CNN.com - Cheney's top aide quits after indictment - Oct 28, 2005

OK, so Scooter Libby is indicted on 5 counts, but they all relate to the cover-up, not to the actual crime of outing the CIA agent. Karl Rove goes un indicted. So, what does that mean?

I'll tell you.

The GOP spinmasters will poo poo this because it doesn't go after the leak itself but rather just 'mis-statements' made by Libby. of course, this ignores the seriousness of the matter, which the GOP saw 7 years ago when Clinton was impeached on fewer, smaller charges. i think they'll have a hard time with that argument, but they'll push it. they started last weekend. The other problem with that argument is that it may be hard to keep it up when this thing is far from over.

The grand jury is extended and thus Karl Rove isn't out of the crosshairs yet. I would wager that any indictments that deal with the outing of the agent will come later as that case is developed. over the last few weeks Fitzgerald has widened the prosecution's search into new areas and it appears to be a ways from being over. If there are indictments on these matters, which seems pretty simple considering all we know that Libby has done, i believe they will all come at once. Libby's indictment on the outing will come at the same time as the others.

So why did they get him on this stuff now? why not get him on all the charges later? The answer to that is that Fitzgerald is sending a message. he wants others that may be under the mircosope to know that they better play it straight with him or they'll be going to jail too.