Leaks in the leak investigation

The New York Daily News confirms something first published in Bloomberg News:

A special prosecutor's intensifying focus into who outed a CIA spy has raised questions whether Vice President Cheney himself is involved, knowledgeable sources confirmed yesterday.

"Indications" are that someone has turned States'. Could this be the evidence used by Patrick Fitzgerald to jail Judith Miller for 85 days because of a story she didn't even file? The Daily News again:

Cheney's name has come up amid indications Fitzgerald may be edging closer to a blockbuster conspiracy charge - with help from a secret snitch.

"They have got a senior cooperating witness - someone who is giving them all of that," a source who has been questioned in the leak probe told the Daily News yesterday.

Of course, in the absence of certainty and with only minimal leaks, speculation is getting a little out of control. Of course, these newspapers may have very good sourcing and maybe some of the speculation is well founded. We will not know until sometime later in the week.

The veracity of this speculation and reporting is a known unknown, as Rumsfeld would say.

It should be noted that two items appear to link up: 1. There was very, very good evidence that kept Miller in jail. 2. The aforementioned source says they have flipped someone for testimony.

Back to the tea leaves. This from the Washington Post:

Lawyers in the case said Fitzgerald has focused extensively on whether behind-the-scenes efforts by the vice president's aides and other senior Bush aides were part of a criminal campaign to punish Wilson in part by unmasking his wife.

Note the plural: Lawyers. Note the lack of a possessive as with the "vice president's aides": Other senior aides. Note the tone here: "to punish Wilson".

One more comment: Ari Fleischer has been mentioned in this case time and again, but no one knows much more.

The White House Iraq Group is all over the news on this story as well. Read the Wikipedia on WHIG.