In our country, it is impossible to get the truth from the American media. I'm not sure who saw this, but I am going to show you with transcripts from the White House web site just exactly how they lie and cover it up. The pResident is asked what seems like an innocuous question:

Q So even though there has been some question about the intelligence -- the intelligence community knowing beforehand that perhaps it wasn't, you still believe that when you gave it --

THE PRESIDENT: Well, the speech that I gave was cleared by the CIA. And, look, the thing that's important to realize is that we're constantly gathering data. Subsequent to the speech, the CIA had some doubts. But when I gave the -- when they talked about the speech and when they looked at the speech, it was cleared. Otherwise, I wouldn't have put it in the speech. I'm not interested in talking about intelligence unless it's cleared by the CIA. And as Director Tenet said, it was cleared by the CIA.

The larger point is, and the fundamental question is, did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is, absolutely. And we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in. And, therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power, along with other nations, so as to make sure he was not a threat to the United States and our friends and allies in the region. I firmly believe the decisions we made will make America more secure and the world more peaceful.

Thank you.

Anyone who has payed the slightest bit of attention to pre-Iraq war debate knows that Saddam Hussein allowed weapons inspectors into Iraq. What the pResident said was wrong! But just in case you missed it: Weapons Inspectors Leave Iraq:

U.N. weapons inspectors arrived in Baghdad for the first time in four years on Nov. 27, 2002 and resumed inspections two days later. During four months of inspections, arms experts traveled the length of the country hunting for banned weapons of mass destruction.

Was he lying or did he just misspeak? Well, listen to what Ari's replacement, Scott McClellan, has to say about it:

Q Two quick questions, one on Iraq. When the President said of Saddam Hussein, we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in and he wouldn't let them in, why didn't he say that, when the inspectors went into Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: What he was referring to was the fact that Saddam Hussein was not complying with 1441, that he continued his past pattern and refused to comply with Resolution 1441 of the United Nations Security Council, which was his final opportunity to comply. And the fact that he was trying to thwart the inspectors every step of the way, and keep them from doing their job. So that's what he's referring to in that statement.

Q But that isn't what he said.

(He was later asked about this again)

Q I just have my own quick question, but first I want to clarify what you said to Dana. Basically, are you -- on the inspections in Iraq, are you clarifying that, or saying that, or conceding that he mis-spoke?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, what I was saying was that he was referring to the fact that he was trying to keep the inspectors from doing their job. Saddam Hussein was not complying with Resolution 1441. He would not let them do their job. So that's not --

Q -- possible, but people mis-speak all the time. It's possible that he did mis-speak.

MR. McCLELLAN: It's what I've said. I've addressed this two or three times now.

I get two things from this: (1) he didn't misspeak and (2) he was really referring to Resolution 1441 which he never even mentioned. Can anyone explain that to me? Why isn't the media in the country all over this? Is the media in this country dead? If it's not, it's on life support: Are U.S. journalists truly spineless?

More on the morale of our troops: A Big Letdown. You have to read the first few paragraphs of this one, where the sergeant talks about the "aces" in his deck.

If anyone wants to see the Niger uranium documents here they are: Obvious Flaws.

And so it goes: Tenet Testimony Raises New Furor.
- posted by Mom/Dad @ 8:49 AM