Another Important Question Goes Unanswered

Here's a really important question not given any answer by Tony the Snow job in Friday's briefing:

Q How long has the President known Richard Armitage leaked Valerie Plame's name?

MR. SNOW: I don't know. I don't know if he knew.

Q Could you find out for us?

MR. SNOW: No.

Q Why not?

MR. SNOW: Because when you get into these things what you're asking about is details on which we're not commenting. Why don't you ask when everything has been fully litigated and when we're in a position to be able to say whatever we might want to say. But in the context of an ongoing investigation and ongoing litigation that involves Scooter Libby, as inviting as it may be to ask who ought to apologize, or who knew what when, or to do that sort of thing, it's best just to keep my mouth shut. And that's what I'm going to do.

Q Who does know?

MR. SNOW: You're the reporter. You're the reporter. You're asking me --

Q Well, you may not know because you came in late. But who in the administration does?

MR. SNOW: Again, let me repeat what I said. We've got ongoing litigation. I'm just not going to get into any of this stuff. Ask Richard Armitage who he talked to. Maybe he'll be able to do it. He's writing op-eds now.

"I don't know if he knew?" Which is worse: that he didn't know, or that he knew it and took no action as promised?