BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: The New York Times is finally reporting on the Joe Wilson fiasco, though in a fashion that tends to understate its importance. You have to read pretty far down, past some rather dry details to get to this:

Instead of assigning a trained intelligence officer to the Niger case, though, the C.I.A. sent a former American ambassador, Joseph Wilson, to talk to former Niger officials. His wife, Valerie Plame, was an officer in the counterproliferation division, and she had suggested that he be sent to Niger, according to the Senate report.

That finding contradicts previous statements by Mr. Wilson, who publicly criticized the Bush administration last year for using the Niger evidence to help justify the war in Iraq. After his wife’s identity as a C.I.A. officer was leaked to the news media, Mr. Wilson said she had not played a role in his assignment, and argued that her C.I.A. employment had been disclosed to punish him.

Meanwhile the Butler Report has been released in Britain, and it’s not helping Joe Wilson’s credibility either. Jan Haugland has some excerpts.

UPDATE: Greg Djerejian, who’s all over this story, says that James Risen makes serious errors in the New York Times story linked above.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Tom Maguire on Risen’s article:

Is this the New NY Times – lock the top reporter in a closet with a 500 page Senate report and a five day deadline? And how is that different from my own humble little blogging, anyway – hey, I am covering this story with as many sources as the NY Times! And more links!

That’s how it’s different.