Awaiting indictments....

Stalin does not have the gift of foresight, except when it comes to what God's Own Circus is going to do - and that's not a supernatural gift, it just comes from long and dreary experience.

The buzz around Washington and in the political class is that, yes, Rove and "Scooter" Libby will be indicted, and if indicted, convicted and sent to jail. Tantalizing rumors - in the Wall Street Journal - indicate that Satan's butt boy, Dick Cheney, may be implicated.

So, what are we to expect?

The wingnut media sphere - everybody from the Journal's editorial page (which the real journalists at that paper despise) to the WashTimes to Faux "News" will predictably begin echoing the same talking points. Expect to hear the phrase "A ham sandwich can be indicted" very often.

You'll also hear much more of the fatuous talk about how Valerie Plame was a pencil-pusher of no significance, which is probably, dearest wingnuts, why the CIA demanded the leak probe in the first place.

In addition, expect much blather about Patrick Fitzgerald, and some variation of "He's in this to make a name/make money/get a job in a Democratic administration/get a publishing contract". You know it's going to happen.

Odds are good we'll also hear the name Bill Clinton bandied about, with much of the usual indignation about blow jobs. Expect every single made-up Clinton "scandal" to be trumpeted at length. Sean Hannity might even have to bring out the heavy guns and speculate about Vince Foster; it might be that bad.

Basically, after denying anything happened, they'll move to denying that what happened was too important, let alone a crime, and that the people persecuting them (to anticipate some of the rhetoric) are bad people with ulterior motives.

This scenario has happened to Jim Jeffords, Paul O'Neill, Richard Clarke, Michael Moore, George Soros, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Cindy Sheehan, Paul Hackett, and to countless others. It will happen again, because that's the only response the wingers have to clear and compelling evidence of their own criminality: muddy the waters, blame the other guy, divert, feint, and try like hell to change the subject.

Just remember, you read it here first.