Well, it is actually Novak the bastard. I knew the second I saw his labeling of Wilson's wife as a CIA operative that he'd screwed up. That factoid was not needed for his story. The news items was How did a nut like Wilson get the gig to Niger? Well, his wife set it up for him. There was never any administration conspiracy to out the woman. The administration wanted to make clear that (a) Cheney did not send him and (b) Wilson was a fool who was then and there blasting the administration (and who was later found by the Senate to be lying through his teeth). Fair to fight back. But dumass Novak made himself the story, and caused a lot of needless trouble for many people.