Informed Speculation

The lefties have been chompin’ at the bits as leaks have indicated that Fitzgerald is very near the end of the PlameGate investigations. It has been widely noted that Rove has not been at several functions that he would normally have attended in the past, and that Rove’s attorney declined to say that he is not a target in his most recent statement (or did he? This longer version of the AP story has Rove’s attorney categorically denying that Rove received a target letter), a quite noticable omission.

Now comes word that Rove will be called to testify again, with no guarantee that he will not be indicted:

Federal prosecutors have accepted an offer from presidential adviser Karl Rove to give 11th-hour testimony in the case of a CIA officer’s leaked identity but have warned they cannot guarantee he won’t be indicted, according to people directly familiar with the investigation.

The persons, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy, said Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has not made any decision yet on whether to file criminal charges against the longtime confidant of President Bush or others.

What does it mean? MinuteMan, we await your expert guidance…

UPDATE 7:33 p.m.: With the hat tip to AJStrata, Macsmind offers up this scenario, saying it comes from an inside tip:

…[I]ndictments in the Plame case are to be announced this week.

However…

1. No surprise,

There will be no indictment for Rove or Libby. However, some journalists (Familiar names) may be tapped on conspiracy to obstruct a Federal investigation, and other second tiered charges, yet it is not expected that any substantive indictments will be announced.

Fitzgerald will announce that there was no statuatory leak of Valerie Plame’s identitiy did NOT occur as the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act, Specifically 421(a)(b)(c), did not apply to subject Valerie Plame, and were therefore not considered in this case.

Therefore the charges will be strictly related to the above mentioned secondary charges, if any.

The additional Rove testimony, says MacRanger, means Fitzgerald may have Matt Cooper in his sights. We shall see…

UPDATE 2 8:18 p.m.: More from the MinuteMan here…