CNN reports that "President Bush appeared to backtrack Monday from his 2004 pledge to fire anyone involved in leaking the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame." See if you can find the inconsistency, because I don't see it.

"If there's a leak out of my administration I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of." -- President Bush, September 30, 2003, as reported by CNN.

"I think it's best if people wait until the investigation is complete before you jump to conclusions. I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts. And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration." -- President Bush, July 19, 2005, as reported by CNN.

That appears to be pretty consistent. But the liberals in the mainstream media appear to be ignoring his initial remarks, and are reacting only to this question from a June 10th, 2004 press conference, where the media misrepresented his original statement.

Q: Given recent developments in the CIA leak case, particularly Vice President [Dick] Cheney's discussions with the investigators, do you still stand by what you said several months ago, a suggestion that it might be difficult to identify anybody who leaked the agent's name?

BUSH: That's up to --

Q: And, and, do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?

BUSH: Yes. And that's up to the U.S. attorney to find the facts.

Then there's this question to Scott McClellan during Monday's press conference, from Terry Hunt. (emphasis mine)

Scott, the President seemed to raise the bar and add a qualifier today when discussing whether or not anybody would be dismissed for -- in the leak of a CIA officer's name, in which he said that he would -- if someone is found to have committed a crime, they would no longer work in this administration. That's never been part of the standard before, why is that added now?

Isn't "violated the law" the same as "commited a crime", or did the meaning change from 2003 to 2005? Who's the one being inconsistent here?

Mark Felt, American Hero, could not be reached for comment.