The politicalization of criminals

James Moore at the HuffPo makes me feel better about yesterday's somewhat disappointing developments. I wanted high drama, it felt like a read through of a one act plan instead, but Moore reminds me this is not necessarily the final production.

Leaking the names of CIA agents is not politics; it is a crime. Lying to congress about evidence for a war is not politics; it is a crime. Failing to tell a grand jury that you met with a reporter and talked about the CIA agent is not forgetfullness; it is a crime. Deceiving your entire nation and frightening children and adults with images of nuclear explosions in order to get them to support a bloody invasion of another country is not politics; it is a crime. Anyone other than Karl Rove and Lewis Libby and Tom Delay who does not get this, please raise your hand.

...Targets will be pleading and dealing and soon will be singing. We are, hopefully, seeing the beginning of an investigation that will broaden until it disabuses the final few million Bush supporters of their naievete. Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald must surely just be at the beginning of rendering justice.

He goes on in that encouraging vein and I hope he's right. Like he said, our best shot at revealing the truth is Fitzgerald. But I think it all depends on the media now.

The Bushtopians are already painting it as a witch hunt and an inconsequential slip of protocol. If this, "could not possibly suck more wind" editorial in the WaPo is any indication of how the press is going to go, it's going to take more than insider optimism to make me a believer in truth, justice and the American way again.