Bigger Than Rove?

Talking Points Memo (emphasis mine):

As Atrios rightly notes, the real scoop or hint in Murray Waas's blog post tonight is the suggestion that Fitzgerald is looking seriously at conspiracy or obstruction charges against Rove et al. and perhaps even Novak himself.

Here are two key passages ...

Federal investigators have been skeptical of Novak's assertions that he referred to Plame as a CIA "operative" due to his own error, instead of having been explicitly told that was the case by his sources, according to attorneys familiar with the criminal probe.

That skepticism has been one of several reasons that the special prosecutor has pressed so hard for the testimony of Time magazine's Cooper and New York Times reporter Judith Miller.

...

Also of interest to investigators have been a series of telephone contacts between Novak and Rove, and other White House officials, in the days just after press reports first disclosed the existence of a federal criminal investigation as to who leaked Plame's identity. Investigators have been concerned that Novak and his sources might have conceived or co-ordinated a cover story to disguise the nature of their conversations. That concern was a reason-- although only one of many-- that led prosecutors to press for the testimony of Cooper and Miller, sources said.

They're right to be skeptical of Novak's mendacious claim…

Josh goes on to examine in some detail how Novak’s likely a friggin’ liar, which I frankly find difficult to believe, since he’s a world-renowned Douchebag of Liberty.

Ahem.

Anyway, Novak may be a shithead, but he isn’t stupid—he just hopes the rest of us are.

As for the flurry of phone calls, part of me has a hard time believing that Rove, Novak, and “other White House officials” would be so careless as to leave such an obvious trail of contact immediately after the announcement of a criminal investigation, but considering how much they’ve gotten away with on a global scale, I guess they weren’t too worried about covering their tracks on the basic Law & Order stuff. Heh.