Rove Rumors

TruthOut and the Washington Post are both reporting on Rove's trip to see Father Fitzmas.

TruthOut:

Karl Rove's appearance before a grand jury in the CIA leak case Wednesday comes on the heels of a "target letter" sent to his attorney recently by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, signaling that the Deputy White House Chief of Staff may face imminent indictment, sources that are knowledgeable about the probe said Wednesday.

It's unclear when Fitzgerald sent the target letter to Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin. Sources close to the two-year-old leak investigation said when Rove's attorney received the letter Rove volunteered to appear before the grand jury for an unprecedented fifth time to explain why he did not previously disclose conversations he had with the media about covert CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who criticized the Bush administration's use of pre-war Iraq intelligence.

A federal grand jury target letter is sent to a person in a criminal investigation who is likely to be indicted. In a prepared statement Wednesday, Luskin said Fitzgerald indicated that Rove is not a "target" of the investigation. A "target" of a grand jury investigation is a person who a prosecutor has substantial evidence to link to a crime.

Washington Post:

Top presidential adviser Karl Rove testified today before a federal grand jury investigating the 2003 leak of a CIA operative's identity, appearing "voluntarily and unconditionally" at the request of the chief federal prosecutor, Rove's attorney said.

In a statement issued upon the conclusion of Rove's testimony at the federal courthouse in Washington, attorney Robert D. Luskin said the special counsel in the case, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, had advised Rove that he was "not a target of the investigation." However, Luskin said Fitzgerald has not made any decision about charges.

Ok, that's largely the same thing. Sorry. I was hoping for some differences.

Anyway, Cindy Adams (gossip columnist) at the New York Post has this to say:

THE spinners have spun at the Wash ington Post. Bob Woodward, and you can't get hardly no more bigger name associated with that big newspaper, even talked the R-word. Resignation.

It's still about the Weapons of Mass Destruction - Judith Miller - Valerie Plame - Ambassador Joe Wilson - Scooter Libby - special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald problem. It's what did he know, and when did he know it, and why didn't he know he should have said what he knew.

Gossip Column... Take it for what you will.