Rove should be fired, outed spy’s husband says

WASHINGTON - Presidential adviser Karl Rove should be fired for his role in the CIA leak, the husband of the agent whose cover was exposed told NBC’s “Today” show on Monday.

“I think the president should fire him ... these are firing offenses,” Joe Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador, said of Rove.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties have called for a shake-up of Bush's administration following Friday's indictment of Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, on obstruction of justice and perjury charges in a 2-year-old investigation into who leaked CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity, faces a trial. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 30 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines.

The Senate’s top Democrat also said Rove should be fired and suggested that Bush should apologize for Libby’s alleged actions. And a veteran Republican senator added that Bush needs to bring "new blood" into his White House.

Wilson said Rove also had a role since Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper has said it was Rove who told him about Plame.

Rove is a “party to the compromise of national security of this country,” Wilson alleged. Rove was not indicted Friday but was told that he remains under investigation.

Wilson also welcomed Libby’s indictment, saying it showed that “no man is above the law” in the United States.

Wilson contends that his wife’s identity was deliberately revealed by the Bush administration to get back at him for publicly challenging U.S. prewar intelligence on Iraq.

Wilson added that “we have received threats” over their allegations and have had to change their phone listing as a result.

Senators call for changes
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Sunday that Rove should resign because of his role in exposing an undercover CIA officer.

"First of all, the vice president issues this very terse statement praising Libby for all the great things he's done," Reid said. "Then we have the president come on camera a few minutes later calling him Scooter and what a great patriot he is. There has not been an apology to the American people for this obvious problem in the White House," Reid, D-Nev., told ABC's "This Week."

Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said Cheney should "come clean" about his involvement and why he discussed Plame with Libby before Libby spoke to reporters about her.

"What did the vice president know? What were his intentions?" Dodd asked on "Fox News Sunday."

"Now, there's no suggestion the vice president is guilty of any crime here whatsoever. But if our standard is just criminality, then we're never going to get to the bottom of this," Dodd said.

Republican Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi said Bush should be on the lookout for "new blood, new energy, qualified staff, new people in administration." He said poor advice may have even contributed to the failed nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

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