What "Continued Defiance"?

How long will the administration be allowed to perpetuate a version of history that is pure fantasy? Remember those inspectors in Iraq in the weeks before the war? Remember them not finding anything? Remember the Orwellian claim that because no WMDs were found, that was itself evidence that Saddam had WMDs? Remember the president ordering the inspectors out because he was ready to let fly with "shock and awe"? Remember? Hello? Anyone? Bueller?

To claim "continued defiance" is an outright falsehood and flies in the face of well-publicized facts. The world community favored continued inspections backed by no-fly zones and a military presence in the region, but as we now know, Mr. Bush was set on war with Iraq from the moment he sat, inexplicably motionless for seven minutes, after 19 non-Iraqis commited a foul and horrific act on U.S. soil.

NYT: "The public record at the time, including numerous statements by the President, makes clear that the administration was continuing to pursue a diplomatic solution into 2003," [Frederick Jones, the spokesman for the National Security Council], said. "Saddam Hussein was given every opportunity to comply, but he chose continued defiance, even after being given one final opportunity to comply or face serious consequences. Our public and private comments are fully consistent."

Gulf of Tonkin-i-Rific!

NYT: "The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Mr. Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein."

CHAKA CHAKA CHAKA KA-CHING!

From Interior Secretary Gale Norton's resignation letter: "Now I feel it is time for me to leave this mountain you gave me to climb, catch my breath, then set my sights on new goals to achieve in the private sector," she said in the two-page resignation letter."

CUT TO: Revolving door spinning at physics-defying speed

Vacation-Ho!

Just a note to say I'm off on vacation, where I will enforce "Shein's Seven Rules of Successful Vacation-Going":

1. No phones.
2. No e-mail.
3. No Internet.
4. No news of any kind (newspapers, TV, radio).
5. No "checking in with the office."
6. Reading material must be fiction only.
7. Eat, drink, be merry.
8. The answer is always "yes."
9. Travel light - literally and figuratively.
10. There are no other rules but these.

To paraphrase a certain governator, "I'll be back."