[Bush]

Coming to Terms With a Lying President.

Three news stories have dominated the blogosphere in the past 72 hours--the Sy Hersh piece about Iran, the Valerie Plame leak story, and the Bush claims about discovering a biological weapons lab in Iraq following the invasion. I have mostly stayed mum because there doesn't seem to be anything to add to the story. That Bush both wants to invade Iran, possibly with nukes, and won't cop to it are completely unremarkable. Bush's entire presidency has followed that pattern: wishing to enact something radical, denying it, then going ahead and doing it. On the weapons lab? Again, predictable as old faithful: Bush, confronted with an unsavory fact, denies involvment.

The only thing remotely of interest in these stories is why the press don't ignore Bush. Whether he does plan to invade Iran or not, for example, is not something his comments can shed light on. His administration has been a travesty of lies. He has lied directly, indirectly, and has run the federal government as a huge propaganda ministry to forward his lies. He may or may not tell the truth from here to January 2009, but it shouldn't matter; why on earth would anyone take him at his word?

The three stories all underscore the mendacity of the White House--each is slightly different in tone and substance, but each depends on the credibility of the President. I stifle yawns and listen to the back and forth--apologists race forth to explain how, if you cock your head just so, you can see how, technically speaking, the lie was not a lie. This is followed by a credulous reporter sifting through the details and confirming, yes, it's true, if you do cock your head just so, you can see how, technically speaking, the lie was not a lie.

I can't believe there's a person alive who actually believes Bush. There are just those who still have some lucre to bleed from his reign and those who don't. Oh, and I guess those who, by dint of employment, must pretend to believe Bush, in the interest of fair journalism.