I’ve refrained from commenting on l’affaire de Rove because there are so many other bloggers following every twist in this story. But I think it’s important to reiterate, as many have, that this story isn’t really about who leaked a name to a reporter. In the final analysis, this is about the Administration’s attempts to discredit anyone who questioned its rationale for going to war in Iraq. Whether or not a reasonable person could believe that Iraq possessed WMDs is a matter that will never be completely settled. What seems to be increasingly clear, however, is that Administration had no interest in allowing debate on the issue. It was determined to have this war and it was not going to tolerate any dissension that might lead to a further examination of the Administration’s true agenda. This is what is so disheartening about Bush’s leadership. He makes decisions that feel right to him on a gut level and then looks for the facts to support those decisions. That’s fine if you’re making draft picks for a football team, but not when you’re sending people off to war.
