LITTLE DID THEY COUNT ON BEING HAMMERED DAILY BY THOSE OF US IN THE BLOGOSPHERE THRILLED TO BE WITNESSING UP CLOSE PERHAPS THE DUMBEST ADMINISTRATION IN MODERN HISTORY AND WITH TIME ON OUR HANDS AND A RABID READERSHIP TO SATIATE

The beauty of the internet and its synergistic cousin, 24 hour cable news, is that it is nearly impossible for the comments of a politician leader, particularly one such as George Bush, to go unnoticed. Nor is it possible for any such utterance to ever stand the chance of passing into the ether of ambiguity, where the only record of what is said is lost in the inaccuracy of man’s retelling.

These truths are not lost on the administration this week in light of the release of Lewis Libby’s grand jury testimony, in which the indicted former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, revealed that he was authorized by the President and Vice President to release the name of covert agent Valerie Plame to the media.

For the record, President Bush personally denied six times beginning on 9.30.03 through 07.18.05 that he had had any involvement in the matter. He was joined in his now obvious fib telling by the White House Press Secretary who echoed Mr. Bush’s denials on 9.29.03 and 10.07.03.

For your pleasure and enjoyment, here are those famous denials.

“I don’t know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I’d like to know it, and we’ll take the appropriate action.” President Bush, 9/30/03

“If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of. . . . I have told our administration, people in my administration to be fully cooperative. I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business.” President Bush, 9/30/03

“I’d like to know if somebody in my White House did leak sensitive information.” President Bush, 10/28/03

Reporter: “Do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?”
President Bush: “Yes. And that’s up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts.” President Bush, 6/10/04

“I want to know the truth. … I have no idea whether we’ll find out who the leaker is, partially because, in all due respect to your profession, you do a very good job of protecting the leakers.” President Bush, 10/28/03

“If someone committed crime, they will no longer work in my administration.” President Bush, 7/18/05 issue of USA Today

“The President has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He’s made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration.” White House Press Secretary, 9/29/03

“Let me answer what the President has said. I speak for the President and I’ll talk to you about what he wants . . .If someone leaked classified information, the President wants to know. If someone in this administration leaked classified information, they will no longer be a part of this administration, because that’s not the way this White House operates, that’s not the way this President expects people in his administration to conduct their business.” White House Press Secretary, 10/7/03

Lest any of you sensitive types think that this is pick on Republicans day here at the Lib, be assured that this is merely business as usual.

The beauty of Republican pay-to-play politics, George Bush style, is that most of the arrogant bastards who play the game think that the rest of us are a bunch of dummies there for the exploiting. After years in the game they fell that they can tell us any old thing and that we will walk away satisfied and leave them to their passion of robbing the country blind and redistributing it’s wealth among themselves.

But surprise, surprise, we as a people are no longer cooperating in our own fleecing. What’s worse, at least from the administration’s and their buddies in corporate America’s perspective, is that we are aggressively calling them on every sleazy enrichment scheme dressed up to look like public policy, no matter the source. This, much to their chagrin, the Bushies are now discovering with the demonstrations over the undocumented worker issue.

Yes friends, America has now, at long last, realized that the names the administration gives to its handiwork has little to do with the policies buried between the covers of the legislation. Take, for example, the clean skies initiative. This clever sounding peace of administration handiwork did nothing to ease the pollution problem in America, in fact it actually added to it by reducing controls on companies who pollute. Then there was the healthy forests initiative, which underneath its eco-friendly titled, allowed for the greatest assault on old growth timber in recent memory.

So as you see, guys like the Bush administration do their best work in the shadows. They though their path was clear after buying off the mainstream media so effectively. Little did they count on being hammered daily by those of us in the BLOGOSPHERE thrilled to be witnessing up close perhaps the dumbest administration in modern history and with time on our hands and a rabid readership to satiate.

But, that, is their problem.

So walk on faithful readers and let us all wonder what this week will bring in the reoccurring saga of George Bush’s slide to oblivion.

DENIS DONOVAN - Editor