The Bolton-Rove-Plame Connection

Steve Clemmons may have the right idea:

I would like some of you in the intelligence industry to send me notes as to whatever you might know -- or might have an educated guess -- regarding the likelihood that such a brief, held by Powell, would have come from the Bolton/Fleitz shop.

Fleitz continued to hold a CIA portfolio while working at State as Bolton's acting Chief of Staff. He is clearly the person who empowered Bolton's abilities to cherry-pick intelligence and to outmaneuver on some occasions and intimidate other State Department intelligence analysts.

Henry Waxman, in March 2005, sent Chris Shays a letter documenting concerns about Bolton's office's role in promulgating the Niger/Uranium story in the administration. Bolton tried to cover his tracks as this post on TWN works through -- but there may be links to the Rove/Plame story that are worth sniffing out. Any assistance from intel observers would be helpful however.

One thing that bothers me about the potential link is that Fitzgerald has not sought to subpoena or interview either John Bolton or Fred Fleitz. He's a smart guy -- and if there was a connection between Bolton and Plame -- one would think we would have seen inclusion of these personalities in the grand jury investigation.

Alternatively, Fitzgerald might not want to stampede Bolton or Fleitz- yet.