It is being widely reported VP Cheney's aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, has been indicted for perjury and other crimes related to the Valerie Plame affair. Karl Rove has not been indicted, but the prosecutor has warned everyone that he is keeping his options open.
This is about what I expected. Rove is the target the Dems wanted, but the case has always been stronger against Libby. It will be interesting to see how this plays out politically. This is no Monica Lewinsky affair - the president is not involved. But you can be sure that the weekend will be full of Democrats wondering aloud whether the VP can truly be blameless if his top aid is a crook (despite that annoying "innocent until proven guilty" thing).
I want to be clear about this. Libby should now step down until the trial is done (at least) and be persona non grata at the White House. This is a serious thing - potentially a crime by a member of the Executive Branch. But it is hardly the Clintonian armageddon of criminal charges that some opponents of the president were hoping for. I think between this and the ending of the Harriet Miers affair, this will be the beginning of the rebound for the GWB presidency.
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