Josh Marshall tipped us off that big news would be coming, turns out Josh's sources were correct. In Today's Post Jim VandeHei and the always intrepid Walter Pincus reveal that Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation may finally have settled its focus upon the Vice president's office.
You can find the article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/AR2005101701888.html
First for the truly shocking:
The CIA- Cheney animosity story is well-known at this point in the story, what's most revealing is that we may Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald May announce the conclusion of his investigation as early as tomorrow!
"Some lawyers close to the case cited courthouse talk that Fitzgerald might announce his findings as early as tomorrow, though hard evidence about his intentions and timing remained elusive."
The first paragraph sets the states the obvious, but sets the stage for what follows, check it out after the jump:
"As the investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's name hurtles to an apparent conclusion, special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has zeroed in on the role of Vice President Cheney's office, according to lawyers familiar with the case and government officials. The prosecutor has assembled evidence that suggests Cheney's long-standing tensions with the CIA contributed to the unmasking of operative Valerie Plame."
More Pincus and VandeHei:
"One former CIA official told prosecutors early in the probe about efforts by Cheney's office and his allies at the National Security Council to obtain information about Wilson's trip as long as two months before Plame was unmasked in July 2003, according to a person familiar with the account."
Another interesting turn is the narrative that Cheney's office operated independently of the main Bush axis in the White House:
"In the Bush White House, Cheney typically has operated secretly, relying on advice from a tight circle of longtime advisers, including Libby; David Addington, his counsel; and his wife, Lynne, and two children, including Liz, a top State Department official."
Could this be a narrative structured to distance the Commander in Chief from the problems at hand? Only time will tell.
We do know that our President whole heartedly accepted the advice and counsel of the Vice President. Ultimately, his Iraq policy reflected Cheney's views as much as any other administration official. If Cheney goes down, we must not forget that accountability must fall also on our president.
More will certainly come in the more respectable hours, stay tuned folks, it's bounded to get interesting.