President Bush yesterday urged his staff to comply with the Justice Department investigation over who within the White House outed the identity of an undercover CIA operative to the press. Bush said “I want there to be full participation because I am most interested in finding out the truth.” Although the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame was revealed in mid-July, yesterday’s comments marked Bush’s first extensive statement on the matter. Meanwhile suspicion that Bush’s senior advisor Karl Rove may be behind the leak is increasing again. Newsweek is reporting that Rove personally called MSNBC host Chris Matthews to tell him that Plame was “fair game.” The call was made shortly after conservative columnist Robert Novak named Plame in his syndicated column. And the Washington Post examines today how Novak has long relied on foreign policy hardliners for classified information. The Post recalls that in 1975 then Congressional aide Richard Perle revealed to Novak that President Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were prepared to make nuclear concessions to the Soviet Union. It was a move opposed by then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Court: State Can Drug Death Row Prisoners

• The Supreme Court backed a lower court ruling yesterday that allows officials in Arkansas to force a convicted murderer to take drugs that would make him sane enough to be executed.

Sen. Graham Drops Out of 2004 Race

• Sen. Bob Graham of Florida announced last night he was dropping out of the 2004 race for president.