Fitz: Libby knew he was revealing classified info. when he outed Plame

Fitzgerald maintains that Libby knew he was outing an undercover CIA agent:

The classified status of the identity of former CIA officer Valerie Plame will be a key element in any trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, according to special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald has said that at trial he plans to show that Libby knew Plame's employment at the CIA was classified and that he lied to the grand jury when he said he had learned from NBC News's Tim Russert that Plame, the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, worked for the agency.

Bush and Gonzales have been expressing outrage over the leaking of classified information. They're even threatening to prosecute reporters who write articles on national security matters. So, why haven't they cleaned their own house?

Okay, we know the answer. But, still, if what Patrick Fitzgerald alleges is true, using Gonzales' own words, he should be prosecuting Libby (and Rove for that matter) under espionage laws. Gonzales laid out their standard for prosecuting reporters yesterday on This Week:

"We have an obligation to ensure that our national security is protected."

That obligation ends when the matter is political or the offenders work in the White House. Because it's clear now that key White House staffers violated national security when they told reporters about Valerie Plame. And, if Gonzales wants to prosecute reporters who print classified info., let Novak be his first case.