Team Rove stabs Richard Armitage in the back ... and the knife will be cruelly twisted in the days and weeks ahead ...

The closing statements in the latest National Review Online read, "Those who tried to turn the Plame kerfuffle into Watergate threw around words like 'treason' and 'slander' (though interestingly, not 'godless'). Armitage appears to be guilty of nothing of the sort. But it does seem that he was careless with secret information, eager to cover his own backside, and heedless of the consequences his actions had for others."

Clearly NRO was trying (NOT) to be "nice" to Mr. Richard Armitage (above left) -- one of the finest public servants ever, in my opinion, with its kindly conclusion to the Plamegate Affair, which NRO entitled, "Eternal Plame."

But, of course it got the knife in deep earlier in the article. It mentioned in passing that, had Mr. Armitage come clean early in the affair, (1) millions of taxpayers dollars would have been saved, (2) "innocent White House officials" [would not have been] distracted from serving their country, (3) Scooter Libby [would not have] lost his job and [would not be] under indictment, and (4) "the Democratic left, putting its faith in scandal to bring down the Bush Administration, ... [would not have]... become even more fatuous and ineffective."

But the knife hasn't even begun to be twisted in Mr. Armitage's (and Colin Powell's by extension) back.

I don't have the answers, but take my word for this:

1. Richard Armitage was NOT careless with secret information,

2. Richard Armitage was NOT eager to cover his own backside, and

3. Richard Armitage was NOT heedless of the consequences his actions had for others.

4. Further, Karl Rove is in some way behind all of this -- the most hideous backstab about which I ever recall having seen or heard.

Richard Armitage may take the fall for this, but I hope not! He is a Vietnam veteran and tireless worker for truth who puts his country first. The truth in this entire affair will come out. My personal guess is that this is, in some way, related to Undersecretary Armitage's and Secretary Powell's pre-Iraq War belief in containment ... versus preemptive invasion.

I have faith in Patrick Fitzgerald ... as my Brother, Richard from Connecticut referred to him ... the Eliot Ness of 2006!

Please, Mr. Fitzgerald, do not close the investigation down ... not quite yet!!