The key bit is this question about how Novak knew to use the name "Plame"--essentially Ms Wilson's workname--in the original article, a question Kevin Drum and Swopa have been all over. The memo doesn't use that name, so where did Novak get it? The speculative answer is Judy Miller. Her big background connection with the case is her work on WMD issues, and it's not implausible that she knew Plame's CIA role, maybe even had her as a source, potential or actual at some point. 

So Judy knows "Plame," and fills in that detail for Novak, who can't resist pushing the dagger in a little deeper by using her workname in his article. As Swopa points out these "B Team" guys have always despised the actual professionals in the CIA. "It's a Sicilian message." Plus Novak is reputed to just love kicking the hornets' nests whenever he can, as hard as he can. So "Plame" is the key--the name, not the "identity"--but it comes from Judy, not Rove.

Is that why Rove and Luskin are leaking this story? It starts looking like a Judy Miller op, rather than a Rove op. Rove and the guys on Air Force 1 see the memo, but (they will claim) didn't act on the Wilson-wife information. It wasn't their initiative. "The media" (i.e., Judy) "knew about her CIA status," they will say. "Everyone" (ie, Judy) "knew about it," they will say. "But we didn't do anything with it--they came to us with it. All we did was, maybe kinda confirm it. You really gonna send one of us up the river for that???"

This seems to be how they're trying to shape the narrative. So that even if Fitz does indict, they can (will) spin it as a grotesque prosecutorial overreach, part of the Bush-hating conspiracy.

Am I missing anything? Anyone else care to have a shot at why Rove/Luskin are leaking THIS info now? Looks they may be throwing Ari's name in there as a target as well....