Phillybits: Something Cooking At The White House...And It Doesn't Smell Like Justice....

Via Yahoo: Democrats urge Bush to fire Rove in leak scandal:

The White House faced mounting Democratic calls for President Bush to sideline or fire his top political aide Karl Rove on Monday over his involvement in a CIA leak scandal.

After publicly defending Rove two years ago, the White House responded to the barrage by saying it would not comment at the request of the prosecutors investigating who leaked the identify of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

"The White House promised if anyone was involved in the Valerie Plame affair, they would no longer be in this administration. I trust they will follow through on this pledge," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.

Via CNN: White House won't comment on Rove and leak investigation:

For two years, the White House has insisted that presidential adviser Karl Rove had nothing to do with the leak of a CIA officer's identity. And President Bush said the leaker would be fired.

But Bush's spokesman wouldn't repeat any of those assertions Monday in the face of Rove's own lawyer saying his client spoke with at least one reporter about Valerie Plame's role at the CIA before she was identified in a newspaper column.

Via MSNBC: Rove told reporter about Plame’s role at CIA:

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove spoke with at least one reporter about Valerie Plame's role at the CIA before she was identified as a covert agent in a newspaper column two years ago, but Rove's lawyer said yesterday that his client did not identify her by name.

Via ABCnews: White House Won't Comment on Rove, Leak:

For the better part of two years, the word coming out of the Bush White House was that presidential adviser Karl Rove had nothing to do with the leak of a female CIA officer's identity and that whoever did would be fired.

But Bush spokesman Scott McClellan wouldn't repeat those claims Monday in the face of Rove's own lawyer, Robert Luskin, acknowledging the political operative spoke to Matthew Cooper of Time magazine, one of the reporters who disclosed Valerie Plame's name.

McClellan repeatedly said he couldn't comment because the matter is under investigation. When it was pointed out he had commented previously even though the investigation was ongoing, he responded: "I've really said all I'm going to say on it."

Via Rep. Louise Slaughter and DailyKos: Bush Should Keep His Word & Fire Rove:

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, today called on President Bush to keep his word and fire Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove for his role in leaking the identity of Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, an undercover agent for the CIA.

"It is time for the President to keep his word. Karl Rove should be fired and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," said Rep. Slaughter. "There can be no gray area here, regardless of how he phrased it, regardless of how much detail he provided, he revealed the identity of an undercover CIA agent. What Mr. Rove did is reprehensible. Putting the life of an undercover CIA agent in jeopardy can not be tolerated. He clearly deserves his pink slip," she continued.

Via AMERICAblog: Harry Reid: Bush promised to fire the leaker, we hope he keeps his promise :

Washington, DC – “I agree with the President when he said he expects the people who work for him to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. The White House promised if anyone was involved in the Valerie Plame affair, they would no longer be in this administration. I trust they will follow through on this pledge. If these allegations are true this rises above politics and is about our national security.”

Via Buzzflash and BustBob: Karl Rove and Novak: They've Talked Before 7/12:

Rove fired from Bush Sr's '92 campaign over leak to Novak...

Rove was the "only one with a motive to leak"...

Mosbacher still says Rove did it...

Via Atrios: Scotty Clams Up:

Well, it took a week, but apparently the gaggling gang finally got around to asking Scotty about Rove. Five Times. His response? He "would not comment on an ongoing investigation."

Via Editor and Publisher: Press Batters McClellan on Rove/Plame Link:

At numerous press briefings last week, not a single reporter asked White House Press Secretary about emerging allegations that top presidential aide Karl Rove was a source, or the source, for Time magazine's Matthew Cooper in the Valerie Plame case. Then on Sunday, Newsweek revealed a Cooper e-mail from July 2003 that showed that Rove indeed had talked to him about Plame and her CIA employment, although he apparently did not mention that she worked under cover.

This development apparently freed the journalists to hit McClellan hard at this afternoon's briefing. In September and October 2003, McClellan had rejected as "ridiculous" any suggestion that Rove was involved in the Plame leak.

And just so we're all clear on what exactly the President said...

Via CNN Feb 11, 2004: Bush welcomes probe of CIA leak:

"If there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is," Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of."

"I welcome the investigation. I am absolutely confident the Justice Department will do a good job."

"I want to know the truth," the president continued. "Leaks of classified information are bad things."

He added that he did not know of "anybody in my administration who leaked classified information."