Rove testified Wednesday he still doesn't recall having spoken with Cooper, the people familiar said.

That's Rove's story and he is sticking to it. He can spin any amount of bullshit that he wants, but that bullshit must convince the grand jury that he is sincere. That is just not going to happen. Sometimes it sucks to be Karl Rove. When you've made your living and reputation doing things like accusing your political opponents of having illegitimate black children or being closet homosexuals...well, your sincerity can be doubted.

Unfortunately, for us, it doesn't look like today will be Fitzmas. I still hope it comes on a Friday or Saturday so we can celebrate without ruining the next day at work. Sources say that Fitz is playing with the manuscripts.

With the completion of Mr. Rove's fifth appearance before the grand jury on Wednesday, Mr. Fitzgerald is now believed to have assembled all of the facts necessary to determine whether to seek an indictment of Mr. Rove or drop the case.

Lawyers in the case said Mr. Fitzgerald would spend the coming days reviewing the transcript of Mr. Rove's three hours of testimony on Wednesday and weigh it against his previous statements to the grand jury as well as the testimony of others, including a sworn statement that Mr. Rove's lawyer gave to the prosecutor earlier this year. The lawyers were granted anonymity so they could speak about the internal legal deliberations in Mr. Rove's case.

Fitz can weigh the testimony all he wants. But I don't see him deciding that Rove was truthful when he said he couldn't remember talking to Matt Cooper and I can't see Rove convincing a jury of that either. Rove may have other, more serious, problems, too. For example, he testified that he only learned of Valerie Plame on July 9, 2003 from columnist Robert Novak. We'll see if that testimony stands up. I highly doubt it.

Karl Rove Valerie Plame Fitzmas