Bad Day for Bush

Yesterday, Bush detailed that a Southest Asian country had arrested an Al Qaeda operative in 2002, who told them about a plan for Southeast Asian men to use a plane to take down the "Iconic Library Tower" of Los Angeles, using "shoe bombs" to get through the cockpit door (recall, Richard Reid was caught Dec 2001).

It remains unclear how much of this information was gained by holding him underwater until he passed out; stipping him naked and threatening him with dogs to attack his genitals; oh, and where this mastermind involved in what would have been the second major attack on the US in a year is now -- still in Indonesia? Why don't we have this person in US Custody? Why is he not on trial here?

One news cycle later, Libby is saying Cheney told him to leak secret information, in violation of the National Security Act. ( NOTE TO SENATE: No hearings on this! Oliver North's testimony and the immunity you gave him ruined the prosecution for the Iran-Contra episode. No Immunity for Libby!)

• White House Knew the Levee Failed Monday.
  
  
• Ex-CIA Official Faults Use of Data on Iraq The 28-year career official was the US point man for Near East and South Asia intelligence. He says the Administration "cherry picked" intelligence, and never even asked for a pre-war strategic assessment, which would have shown the insurgency we see now.