Leak Denials by Rove, VP's office, and NSA's office.

White House Spokesman Scott McClellan asked Karl Rove, vice presidential chief of staff Lewis Libby and National Security Council senior director Elliott Abrams, had each denied being the source of the leak, which identified CIA operative Valerie Plame.

I suppose White House reporters said "Well, did anyone ask them?" And there had been no denial by these three, on whom much suspicion rests. However, someone did leak to Kovak, and whoever did should stand before a judge.

It remains unclear that there were any leaks which pre-dated Kovak -- that claim, made in the WAPost 2 weeks ago which launched the present leak frenzy, has yet to be substantiated by a journalist coming forward as a recipient. The claim may be a chimera, planted by politically battling members of the administration (Bush Senior Administration members eat their own).

And it remains uncertain that any of the "pushing" of the story by Karl Rove's office -- as described by Andrea Mitchell of NBC in NEWSWEEK this week -- was a leak itself, or in any way illegal.

The focus should be on the Kovak leak.