M. Scott Waas

Slowly but surely, investigative reporter Murray Waas has been putting together a narrative about how President Bush and his top aides contrived their bogus case for war.

What emerges in Waas's stories is a consistent White House modus operandi: That time andagain, Bush and his aides have selectively leaked or declassified intelligence findings that served their political agenda.

The latest entry in Waas's saga came yesterday in the highly respected National Journal. Waas writes: "Karl Rove, President Bush's political adviser, cautioned White House aides that Bush's re-election prospects would be damaged if it was disclosed that he had been warned that a key rationale for going to war had been challenged.

Waas's narrative also helps explain why the White House felt so compelled to discredit former ambassador Joseph Wilson.