The fact that in speaking with Cooper, Rove did not state Plame's name specifically, and instead chose to name her by marital status, tells me that he knew exactly what he was doing. I find it extremely hard to believe that someone as knowledgeable as Rove was unaware of her name. In fact, with it coming out today that when asked by Republicans (!) why was he pursuing Wilson so intensively, Rove responded because "he's a Democrat."

Given how Rove operates, with thorough, almost obsessive, research, it's just ludicrous to believe that he did not come across Valerie's name at some point. He did not deny that he was pursuing Wilson so aggressively but rather confirmed it with the "he's a Democrat" response. It simply stands to reason that Rove knew her name before speaking with Cooper, but even more so knew the law well enough to make sure that he skirted it ever so slightly, clearly conveying his message (as Cooper confirmed) at the same time.

He's simply one evil SOB. We'll have to wait and see if any CIA agents were killed as a result of this leak. In the meantime, it's quite ironic to see such a "righteous" figure serve as the brains and driving force on the side that has most of the born-agains, evangelicals, etc. Funny how they know when to rise up with rage -- and when to simply look the other way (as Jesus would have done???).