Via
TAPPED, we see that the political football known as the Plame affair has been moved down the field. And, if you'll permit me to strain the analogy, the "anti felony leaks" side has achieved a much needed first down.
I seem to recall having heard somewhere that the difference between Republican calls for independent counsels to investigate Bill Clinton and Democratic calls for a special prosecutor to look into the Valerie Plame situation was that the GOP position was supported by career prosecutors who felt that Janet Reno couldn't get the job done right. Well, there goes that difference, as The New York Times quotes "top FBI officials" and criminal prosecutors from the DOJ criticizing John Ashcroft's handling of the situation and calling for either a recusal or a special counsel.
The article Matt linked to, Senior Federal Prosecutors and F.B.I. Officials Fault Ashcroft Over Leak Inquiry by David Johnston and Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, reports that career investigators within the Justice Department are beginning to gripe, anonymously, that Ashcroft is blowing the investigation.
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