to come on those other matters, about which we can report with first-hand certainty, over the next 24 or so.

Until then...Will an announcement of Rove's indictment come Monday? Later this week? Or not at all? Red meat enough for ya, Czaragorn? Have at it BRAD BLOGsters...

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