Rove: Still in the hotseat

December 10, 2005 -- Viveca Novak is not giving Karl Rove a free pass - she apparently told investigators that in early 2004 she was aware that Rove knew much more about the pre-disclosure identity of Valerie Plame Wilson than either he or his attorney, Robert Luskin, originally indicated to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. Informed sources have revealed that not only was Rove well aware of V.P. Wilson's covert identity before her name was disclosed in Robert Novak's column in July 2003 but Rove actively took part in the disclosure of her identity to the media, including Time's Matt Cooper.

Retiring after 20 years of service for the CIA, yesterday was V. P. Wilson's last day at work. The Viveca Novak story has been engineered to divert attention away from a huge White House scandal that still threatens to see an indictment of Bush's number one adviser. White House sources who are claiming that Viveca Novak is somehow aiding the Rove defense strategy are mistaken according to those close to the case. Novak is not known as a supporter of the Bush administration. For example, she is the co-author of a book, Inside the Wire, exposing the the controversial interrogation tactics used at Guantanamo. That book was hardly welcomed by the Bush administration. Rove is in trouble and he and his attorney have purposely weaved Viveca Novak into their web of deceit. Stay tuned.