Shed no tears for Judith Miller

New York Times reporter Judith Miller is not going to jail because she is protecting the First Amendment. She is going to jail because she is covering up a felony, and a very serious one at that. As the Judge in the case has said, there are times when the national interest has to override the idea of protecting sources. That is, there is no blanket priviledge for journalists to protect confidential sources if the issue involved is so serious as to override such protections. And that is what is involved in this particular case. At least that is what seems to be the case as other judges and lawyers have examined the case and acknowledged that the Judge is right about this.

But what about Cooper's change of heart such that he is now going to testify. He says in a dramatic fashion his source has now told him he does not have to honor his pledge of confidentiality. So is this source Rove? And if so, what does it mean? As this came about as a result of Cooper's and Rove's lawyers reaching some kind of agreement just what is going on? I believe they are going to have to admit that Rove, who previously claimed to have nothing whatsoever to do with the outing of Plame, will have to admit that he did, indeed, discuss it with Cooper. But...and this is the big but, he didn't disclose that she was a CIA secret operative - or at least did not "knowingly" do so. Legally, of course, they will be able to drag this on until we are all dead and buried so whatever Rove did will just become forgotten, along with all the other scandals of the Bush/Cheney administration, like Gannon/Guckert (that might also involve Rove?).

Can there really be any doubt that Rove leaked? I don't think so. He has a history of such leaks, including previous leaks to his friend Novak. He had the motive, must have had the knowledge, and no doubt that he had the power to get away with it (which he still might). We, the ordinary citizens of the United States are in big trouble, and if we don't do something about it soon it is going to be too late, Possibly it already is.