If You Did Not Notice it, It Happened This Week.

For a very long time, we have been aware of the fact that, if Bush's stories of WMD did not check out in Iraq, he would lose all credibility. His credibility was then shot through the chest with the dramaticly convincing and unassailable testimony of David Kay. Bush's credibility was spent.

In politics, you do not get hung for lying, you get hung for lying when nobody believes you. That finally happened this week. Condi's testimony and the controversy surrounding the August 6 memo has brought spin to the public airwaves in a manner insulting to their friends, who could only respond "they must think we are complete idiots." The Administration's denials have finally reached the point of incredulity that Clinton's denials about sex with that woman; except these lies were not about a blow job, they were about protecting the country from imminent attack, and were used to justify a wholly avoidable war.

Bush's willing deceptions are eloquently summarized by his Crawford comments this weekend, that is now released Aug 6 2001 memo, entitled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US" -- as the President put it -- "said nothing about an attack on America."

The issue is re-iterated and expanded upon in this Slate article, in which the author describes how Slate was used for pre-war WMD propaganda by someone put forward by Ahmed Chalabi, an anonymous "defector" claiming direct knowledge of WMD -- one who also took in Vanity Fair and the NYTimes, who had already been discredited by the US govt, unbeknownst to anyone not in the CIA.

The administration's credibility has evolved through 3 Rumsfeldian stages: (1) supporters could claim they did not know that Bush lied; (2) they admit they know Bush lied; and now (3), they must admit they know they know Bush lied. This is Bush's Blue Dress week.

Bush's support is eroded from plausible deniability to enforced deceptions at the muzzle of his political guns. His supporters will weary under his assault. In politics, it's great to be right, forgivable to be duped, and a capital crime to be willingly duped.

Oh, and if you think this will make things better for the election, think instead about what happened the last time you cornered a wounded and embarrassed dog. Friends, it's culture war time.