Some Lawyers Think Rove Molests Collies

UPDATE: It looks like they have removed that sentence and updated the story. Well, at least one editor at AP is not asleep at the switch.


This AP story contains the kind of crappy journalism that we have come to know and love from the Associated Press.

About midway through the story, we find this sentence:

Some lawyers have raised the specter of broader conspiracy charges as well.

Well, which lawyers? Lawyers associated with the case? On what basis are they "raising the specter"? Are these criminal lawyers with prosecutorial experience? Are they just some guys the reporter knows from college who became lawyers?

The bigger question is why this is unattributed. If they are sources inside the case, the writer should say so. If they are not associated with the case, why are they anonymous? And why should we care what they say if they have no access to information about the case?

For conspiracy to exist, there has to be an underlying crime. Based on news reports this morning, it looks like Libby is going to be indicted for giving false statements to the grand jury. There is no mention of the supposed crime that started this ridiculous mess - the purported outing of a "covert" CIA agent.

Thanks for the garbage, AP.