[Cathie Martin] recounted a senior staff meeting at the White House in which Stephen J. Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, expressed anger after receiving a query from Andrea Mitchell of NBC. Ms. Mitchell had heard that the White House was blaming the C.I.A. for causing the president to inaccurately say in his State of the Union address that the British government had confirmed Iraq's efforts to buy uranium in Africa.

Ms. Martin made it clear earlier on Thursday that it was Mr. Libby who had gone out of his way to take on the task of speaking to Ms. Mitchell about that issue.

But at the July meeting in the White House, she said, Mr. Hadley made a point of turning around and looking directly at her as if to signify he knew she was Ms. Mitchell's source.

Ms. Martin was asked by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the prosecutor, whether she was, in fact, the source.

"No," she said.

Mr. Fitzgerald asked what Mr. Libby was doing when Mr. Hadley was all but accusing her.

"He was looking down at the floor," she said.

And All The Crow You Can Eat

Perhaps I was too hasty in bashing Marty Peretz. I fear I've blown my big chance to snag a coveted dogsboy slot at TNR:

REPORTER-RESEARCHER

THE NEW REPUBLIC is looking for reporter-researchers for the 2007-2008 internship program. Job duties include reporting, research, and fact-checking for TNR and TNR Online stories, formatting articles and blog posts for the Web, and occasional clerical tasks. Reporter-researchers get to work with writers, editors, and have an open invitation to pitch magazine or Web articles. Political journalism experience is preferred (but not imperative); fluency with LexisNexis and other search techniques is mandatory. The yearlong job begins in late summer 2007 and pays $264 (plus substantial overtime) per week with health insurance.

If I suggest replacing "fluency with LexisNexis" to "proficiency with LexisNexis," can I have an editor's job?

On the other hand, it's nice to see TNR fill Peter Beinart's job while he's serving in Iraq.

Desperate Housewives

John Forbes Kerry is not running for president, and that's because no one was following him in his race. Well, maybe Teresa. But maybe not.

No such trouble for Marty. When he's kept, he stays kept!

Write Your Own Joke

Current top "Latest News" headline on CNN.com:

CNN Hummer: $1.25M for charity

Howard Kurtz has a problem with the First Amendment. He's never read it.

On this morning's Reliable Republicans, Kurtz interviewed Mike Stark of Calling All Wingnuts about Spocko's brilliant campaign to expose KSFO's brand of bargain-basement bigotry to unsuspecting ad buyers. At one point, Kurtz said to Stark, as a statement not a question,

"but you seem to have a problem with the First Amendment."

Yes, a media critic who doesn't understand the First Amendement. Of course, Stark, a citizen holding no political office, couldn't violate the First Amendment if he tried. And Stark didn't call upon the government to silence KKKSFO. But for Kurtz, the mere act of criticizing the haters who call for the murder of Nancy Pelosi, Bill Keller and millions of Muslims is not an act of free speech but a violation of the constitution.

To be fair, Howie did select Fred Flintstone to provide the counterpoint to Stark. But since Howie was making all the points Fred couldn't manage to spit out, Fred was superfluous.

(Link to transcript when it becomes available.)