ThinkProgress has a spot-on post today about Al Gonzales' excuse for giving Andy Card a twelve hour heads-up on the DOJ order to preserve White House documents relating to the Plame leak. Gonzales says that then-AG John Ashcroft or his subordinates said it was okay.

If that's true, then the proper response is certainly to tell Ashcroft that there's plenty of room in the Plame-obstruction cauldron, so jump right in. I mean, really. Rove worked on and off for Ashcroft for two decades. And he was a key player in getting Ashcroft off the unemployment line (after losing his senate seat to the then-recently-deceased Mel Carnahan) and into a new job (Attorney General).

Indeed, he eventually had to recuse himself from the case -- which is how the to-all-appearances aggressive and independent Patrick Fitzgerald ended up getting the appointment.