Investigation, scandal over leak intensify
By Wolf Blitzer
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The questions keep on coming but the answers remain elusive. And that's not only keeping alive a budding scandal, but clearly escalating it.
"Make no mistake about it," White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday. "The president has always held the view that the leaking of classified information is a very serious matter."
At the heart of the issue now -- who told syndicated columnist and CNN contributor Robert Novak about the identity of an undercover CIA operative?
Whoever did may have broken the law. Revealing such an identity is a felony -- in part because it could endanger that person's life and the lives of American and worldwide associates engaged in intelligence collection.
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"The president has directed the White House to cooperate fully. That message was sent as soon as he learned about the investigation," said McClellan.
McClellan intimated strongly that the president would expect White House aides to take polygraph examinations if requested by Justice Department investigators.
But Democratic critics on Capitol Hill say they want more.
"Now, I see the Justice Department is now starting to investigate. Now isn't that a sweetheart deal? Attorney General John Ashcroft appointed by this president, investigating the president. If a situation ever cried out for a special counsel, this is it," asserted Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
Novak's column appeared on July 14. Among other things, Democrats want to know why the White House waited so long to initiate this criminal investigation.
The Justice Department informed White House counsel Alberto Gonzales of the criminal probe Monday night. Democratic critics also want to know why Gonzales then waited 11 hours to instruct the White House staff to preserve all relevant documents, e-mail and other material as potential evidence.
Republicans say -- take a deep breath and let the career professionals in the Justice Department and the FBI first investigate the facts before rushing ahead with a special counsel.
Says Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, "This is exactly what is happening but I think it has been distorted and I think it has been way out of proportion before we really know what the facts are."
