I'm receiving word that Bush just invoked executive privilege over Cheney's interview with Fitzgerald during the CIA leak case.

There are still a number of unexplained aspects of Novak's column. But the Attorney General seems determined to make sure we never explain them, since he's refusing to turn over the Bush and Cheney interview reports.

Paul Alexander looks back on Karl Rove's career and finds a remarkable consistency in Rove's methods: the legal persecution of political enemies, the cynical crafting of policy solely to woo key voting blocks, and the preference for photo ops over real governance.

Never mind. I know the answer. Attorney General Mukasey is helping Cheney and Bush hide the fact that they played insta-declassification games that may have--though they'll never tell--included leaking Valerie Wilson's identity. Apparently, DOJ responded to Waxman's subpoena for the Bush and Cheney interview reports by telling Waxman to go fuck himself (h/t WO). On June 16,2008, having been informed in writing by the Justice Department that it would not produce the interview reports of the President and Vice President...

Today, we learn that Konstant Karl now feels revealing covert operative identity is a bad thing. What a sad, craven attempt to gain attention from a man who could not have given a rat's ass about the safety of the Wilson twins. Meanwhile, the WH refuses to even read e-mails from the EPA when the science isn't to its liking.

I confess to being underwhelmed with the work HJC did with Scott McClellan's appearance before the committee today. I'll do a post later (once I've recovered from a terrible day for Democracy) on what I think was missed. But I'll start with the positive--what I consider the highlights of the hearing.

Scottie's back in the House.

Oh, the excitement, the goosepimples...the snitching. You know, I could have been just a wee bit more excited about all these revelations if McClellan had bothered to (a) make them all public at a time when they would have done the country some good (as in while the lying may have been occurring within the White House instead of well after the fact); and (b) if I were confident that he'd called out the alleged false statements and collusion from Libby, Rove and others while the grand jury was still meeting...

Scottie McC seems prepared to testify more broadly about Plame (and about pre-war intelligence) than Chairman Conyers thus far envisions.

Marcy details a bit of worry at the Bush WH regarding potential re-opening of the Fitzgerald investigation and related matters Reps. Conyers and Waxman's committees. And I wondered whether it might have even more to do about what we do not yet know about the WHIG. At this end of a long stand-off with Dick Cheney's office, what would the folks at CIA and DOD be willing to now reveal to Congressional investigators who asked the right questions. Of course, they have to actually ask them first.

The Walter Pincus page strikes again...