[JABBERBONK]

Unless Fitzgerald can prove Plame was covert when her name was mentioned in the Novak piece, regardless of any other ancillary indictments, he can only be perceived as a partisan hack.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Unless Fitzgerald can prove Plame was covert when her name was mentioned in the Novak piece, regardless of any other ancillary indictments, he can only be perceived as a partisan hack.

No, the investigation, once launched, can create preconditions for possible breaches of law, regardless of whether the primary target "crime" is ever charged. The coming indictments will be for coverup activities - perjury, obstruction of justice. Special prosecutors, folks like Starr and Fitzgerald, I assume to be acting in a non-partisan fashion, look for violations of law and try to prosecute them.

Admittedly I am a partisan, but my sense is that there will be a large "technicality" component to these charges.