yeah, law school is totally worth the money

Why is Robert Novak not central to this whole Miller/Cooper business, since he is the one who actually revealed the CIA operative's name? I have no idea, but it troubles me. And even though I'm technically a law student, I really have no idea how this shit works. But here are the questions (courtesy of TalkLeft) that I would ask were I not, you know, an idiot:

• Did Novak get a subpoena? Did he take the 5th? Was he immunized and did he sing? Or, has special prosecutor Fitzgerald been dragging his feet in seeking an immunity order for Novak while he exhausts all other avenues? Who does Fitzgerald have in his cross-hairs besides Libby, who has waived all confidentiality privileges?

• If Novak took the 5th, for what crime did he take it? Most people agree his publicizing Plame's identity was not a crime. The law prohibits disclosure by those with authorized access to classified information and the like, not to journalists, unless they habitually make such disclosures. Was there a cover-up attempted - did Novak initially agree to one?

above: Robert Novak approaching climax