MB reader Jeanne B. suggested that I start a “dishonor roll” of press stories that reprint Wilson’s lies as fact or whitewash his lack of credibility out of their accounts. I think it’s a great idea. Today’s candidate for the dishonor roll is the Associated Press. Here’s how the AP described Wilson in an article about the Cheney developments today:

The Cheney-Libby conversation occurred the same day that The Washington Post published a front-page story about the CIA sending a retired diplomat to Africa, where he was unable to corroborate intelligence that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium yellowcake from Niger. The diplomat was Wilson.

Actually, the Senate Intelligence Committee found evidence that Wilson’s trip did corroborate intelligence that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Niger — he just lied and said it didn’t. He also lied to Walter Pincus, who wrote the Washington Post story. As Stephen F. Hayes reported, Wilson told Pincus “that he had seen documents about the alleged sale [of uranium to Niger] and determined that they were forgeries.” This, as Hayes reported, “was a fabrication. We know this because Wilson took his trip in February 2002 and the U.S. government did not receive those documents until October 2002. It could not have happened the way Wilson described it to Pincus.”

Please e-mail any other nominees for the dishonor roll, and I’ll send them a copy of my open letter to the press.