Operation Frog March: The Bush Administration Jumps the Shark
Washington Post
As noted at Calpundit:
Let's recap:Which leads to my questions:
- This involves two top White House officials.
- They systematically called six different journalists.
- Only Robert Novak went with the story. (Which, by the way, actually speaks pretty well of the rest of the Washington press corps.)
- There are a whole bunch of people, including Mike Allen and Dana Priest, who know who the White House officials are.
Who will these "two top White House officials" take down with them?
Can Bush pardon them without junking his 2004 hopes forever?
If Rove's our main suspect, whose's the other one? Novak's column appeared on July 14, which was Ari Fleischer's last day. And it was Ari's job to deal with the press. What an interesting way, then, to look at Ari's last press briefing - which began and ended with references to the growing yellowcake scandal:
MR. FLEISCHER: And with that, I'm happy to take your questions. Helen.I reckon we will, Ari. I reckon we will.
Q Ari, does the President stand by all the statements he made in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq to the American people?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think you've heard what the President has said about the State of the Union remarks, about whether Iraq did or did not seek uranium from Africa. Other than that, of course the President does. (snip)
Q Ari, how do you want to be remembered by the press?
MR. FLEISCHER: Fondly.
Q I want to say, on behalf of the press corps, thank you for all you do for us, thank you for the long hours, the red-eyes we'll miss, and thank you for the times you advocated on behalf of open access behind the scenes. And if you will stick around, we have a little something for you. We've received assurances that it's not yellow cake. (Laughter.) But that doesn't prove that it's not yellow cake. (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, if it is, I'm sure we'll find it. (Laughter.)
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