Bush's new tactic on Plamegate

The polling numbers on the president's Valerie Plame leak must not be good-- the White House is already shifting its position since last week. After ending last week with the usual macho "I did it, I'd do it again, and it's perfectly legal" posturing, it looks like Bush is ready to shift the blame anyway.

A senior administration official confirmed for the first time on Sunday that President Bush had ordered the declassification of parts of a prewar intelligence report on Iraq in an effort to rebut critics who said the administration had exaggerated the nuclear threat posed by Saddam Hussein.

But the official said that Mr. Bush did not designate Vice PresidentDick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., or anyone else, to release the information to reporters.

The statement by the official came after the White House had declined to confirm, for three days, Mr. Libby's grand jury testimony that he had been told by Mr. Cheney that Mr. Bush had authorized the disclosure. The official declined to be named, because of an administration policy of not commenting on issues now in court. Confirmation that Mr. Bush ordered the declassification was published late Saturday by The Associated Press, which quoted "an attorney knowledgeable about the case." Once it appeared, the administration official was willing to confirm its details.

See? Now it's "I authorized the declassification, but didn't do the leaking." AKA the overzealous staffer defense. My guess is that Bush wants to look resolute while actually passing the buck.