"For two years, the White House has insisted that presidential adviser Karl Rove had nothing to do with the leak of a CIA officer's identity. And President Bush said the leaker would be fired."--Associated Press

The above is the 'lead' of all the AP stories I've seen over the last day regarding 'Plame-gate'. Lead writing is an art and I think the one above is pretty damn good. I've read that Hemingway learned lots from Lincoln Steffen's leads when both were in Europe writing for newspapers in the nineteen-teens. Lead writers for the big wire services have a tremendous influence because their work goes out everywhere; into the little newspapers in the hinterlands and onto the five-minute top-of-the-hour newscasts on the little radio stations. I think it's arguably true that a multi-page Seymour Hersh essay in the NEW YORKER doesn't have as much influence as a two sentence lead on the wires.
And that's why reading and re-reading the above lead from the Associated Press makes me feel good.
These are the basic facts. The things everyone knows.
When GWB said his re-election(?) was his 'accountability moment' he was wrong. I hope this is the first of many accountability moments to come.
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