PrintFebruary 27, 2006
Desperate Dems and the NSA leak investigation
The American Spectator reports that the investigation of the overseas terrorist prisons and the NSA leak is proceeding rapidly and Senator Rockefeller, in the investigators' sights, is trying a ridiculously obvious and ineffective diversionary play:
The number of Senators who received briefings is not as large as people think," says one law enforcement source. "These were programs with a limited 'Need to Know' list on Capitol Hill."
Federal investigators looking into the leaks of both those programs to the press are zeroing in on the Senate, and are expected to continue to hold interviews of both Senators and their senior staff in the coming days. "This investigation is moving forward at a pretty fast clip," says the law enforcement source. "We're not looking at a two—year probe. We're talking about moving fast."
As yet, cooperation from the media outlets —— the Washington Post and the New York Times has been minimal, but investigators aren't sure they will need full cooperation to make the case. "The Hill may be all we need," says the source.
Focus of the investigation remains on the staffs of two Senators, Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Sen. Dick Durbin, as well as committee staff for the Senate Intelligence Committee and career intelligence staff detailed to U.S. Senate offices and committees. Last week, it was revealed that on February 17 Senator Rockefeller had sent a letter to the White House claiming that the Bush Administration had illegally leaked classified materials to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward for a book project he was working on with cooperation from the Bush White House.
A number of people of Capitol Hill and in the intelligence community interpreted the letter as an attempt by Rockefeller to play defense should it be revealed that his office or staff tied to him on the Intelligence Committee are somehow involved in the serious leak cases.
Apparently this is in reference to the news last week that the prosecutor knows who leaked Plame's name to Woodward, that the person who was not a White House official or staffer would not be prosecuted nor his name even revealed to Lewis "Scooter" Libby because it wasn't "relevant."
But, never let it be said, that this is the only ploy up the Democrats' sleeves. Eighteen House Democrats are requesting a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate the NSA surveillance program itself.
The idea that a special prosecutor is a good idea or necessary is hardly credible in light of the increasingly obvious absurdity ot the Fitzgerald investigation and the comparison with the on focus and rapidly moving investigation of real leaks of classified information which did harm national security — the overseas prison and NSA programs.
Clarice Feldman 2 27 06
