Liberals are really trying to make a big story out of this. First trying to twist Joe Wilsons Nigerian factfinding trip into proof that "Bush Lied" (nevermind that the word lie means to knowingly make a false statement), then attempting to portray Karl Rove as one who reveals secret agents (nevermind that many in Washington already knew Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked for the CIA, Plame evidently wasn't a secret agent and nevermind that Congress members such as John Kerry have revealed real undercover agents names recklessly in hearings) Explore this stories timeline in SandyBergersPants.

Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame, Karl Rove Timeline

1992
George Herbert Walker Bush appoints Joe Wilson as ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé.


2000
Joe Wilson contributes $1000 to GWB Campaign, $1000 to Gore Campaign. Votes for Al Gore.


February 2002
Joe Wilson travels to Niger at the request of the CIA.


March 2002
Media revisionist history, and therefore public opinion is that Joe Wilson reports to the CIA that Iraq did not try to purchase uranium from Niger. 
Actually his trip was not proof of bogus intelligence. Quoting the Senate Intelligence Committee's Report on Prewar Intelligence...

"[The CIA's DO said Wilson's information] did not provide substantial new information. He said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerian Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting. [...] DIA and CIA analysts said that when they saw the intelligence report they did not believe that it supplied much new information and did not think that it clarified the story on the alleged Iraq-Niger uranium deal. They did not find Nigerian denial that they had discussed uranium sales with Iraq as very surprising because they had no expectation that Niger would admit to such an agreement if it did exist. The analysts did, however, find it interesting that the former Nigerian Prime Minister said an Iraqi delegation had visited Niger for what he believed was to discuss uranium sales."

Let me unpack that one for you! In other words...The CIA says that in Wilson's report: Nigeria admitted that an Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, The prime Minister believed the Iraqis were wanting to buy uranium. 

Wilson even said at the time "I never claimed to have “debunked” the allegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa." 

October 2002

October 10, 2002: Congress authorizes the President to "use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to-- (1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq." 

January 2003

January 29: President George W. Bush gives his State of the Union speech. Toward the end of the speech Bush says, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." 

March 2003

19 March, 2003: President Bush orders the invasion of Iraq. 

May 2003

2 May, 2003: Joe Wilson meets New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof on a panel. 
6 May, 2003: Kristof publishes the first public account of Joe Wilson's mission to Niger. Joe Wilson is only identified as a "former U.S. ambassador to Africa" in the piece. 


July 2003

6 July 2003: Joe Wilson's New York Times Op-Ed article "What I Didn't Find in Africa" is published. In Wilson's hard hitting investigation he "spent the next eight days drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people: current government officials, former government officials, people associated with the country's uranium business. It did not take long to conclude that it was highly doubtful that any such transaction had ever taken place." Wilson essentially repeats and reinforces the poolside denials while ommiting the facts in his CIA report of a visiting Iraqi delegation and the Nigerian Prime Ministers belief that they wanted uranium.