Why the Rove Issue Matters

John Aravosis of AMERICAblog sums it up perfectly:

Perhaps the best part of "Today's" interview with Ambassador Joe Wilson? His emphasis on a conspiracy and the lies the White House peddled to sell the war in Iraq. Some people fear Rove is a "distraction" from the DSM et al. But Wilson reminds us that this is why they attacked him in the first place.

Wilson emphasized that this is about the war in Iraq and the lies the White House used to sell that war. Tony Blair offered up shoddily forged documents claiming the weak and enfeebled Hussein was trying to buy radioactive material in Africa. Bush sent Joe Wilson to check it out. Joe Wilson came back and said it wasn't true -- the evidence didn't hold up. Bush didn't like that answer so they sent someone else to investigate. They came back and said the same thing: the proof isn't there. Bush STILL didn't like that answer so they sent someone else. Three separate investigations and all three said the same thing: no go.

But Bush lied anyway. In his State of the Union address leading up to the war, Bush stated flatly in 16 fatal words that Hussein had gone to Africa to buy radioactive material. Wilson was astonished and finally decided to come forward and speak out publicly -- the very thing the far right just excoriated Deep Throat for not doing. Wilson knew it meant they would attack and smear him but he came forward anyway. Those 16 words -- that lie -- became the focus of intense debate and ultimately Joe Wilson was vindicated: the White House admitted it didn't have the proof to back up that claim. According to the Bush Administration, Joe Wilson was right and they were wrong.

[snip]

Why? Because it's all about Iraq. The White House had two "smoking guns" in convincing the American people to go to war. The tubes and the claim that Hussein was actively trying to buy radioactive material. Both were lies. The Bush administration didn't "get it wrong," they knew what they were saying wasn't supported by the facts and they said it anyway.

To see the full transcript and video of Ambassador Joe Wilson on the Today Show, click this link.