What explains the ongoing delay in his official selection for the post, probably arranged by his cousin Michael Horowitz, which three separate pieces in the New York Sun since early May assured readers was all but guaranteed.

New York Sun staff writer Eli Lake reported on May 5th that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice would name Lefkowitz to the new post created by special legislation late last year.

Two weeks later, Eli Lake wrote another story which treated the Lefkowitz nomination as accepted fact, as did the Sun's June 17th editorial probably written by Editor Seth Lipsky, who Eric Breindel considered incredibly "pompous."

Is the possible implosion of Lefkowitz's nomination connected to the flurry of reports.

and letters to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and White House chief of staff Andy Card that implicated Lefkowitz in the illegal dismissal of Evan Gahr under pressure from Karl Rove, with whom he worked closely, and, even more damning, his cousin Michael Horowitz terrorizing the journalist's own father after he linked his dismissal to the White House?

At the very least, Lefkowitz, as OMB general counsel, had jurisdiction over the federal contracts that would have been used to coerce Hudson into firing Evan Gahr. Another Jewish employee who embarrassed the White House also parted ways with Hudson under mysterious circumstances following complaints from Tim Goeglein, with whom Lefkowitz worked closely at the White House.

Pressed on these matters since July 2001, Lefkowitz has never given a single coherent reply.

He doesn't even bother with a non-denial denial.

"I have no comment [on the White House role in your dismissal]. I have no comment until the end of time."

Meanwhile, former Faith Based Initiative director John DiIullio says the White House phone calls could be illegal.

Why has Lake refused to report about Lefkowitz's possible complicity in the Hudson Institute firing Evan Gahr amid White House phone calls about the matter of his employment?

"You fucking wage a jihad against Jay Lefkowitz and you fucking expect me to write about it? What the fuck is that about?"

Cursing is macho preening. The week before, Lake admitted that his own name is on the line here. In three seperate stories, he described the Lefkowitz nomination as a sure thing.

But the most deceitful story, the one that could damage his credibility, is the one that reported Lefkowitz was abruptly removed from the schedule of the Freedom House conference on North Korea where he was "scheduled to speak" and announce his assumption to the new post. Lake quoted Congressman Frank Wolf and a former American ambassador to Hungary expressing bewilderment at the delay. But there's no mystery here.

Even after his appearance at the conference was abruptly cancelled, Lake did another story that didn't mention the "delay" and simply repeated that the nomination was widely expected. Lake tells only the partial truth about Lefkowitz. What is that called when witnesses under oath tell under the partial truth?

Evan Gahr EvanGahr@aol.com has written for the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Washington Jewish Week and many other publications.