One angle to the Plame scandal that I’ve always wondered about is what Karl Rove told everyone else at the White House. When Scott McClellan, for example, said he had spoken directly to Rove, and learned he was “not involved” with “the leaking of classified information,” was McClellan lying to the press corps or was Rove lying to McClellan?
It’s a little long, but I think the most interesting of all the WH press briefings came on October 1, 2003, before reporters decided they didn’t care about this story anymore. As it turns out, the press corps was on the right track — perhaps because they’d already heard the truth — and McClellan was amazingly cautious with his words.
Q: You say the issue is leaking classified information. So my question is did Karl Rove or any others in the White House talk with reporters, not leak classified information, but talk with reporters about Mr. Wilson’s wife and her CIA status after the initial report by Robert Novak?
McClellan: After his initial report? Again, you’re — now the issue is changing. The issue was —
Q: No —
McClellan: The issue is, did someone leak classified information. That’s a serious matter.
Q: Right. But if someone —
McClellan: That’s being investigated.
McClellan refused to answer the question specifically. Reporters were clearly on to something — forget the illegal leak momentarily and figure out if Rove simply talked to reporters about Plame. McClellan was making all kinds of denials about the controversy, but he wouldn’t answer this simple question. It dominated the entire day’s briefing.
Consider:
Q: My question is pretty straightforward. Did Karl Rove or others have conversations with reporters about Mrs. Wilson?
McClellan: In what way?
Q: And her CIA status.
McClellan: There’s an investigation going on in asking everybody to preserve any information they would have related to some of the issues you bring up. I’m not — there’s been no information brought to our attention to suggest that anyone leaked classified information, and the President certainly doesn’t condone the leaking, or the tactics you’re suggesting.
Q: You seem to be suggesting that perhaps they had conversations, but weren’t leaking classified information.
McClellan: Well, there’s an investigation going on to pull together all the information. But the issue is, did someone leak classified information? That’s a serious issue. And I just made it — I made it clear early, you brought up Karl’s name. Let’s be very clear. I thought — I said it was a ridiculous suggestion, I said it’s simply not true that he was involved in leaking classified information, and — nor, did he condone that kind of activity. This has been answered, and now we’re trying to get in a whole bunch of issues, separate and apart from that.
Q: Did your conversation with Rove include whether or not he had tried to highlight that story for reporters?
McClellan: I’m sorry?
Q: Did your conversation with Rove include asking him whether or not he had tried to highlight that story for reporters, the Novak story?
McClellan: I made it very clear — I have spoken with him. I have spoken with him. I made it very clear that it’s not true that he was involved in the leaking of classified information or that he condoned some of what you’re suggesting.
Q: No, but did he — did he participate in that? Because then it would make sense that he said, she’s fair game now, if it was after the fact. Did you ask him whether or not he participated in that —
McClellan: I think the individual who said that has already backed away from other previous comments.
Q: I’m asking what you asked Rove.
McClellan: And I made it very clear that the issue was regarding the leaking of classified information. And the issue was — and someone asked about condoning that information. I made it very clear that he didn’t condone that kind of activity and was not involved in that kind of activity.
Q: Just to be clear, whether Rove condoned it or not, he did — he also did not participate in that type of activity, as far as you’re aware? Is that correct?
McClellan: There is an investigation going on to pull together all that information.
He wouldn’t answer the question. No matter how it was worded, or how many opportunities he had to set the record straight, McClellan wouldn’t say that Karl Rove never talked to a reporter about Plame and her work at the CIA.
Given the context, I’d say McClellan knew the truth because he went to such lengths to avoid saying it. It makes one wonder, if McClellan knew, who else at the White House knew that Rove was disseminating classified information to cover lies about Iraq? Is it possible the president knew? Hmm.