Ok. We get it already. You’re obsessed about the CIA Leak Scandal story, otherwise known as “Plamegate”, “Rovegate” and—God help us—”Fitzmas”. You salivate over the possibility of indictments, of once smug administration officials being frog marched out of their offices. You compulsively check for new dirt on the dozens of sites who immediately analyze every rumor, half-truth, astrological prediction, facial expression and noxious odor coming from a 500 mile radius of Patrick Fitzgerald’s legal team.

Don’t feel bad. The possibility of something finally sticking to the previously Tefloned Bush team has everyone buzzing with anticipation, and consequently people are starting to perform the analytical equivalent of Jason Biggs dancing around in his underwear in American Pie—common sense being overruled by a rush of hormones, which will probably lead to a rather disappointing conclusion.

So take a deep breath. Get your heart rate back to normal. Because enough is enough.

Sure, none of us are safe from speculation, but the rumors (and yes, they are rumors) coming from the leak investigation have grown to a fever pitch, expanding daily at an almost exponential level. It wasn’t all that long ago that people were satisfied with Rove and Libby being targets. On Monday and Tuesday, more voices started talking about the direct involvement of Dick Cheney in the plot. And today, the cloud of speculation surrounded George Bush himself, with people claiming that he must have had direct knowledge of Valerie Plame’s outing back in 2003, or even ordered it himself.

It’s a great story, but as of now it’s built on nothing but vapors. No one knows what indictments Fitzgerald will bring down, if any. It may be a big fish like Rove. It may be a low-level staffer who was tossed out as a sacrificial lamb. But, knowing how this administration has operated over the last five years, does anyone really believe that Bush or Cheney would be so foolish as to directly involve themselves with the outing of Valerie Plame and any subsequent coverup? Does anyone really believe that these men aren’t insulated from any legal repercussions rising from this scandal? While there’s always a chance that Bush and Cheney’s arrogance made them careless, it seems doubtful that they would be so careless as to be involved in this at a hands-on level—that’s what underlings are for.

For those of us who once called ourselves part of the “reality based community”, remember that reality isn’t speculation built upon layers of rumor and innuendo. Rumors are a tricky business, because you never quite know where they are coming from and to what purpose; as easily as they could be leaked from sources close to the investigation, they could also be pushed from the administration itself as a way to make the actual charges (if any) look puny and insignificant by comparison. There’s just no way to know for sure.

We’ll find out what Fitzgerald has up his sleeve soon enough. Until then, a little healthy pragmatism will go a long way…even if it isn’t quite as much fun.