Journalist in Jail

Not a pretty picture, although many of us on the left would have loved to see Judith "The Queen of all Iraq" Miller go to jail (albeit for a far different reason). Cooper was spared because he was given specific clearance to do so by his source.

This once again shows that Miller and Cooper were being sought by the special prosecutor for far different reasons. It now seems they had far different sources, since Cooper's source allowed him to testify, but Miller did not get the same privilege. Here's a possibility from today's WaPo:

Fitzgerald may learn more details from Cooper's notes. Sources close to the investigation say there is evidence in some instances that some reporters may have told government officials -- not the other way around -- that Wilson was married to Plame, a CIA employee.

Well, that's lovely. Of course there is no such thing as vertical integration in a bureaucracy as large and unwieldy as the White House, so it could be that Miller or others told government officials about Plame after hearing it from OTHER government officials.

I believe freedom of the press will eventually be helped by today's escapade. It remains to be seen whether anything will come out of this Plame story, on the other hand, though the buzzards appear to be circling in Washington.