Leopold Interview Audio Here
As pontificator notes over at Kos, Jason Leopold has a checkered past. Alright - it's a past that is somewhat more than checkered. To be completely honest about things, if he wasn't telling me things I want to hear, I'd be completely dismissive of everything he writes. Further, if he was playing for the other team - digging up dirt on Howard Dean, for example - I'd be openly mocking him at every opportunity.
I guess that's politics. And human nature.
That said, Leopold says he has information that says Rove and his lawyers met with Fitz last Friday. That at the end of the meeting, plea negotiations broke down and Rove was told he had 24 business hours to get his affairs in order. That the jig is up. That Fitz already has a grand jury indicment in hand and is preparing to take the next steps...
Well, we've heard a lot of similar music from Leopold in the past. I seem to remember him telling us that 8-10 White House officials may be indicted before this is all done... He's fanned the Fitzmas flames all along, and so far, there's been almost nothing to show for it. And I know for a fact that Fitz has said that his investigation is almost complete.
So...
Why all the talk about Leopold?
Because of what he says in this interview with Ian Masters on KPFK - a progressive radio station out of LA.
Bottom line? Leopold says that if his sources have burnt him, he's gonna out them. Money quote:
I will reitereate: these sources that I have had on this story know full well that leading me astray... I would no longer be obliged to keep their identities secret.
Now I've got my qualms about Jason. He's admitted to some pretty heavy shit. But if his sources burn him and he comes through with tapes and notes name the "White House officials" and RNC staff that pushed him over the cliff... well...
What a breath of fresh air!! This is what all reporters should be doing. How many of the kewl kids have been played like fiddles by the political operation run out of the offices of Karl Rove and Ken Mehlman?
I applaud Leopold for making the threat. From the perspective of an investigative journalist, I gotta think that this is a pretty risky tactic to employ. If Roverites know that they can't lie with impunity, they'll just cut access... So just by virtue of being the first reporter I've ever heard make this threat, Leopold has earned a speck of respect back by putting media manipulators on notice that their bullshit won't be tolerated.
I've been tough on Leopold. When a person screws up the way he did, well, there are gonna be consequences. That said, if Leopold is right... (or when Leopold follows through and outs the liars that played him), well I'll say loudly, "Welcome back!!"
Either way, what really excites me is that by Thursday at the absolute latest, Karl Rove will have been indicted or Jason Leopold will be outing his sources. It's going to be an exciting week...