Is President George Bush’s political “brain” Karl Rove the one to blame in Plame? This scandal, involving revealing an intelligent agent’s name, shield laws, and the general use of journalists unnamed sources, shows no signs of abating — and Rove is now under the microscope.

It’s a question that is very blunt and it comes via David Schraub, the newest co-blogger on my blog The Moderate Voice. But read it on his site since it is truly remarkable.

I am a supporter of press freedom and have always been in favor reporters being able to keep their sources confidential. I must admit I can’t get too upset about Judith Miller spending some time behind bars. Judith Miller has not been a reporter but simply a part of the administration propaganda machine. She pushed the lies of the administration about justification for the Iraq war like an employee of the ministry of propaganda not like a journalistic member of a free press. The question has to arise, was she trying to protect a confidential source or a felon in high government places. As Jazz points out, there are rumors that it’s lower than the lowest pond scum Karl Rove who is going to be fingered. That still seems to be too good to be true.

The reality is we have not had a free press is this country for 15 or 20 years, maybe longer. We have had a vast right wing propaganda machine that went after a Democratic president with vengeance for a harmless indiscretion while ignoring, and in fact pushing, the lies of George W. Bush that resulted in the deaths of thousands. I’m sorry Judy, you are not a journalist so you don’t deserve any protection as one.