Marsh argues that the Whitewater prosecutor is trying to "intimidate the press" in search of the source of damaging leaks about two Starr aides. She has a point; Starr's request is for "any and all documents referring to... any contact directly or indirectly with a member of the media which related or referred to the OIC or any staff members of the OIC." Quite a mouthful -- Marsh claims this subpoena is so open-ended it could even apply to Blumenthal's previous life as a reporter.
There's a more subtle game being played out here -- an endgame, in fact, between Starr and the White House. Someone did leak information to the press about prosecutors Bruce Udolf and Mike Emmick's previous records of riding roughshod over defendants' rights. Blumenthal, a master of White House spin, is a plausible suspect. But by bringing his accusation out into the open, Starr risks losing even more public sympathy and congressional support.