The Bush administration is attempting to recover its political footing after Friday's indictment of Lewis Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff. While members of Congress and political commentators were weighing the seriousness of the long-term fallout, White House aides seemed to try to change the subject.
DEBBIE ELLIOTT, host: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News.  I'm Debbie Elliott.</s>DEBBIE ELLIOTT, host: The Bush administration is looking ahead, trying to recover from Friday's      indictment of White House aide Lewis Libby on perjury and other charges.      Its strategy appears to be to change the subject even as the debate heats      up over the damage already done.  NPR's Don Gonyea reports from the White      House.</s>DON GONYEA reporting: The investigation by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald took nearly      two years, and the mood at the White House this weekend is that the news,      while certainly not good, could have been worse.  Administration      officials hope that Libby's resignation Friday and the fact that White      House political adviser Karl Rove was not indicted mean they can begin to      put the scandal behind them, but that may not be so easy.  Democrats are      quick to note that Karl Rove remains under investigation, and Democratic      Senate Leader Harry Reid said it's also known that Rove, despite White      House denials, did talk to reporters about the identity of Valerie Plame.      Reid appeared on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."</s>Senator HARRY REID (Democrat, Nevada): He should apologize, the vice      president should apologize.  They should come clean with the American      public. I think Karl Rove should step down.  Here is a man who the      president said if anyone in the administration was involved, out they      would go.  And this was confirmed by...</s>GONYEA: But over on CBS' "Face the Nation," Republican Senator Lindsey      Graham argued that so far the evidence does not implicate Rove.</s>Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM (Republican, South Carolina): But I think the      likelihood of Karl Rove being indicted in the future is virtually zero.      I think this will be seen in history and in politics as Mr. Libby giving      false information, if proven, and it will not be about an effort by the      vice president to disclose a CIA operative.  Mr. Libby...</s>GONYEA: Still, Graham agreed with Democrats that the White House should      itself investigate the vice president's office, but he downplayed the      larger implications of the story.  He denied that Libby's alleged actions      were part of a broad effort by the administration to discredit a critic      of its case for war.</s>Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM (Republican, South Carolina): To those who dislike the war and those who are for the war,      this doesn't prove it one way or the other.  This is about a man who is      alleged to give false information and false testimony...</s>Mr. BOB SCHIEFFER (Host): Well, let me ask Senator Schumer...</s>GONYEA: That's one view, as the debate goes forward, but there are also      those who say you can't separate the leak investigation from the war.      Washington Post columnist David Broder on NBC's "Meet the Press" today.</s>Mr. DAVID BRODER (The Washington Post): The context in which all of this      happened is critical.  In terms of American opinion, the war in Iraq is a      bleeding wound.  It continues to sap the credibility of this presidency.      You talk to any...</s>GONYEA: Which is why an administration that has refused to talk publicly      about the leak investigation is now anxious to talk about anything else.      White House officials tell reporters to look for the president to      announce a new US Supreme Court nominee as early as tomorrow.  That would      be a huge story which might, for a few hours at least, bump the Lewis      Libby indictment from the top of the news.</s>GONYEA: Don Gonyea, NPR News, the White House.