The Plame Affair was at least as much of a political dog-and-pony show as the whole Clinton impeachment thing was. I don't think anybody honestly believes that it was all about preserving national secrets, particularly since the very same institutions screaming about Plame's security status have no problems pouring classified information into their newspapers when there's a political axe to grind.

The Left's goal, in their words, was "Rove frog-marched to jail," and in their wet dreams, Cheney. They didn't give a rat's rump about Plame.

As for your legal example, I'm sure there are times when information is different for trial and sentencing, but as the brief I included showed, this information was deliberately excluded from the trial phase as having "no relevance" to the specific charges. Not only that, but the CIA kept claiming they couldn't come up with the information.

I have seen some spectacular mental leaps on liberal web sites to show why Libby's perjury had something to do with the amount of "damage" caused by the Plame leak, but nothing that stands up.

Fitzgerald knew Armitage was the source of the Novak leak almost from day one. Yet the fishing expedition kept going. Nobody is being kidded here about what this trial was meant to accomplish.