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In a press conference this Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan was asked if the president stood by his statements made in September 2003, in light of recent evidence that Karl Rove was involved in the leak. Scott McClellan declined to reaffirm this policy, citing an ongoing investigation.

Pressed to explain its statements of two years ago that Rove wasn't involved in the leak, the White House refused to do so.

"If I were to get into discussing this, I would be getting into discussing an investigation that continues and could be prejudging the outcome of the investigation," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

The statements made by Scott McClellan two years ago were made during the investigation that continues and may have prejudiced the outcome of the investigation. When reporters asked McClellan to explain this inconsistency, McClellan gave the same response. When asked if the Administration was told not to discuss the investigation while it was ongoing after he claimed that Karl Rove was not involved in the leak, and not before, Scott McClellan gave the same response.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada added this amendment to the Bill:

"No federal employee who discloses or has disclosed classified information, including the identity of a covert agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, to a person not authorized to receive such information shall be entitled to hold a security clearance for access to such information."

"...or any federal officeholder who makes reference to a classified Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the floor of the United States Senate, or any federal officeholder that makes a statement based on a FBI agent¹s comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations thereby putting our servicemen and women at risk, shall not be permitted access to such information or to hold a security clearance for access to such information."

The Republican-controlled Senate ultimately voted down both amendments on July 14th.

House Representative Rush Holt, D -N.J., has introduced legislation for an investigation that would compel senior administration officials to turn over records relating to the Plame disclosure.

Sources

• Stephen Dinan, Joseph Curl "Rove fight escalates". The Washington Times, July 15, 2005
  
• John Solomon "Rove Learned CIA Agent's Name From Novak". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 15, 2005
  
• "Legislation and Records, S.Amdt. 1223 to H.R. 2360". U.S. Government, July 14, 2005
  
• David Sirota "VOTE ALERT: GOP supports national security leaks". Working for Change, July 14, 2005
  
• "NY Times, Wash. Post revised White House pledge to fire Plame leakers". Media Matters for America, July 15, 2005
  
• David Stout "Rove Uproar Sparks Democratic Plan on Security Clearance". New York Times, July 14, 2005