By: E&P Staff Tom Edsall, the longtime Washington Post reporter who recently took a buyout at the paper, said today in an online chat at the paper's Web site -- his last one, he said -- that he will now be writing for The New Republic and the National Journal.
He also said that he has written a book that will come out in August, "Building Red America" (Basic Books).
The chat led off with a question on the latest turn in the Plame case, which inspired his announcement. Here's how it started.
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Columbia, Md.: I know the Democrats were probably depressed after hearing the news this morning that Rove is not going otbe indicted. What is the mood in "mainstream" media circles to the news. Is there the same depression that they aren't going to be able to use this to attack Bush any longer. Will there be any apologies to Rove from the media for their past coverage of this?
Tom Edsall: This will be my last day doing a Post political chat. I have taken a buy out, and will be working for The New Republic and the National Journal. I will miss doing these conversations which have something I have come to eagerly anticipate every two weeks.
The Rove question -- I think the mood in the "mainstream" media will be ambivalent. Some reporters personally believed Rove was a participant in a criminal disclosure of the identity of a CIA operative. Other reporters, myself included, are concerned about the criminalization of the political process, the use of investigations as political weapons and the failure of elected officials and their challengers to deal directly with the issues that divide them to allow voters to make the choice.
Despite that, I do not think apologies to Rove are warrented. He was the subject of an investigation. That process was reported upon. This chapter has not yet come to a close. Rove may well be called as a witness, and he may be subject to civil litigation initiated by the Wilsons.
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