A Rove memo, and the Fever Swamp

The degree of the response remains to be seen, but early indications point to the left-wing Fever Swamp being somewhat a-twitter over a Karl Rove memo submitted as evidence in the case against "Scooter" Libby as an offshoot of the Plame investigation.

The Brad Blog (honored at Bad Blog's Blood) offers this unhinged headline:
'THE PRES' IMPLICATED IN LIBBY CIA LEAK BY CHENEY'S HAND-WRITTEN NOTE

Wishful thinking, Brad.

Here's the note:
Truthout.org

To the left near the margin, it appears to say "Tenet Wilson Memo" (Truthout says the memo was "written by Cheney in September 2003 for White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan").

At the top, there is a sentence in brackets (perhaps referring to a previous memo by Cheney?). It appears to read "[People have made too much of the difference in how I described Karl and Libby]"
followed by
"I've talked to Libby. I said it was rediculous [sic] about Karl and it is ridiculous about Libby[.] Libby was not the source of the Novak story. And he did not leak classified information."

That portion does not appear to be written by Cheney, assuming the lower portion attributed to Cheney is representative of Cheney's writing.
Here's the part attributed to Cheney:

Has to happen today[.]
Call out to key press saying same thing about Scooter as Karl.
Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the guy [the Pres.] [ ] that was asked to stick his neck in the meat grinder because of the incompetence of others.

The part in red was crossed out in the original note, and the green brackets stand in for some space on the paper.
The language used by commentators such as "Brad" would suggest that it's a simple matter of using "that" to replace "the Pres." but the spacing should allow for at least some consideration that a completely alternative ending was contemplated. Not that the note is necessarily important in any case.

In the timeline, the investigation into the Plame case has begun right around this time, and McClellan is apparently fresh from a press conference where questions regarding Karl Rove's involvement were raised.

"Brad" is crazy if he thinks that Bush is implicated in the Plame leak by this memo. It is most simply explained as a sketch of Bush's strategy for dealing with the investigation, as in designating a point man for fielding questions.

I'd like to see how this evidence is treated in the court proceedings, however.

I don't know whose incompetence Cheney speaks of (Richard Armitage?).

My best guess is that Armitage is the incompetent one and the one who would be protected without a crisp defense of Rove and Libby.

There's nothing here to implicate Bush unless I have completely mistranslated the page.