Politics As Usual

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
It's probably not possible for a person who agrees with the Administration's policies, or at least finds them to be necessary, to see that the manner in which they were packaged and sold was disingenuous to those of us far closer to the fence.

I don't particularly want to lay out an --- ahem --- nuanced view of why the Administration isn't as dumb as it's now playing on several key Iraq issues, or Medicare reform, or trade policy, or what-have-you, only to be subjected evermore to the "Bush lied!" punchline in response to my posts. The mere contemplation that a GOP politician might not always be truthful remains hil-ar-i-ous to you and Slave and Not Me (in both capitalizations).

I'll give it a go:

• This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and al Qaeda.
  —President Bush, in an exchange with reporters, June 17, 2004
  
  
  [A]cting pursuant to the Constitution and [the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002] is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
  —President Bush, in a letter to Congress outlining the legal justification for commencing war against Iraq, March 18, 2003

Slate

In the words of Fred Kaplan, writing separately in Slate today, President Bush's efforts to suggest a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda "make[]s Bill Clinton's classic line—that the answer to a question "depends on what the meaning of 'is' is"—seem forthright, by comparison."