The NY Times Headline You'll Never See

"Karl Rove, Lewis Libby Likely Cleared on Leakgate Charges"

Well, golly, why would you, since the Senate Intelligence Committee report on "Plamegate" established that fact over a year ago.

So what is the Extreme Media trying to hang its breathless hat on?

Instead, the paper said, conflicting accounts given by Mr. Rove and Mr. Libby have been the focus of Mr. Fitzgerald's probe "almost from the start" - raising questions about whether the respected prosecutor continued his investigation after determining that no underlying crime had been committed....

Instead, the Times said: "Among the charges that Mr. Fitzgerald is considering are perjury, obstruction of justice and false statement" - raising speculation that the Leakgate case may devolve into a Martha Stewart-like prosecution, which drew howls of derision from legal critics.

Just one - okay, a ton, but we'll be brief - little problem with that:

It's still not clear that Rove and Libby would be indicted even if Fitzgerald could prove they gave false testimony to the grand jury.

In 2000, Independent Counsel Robert Ray concluded that then-first lady Hillary Clinton had provided materially false testimony in the Travelgate investigation.

Mr. Ray declined to indict, however - explaining that he could not prove that Mrs. Clinton's false statements were intentional.

The press wants that "frog-march" so bad they can taste it. And if it doesn't happen? Well, that's not a possibility. Because, you know, they want it, so it's going to happen. So there.

Besides, they can always cry "COVERUP!!!!!" and start agitating for bringing back the Independent Counsel law again.

And Bush'll do it, too, especially if it means getting Harriet Miers on the SCOTUS.

Ditto heaving Rove and Libby overboard like Haldeman and Ehrlichmann of old.

Geez, maybe those guys are in trouble after all.