Your synopsis is not congruent with the events. The courts are forcing information to be handed over - if it had been anyone but a Republican, erso Rove, the secret would have remained buried as deep as Deep Throat.
I would usually agree, but this is a little different in the dynamics. The Dims made such a ruckus over this as an opportunity to hurt Bush, that the MSM was only too happy to spread it far and wide. It eventually hit the Federal Courts and then got a life of its own. I believe there is a good possibility that the Dims have inadvertantly put themselves in an awkward place. If it had been a republican, especially someone close to Bush, I think it would have leaked out early on and the case would be moot. The fact that it is taking so long to come to light seems to indicate it was a Dim who did it.