I've opined before here, based on nothing but my own nose for human perversity, that the real story behind the Plame outing story was the larger war between the Cheney wing of the Administration and the CIA, over who would bear the blame for the faulty intel used to market the Iraq War. The Senate Intelligence Committee last year promised to release a phase two of its report on Iraq intel--the first part was finding fault with the intelligence community, the second was to be a look into administration use and misuse of intel--as long as phase two came after the November election. As best as can be determined, we're way after that election, and phase two has long been rumored to be on the back burner, if not having tumbled completely off the stove. Now, Laura Rozin in the American Prospect reports it's still alive, though on life support, but adds this provocative note:
...one source told the Prospect that (committee chairman Pat) Roberts has worked closely behind the scenes with Vice President Cheney’s office in crafting the language defining and limiting the investigation’s terms -- even though the committee is supposed to be investigating and providing oversight of the administration’s use of Iraq intelligence.
For everyone in the media obsessing about the Judy Miller story, wouldn't this little fact, of the henhouse guard "workiing closely" with the fox, be valuable, even important context? And, if I ever stray over the legal line, can I have the cops "work closely" with me on their investigation of me?