This fact is now undisputed: Karl Rove spoke "off the record" with a reporter and revealed the identity of a CIA operative. I can draw only one of two conclusions from this: either he misused his security clearance in order to get back at an Administration critic and revealed secret information to a person who's paid to publish such information, or he was too dumb to remember who he was talking to. And in all I've read about Karl Rove, he does not seem to lack intelligence.
But whether this was inadvertent or not, the fact is that Karl Rove put the life of an American at risk. Karl Rove is a man who is described as having a "symbiotic" relationship with President Bush. This reflects very directly on Bush and his administration.
George W. Bush initially said that he would fire anyone in his administration who had leaked this information. On June 10, 2004, when asked by a reporter if he stood by his pledge to fire anyone found to be involved in leaking the agent's name, Mr. Bush answered simply "Yes." On July 11, 2004, Bush said "if there's a leak in my administration, I want to know who it is." Well, now we all know. However, Bush is suddenly backtracking. Today he said that he would fire someone only if a crime has been committed.
