LAST SUMMER, New York Times reporter Judith Miller went to jail rather than reveal to Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald the identity of the source who told her that Valerie Plame was an employee of the CIA. Or so she said. But there was always some doubt as to what motivated Miller. It has been widely reported that her source was Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff. Libby himself has testified before Fitzgerald’s grand jury that he met with Miller on July 8, 2003, and discussed Ms. Plame. Further, more than a year ago, both Libby and his lawyer, Joe Tate, signed a document that specifically waived any privilege that might belong to Libby as a source. And Libby has urged any reporters that he spoke to about Ms. Plame to testify, on the ground that their testimony would help to exculpate him. So many observers have wondered whether Miller had a motive for defying the special prosecutor’s subpoena other than “protecting” Libby.

Last week, Miller and her new lawyer, Bob Bennett, announced that she had had a change of heart and was now willing to testify before Fitzgerald’s grand jury and name her source for the Plame “leak.” Miller and Bennett attributed the change to the fact that Libby had contacted Miller and, once again, urged her to testify about their conversation. They suggested that Libby was somehow at fault for not contacting Miller in prison to repeat his waiver of any possible confidentiality. Bennett, for example, said on CNN: