If It Wasn't So Sad, It Would Be Funny...

The latest White House casus belli from Associated Press: "This week marks the first time that the Bush administration has listed abuses in the oil-for-fuel program as an Iraq war rationale."

This is a desperate effort to keep spinning away from the real issues. As John Kerry said today: "You don't make up or find reasons to go to war after the fact."

Josh Marshall wonders how many more bizarre justifications the White House will be able to come up with:

War was justified because not enough schools and hospitals were open before the invasion.

War was justified by back taxes owed to Kuwait by Iraqi occupation soldiers stationed in Kuwait during the second half of 1990.

War was justified by Iraqi mendacity in fooling Americans into thinking that they had WMD.

War was justified because the UN had to be freed up to work on East Timor and Sudan.

War was justified because Kuwait is still called Iraq's "19th province" in the Encyclopedia Iraqiana.

War was justified because Saddam was discriminating against faith-based organizations in handing out government contracts.

Marshall also notes that these UN oil scam allegations are quite old and originated with disgraced former puppet Ahmed Chalabi. Nobody else appears to have seen or corroborated the incriminating documents. On top of that, the US helped set up the UN oil for food program and many Bush allies are among the nations being smeared.

Bizarro mundo loco del Busho Sinverguenza!!!

For those still struggling to come to terms with the new Bush version of reality, how about this stream of ridicule from the road to surfdom:

UPDATE: Dick Cheney has just told reporter Wolf Blitzer that he has never met Senator John Edwards.

UPDATE 2: Dick Cheney has just told Wolf Blitzer that he has never met Wolf Blitzer.

UPDATE 3: The Vice President has just told an audience that the Duelfer Report shows that there was never anybody called Saddam Hussein.

UPDATE 4: The Vice President has just told an audience that the fact that there was no Saddam Hussein completely justifies the administration's decision to try and remove him from power.

UPDATE 5: Dick Cheney has just told reporters that there is no Duelfer Report.

UPDATE 6: The Vice President has just been introduced to Lynne Cheney.

UPDATE: 7: During a joint press conference with the President in the White House Rose Garden, Dick Cheney has just been introduced to George W. Bush.

UPDATE 8: As he left the Rose Garden the Vice president asked reporters, "Who's that chimpy looking guy following me around everywhere?"

UPDATE 9: Aides report that the Vice President has been standing in front of the mirror in the White House bathroom for the past two hours. "I know I know you from somewhere," Mr Cheney was reported as saying to his refelction. The Vice President said to aides, "Look! Everytime I move my arms, so does he!"

UPDATE 10: The Vice President has just been introduced to some men in white coats. The White House denies that there are any men in white coats.