Andromeda

President Bush, today, answering questions from the press prior to his Cabinet meeting:

Mark Knoller, are you with us?

Q You bet. Thank you, sir. Can I ask you if you have spoken with your Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove about the Valerie Plame matter? And do you think he acted improperly in talking about it with reporters?

THE PRESIDENT: Mark, I have instructed every member of my staff to fully cooperate in this investigation. I also will not prejudge the investigation based on media reports. We're in the midst of an ongoing investigation, and I will be more than happy to comment further once the investigation is completed.

Elaine.

Q Mr. President, on that front, though, has Mr. Rove come to you and discussed -- when did he discuss the fact that he had conversations with reporters about Valerie Plame? And based on that, do you feel as though it was appropriate in 2003 for your spokesman to say definitively that Karl Rove had nothing to do with the Valerie Plame incident?

THE PRESIDENT: We're in the midst of an ongoing investigation, and this is a serious investigation. And it is very important for people not to prejudge the investigation based on media reports. And again, I will be more than happy to comment on this matter once the investigation is complete.

The President is right, we cannot prejudge this investigation based on media reports. Since there is no other way to determine who the leaker is, he must wait until the investigation is complete. Of course, while the investigation drags on, the President continues to have a leaker in his midst and no way whatsoever to find out who it is. For all the President knows, that leaker might be someone in a position of great power. Goodness gracious, this unknown person who cannot possibly be found out until the investigation is over might still have a high security clearance. Think of it: the leaker might even have been in that very room!