Leaks, Lies and the CIA Spy

The outing of CIA operative Valerie Wilson (né Plame) consumed Washington for three years. The case received a radical reconfiguring when former State Department bigwig Richard Armitage confirmed that he was the original source for columnist Robert Novak's revelation. Novak weighed in last week, calling Armitage's contrition bogus and the leak deliberate. In the D.C. bureau of Fox News, anchor Brit Hume goaded Plamegate chronicler David Corn into an off-camera shouting spree. "Both leaked classified information, Brit!" Corn raged. "Go ahead and laugh!" Here, TIME re-evaluates some major players. [This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]

CAST OF CHARACTERS WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHAT SEEMS TO BE TRUE NOW FUTURE EMPLOYMENT POSSIBILITIES Richard Armitage Press-friendly best bud of Colin Powell was thought to oppose the war without saying so publicly. Source of leak to discredit Joe Wilson, who tried to discredit Bush case for war. A bit discredited now himself. Cabinet post in a McCain Administration; failing that, he can always write his tell-all memoirs. Robert Novak Conservative pundit known as the Prince of Darkness; assumed (wrongly) by liberals to be Bush lackey. Always a war skeptic; complained that Armitage treated him "with disdain" in years before the leak. Will write must-read (in Washington) columns until they pry his keyboard from his cold, dead hands. "Scooter" Libby Cheney's Cheney; sly neo-con breakfast confidant of reporter Judy Miller; the only one indicted in the affair. Charged with lying about his chat with Tim Russert; turns out the cliché is true--it really is the cover-up! If he's convicted, prison could provide material for The Inmate, a sequel to first novel, The Apprentice. David Corn Actually, you don't know him; he writes for lefty mag the Nation; co- wrote the book that outed Armitage. Despite his scoop, he--with other liberals--still sees scandal in Bush aides' efforts to tarnish Wilson. Could write next Clooney screenplay or take unpaid post at Air America; Fox & Friends unlikely to call.