Seriously?
Consequently, when former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson challenged President Bush’s lie that Saddam Hussein imported yellow-cake uranium from Niger to produce nuclear weapons, retaliation by Rove was never in doubt.
This is a lie within a lie. Bush didn't accuse Iraq of importing yellow-cake, he accused them of aspiring to import it, which was demonstrably true based on information available publicly.
Wilson himself is a liar. His statements are riddled with inaccuracies, which any newsman should have been able to pick apart given the interest and will to do so.
Iraq's trade mission to Niger was public knowledge (why Bush credited British intelligence with it is beyond me, since it wasn't secret). What we have learned since is that Niger secretly smuggled yellow-cake to Libya (Wilson's "proof" that Niger would never engage in illegal sales was that, well, they were illegal).
Does he seriously believe that the New York Times would risk jail to protect the White House?
Seriously?
As flawed as they are, the NYT is more than likely interested in protecting the use of anonymous sources in general, not the WH in particular.