“Has Rove’s security clearance been revoked?” mused John Podesta over at ThinkProgress.org yesterday. He noted that if Karl Rove was found to have been involved in leaking the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, Bush would be forced to restrict his access — which would force him out of many policy discussions.
At a press briefing later that afternoon, a reporter asked Bush spokesman Scott McClellan if Rove would keep his security clearance when he’s moved out of his policy job; “Absolutely, yes,” McClellan answered.
We can believe McClellan, of course, because he’s a truth-teller. But the question left some wiggle room. Rove’s clearance may have been downgraded in recent days, for instance, or a revocation may be in the works, but we wouldn’t know it from McClellan’s answer. A better phrasing might have been: what is the level of Rove’s current security clearance, has it changed since he has been at the White House, and is it expected to change in the near future?
I guess that’s three questions. (I flunked the math section of the White House Correspondents’ Exam.)