You are correct. The reason AP phone records were sought by investigators because someone in the Obama White House, in trying to make the Prez look tough on terrorism did jhust what they did when OBl was killed- bragged. They leaked information obtained by the British the previous day, and couldn't keep their mouths shut about what they had been informed of in confidence. In patting themselves on the back for busting up a terrorist cell in Yemen, the Obama admin blew the cover off of a British-Saudi covert op against al Qaeda and the valuable British asset involved had to flee.
This is a rough listing of the steps:
1. A British and Saudi led covert operation foiled an Al Qaeda shoe bomb plot in Yemen.
2. This information was given to the White House.
3. Someone in the White House decided that this could make Obama look good. That someone (or someone plural) decided to leak the information to the AP.
4. The AP publishes the information which causes the undercover British and Saudi assets to flee.
5. Someone in Obama/Holder’s Justice Department decides that it is so very important to find the leaker that they go after the phone records of the AP reporters to see whether they can find who leaked the information.
6. That someone in the Justice Department, evidently, is United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. appointed by Obama at the end of 2009.
7. All of this is occurring as Holder is desperately trying to keep Fast and Furious from harming Obama in any way, to the point that Holder is willing to subject himself to contempt of Congress charges. Holder’s loyalty to Obama cannot really be questioned.
8. None of this sees the light of day for over a year. Whoever in the White House leaked the information seems to have skated (maybe, but perhaps not). We have not been told that anyone has been fired or indicted for the breach of classified/sensitive information.
9. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen then informs the AP that the Justice Department has collected the AP phone information.
10. The information about the phone call records comes out right in the middle of a several nasty scandals for the Obama administration.
Steps 1-4 I think follow in line with your thinking. Steps 5-10 are problematic. What am I missing? How would you describe steps 1-4 and what do you think steps 5-10 should be? How did we get to an Obama Justice Department appointee notifying the AP that the phone calls of AP reporters have been investigated?