From the comment section @C&L:
Did a little checking on Judge John D. Bates….First, he was Ken Starr’s right hand atty. prosecuting(persucuiting) Bill and Hillary during the Whitewater fiasco(NOT guility).
He is the judge who passed down the ruling that Dick Cheney did not have to release the identities of the individuals who attended the secret, behind closed door meetings of the Energy Task Force, and he as, in 2006, appointed by S/C Justice Roberts to be his
special judge in matters relating to foreign relations survillance. Now tell me, was he “hand-picked” to rule on the Plame/Wilson case or what???