Self-Rationalization

Looks like the USA has a new rationale for staying in Iraq: either we stay, or chaos will engulf the entire world.

"If chaos were to descend upon Iraq or the forces of democracy were to be defeated in that country ... this would have implications for the rest of the Middle East region and, indeed, the world," Negroponte said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on global threats.

Bush is blithely continuing his "with us or with the terrorists" wedge politics:

President Bush condemned the surge in violence and said Iraqis must make a choice between "a free society or a society dictated ... by evil people who will kill innocents."

Indeed. It is the violent extremists on both sides who are killing innocents, and for Iraqis to steer a middle course will be no mean feat.

Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein has defiantly admitted that he ordered the 1980's trial of 148 Muslim Shi'ites and razing of their farms (he stopped short of admitting that he ordered their executions) after an attempt on his life. He sees nothing wrong with his actions:

"I razed them ... we specified the farmland of those who were convicted and I signed... It's the right of the state to re-own or compensate. So where is the crime?"

Indeed. How can it be a crime, if I am the President? When the President does it, it's not a crime... Right, George?

Alberto Gonzales yesterday confirmed to the Senate Judiciary committee that the Bush administration believes Bush is King of The USA:

The administration believed from the beginning that the president had the constitutional authority to violate FISA.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, as they say. At least Saddam had the grace to declare that the buck stops with him:

"I am Saddam Hussein. I was in charge, and just because things have changed, I am not going to say someone else was responsible."

Mind you, George never takes responsibility but neither does he blame his minions: in the Bush White House, NOBODY is ever responsible for anything!

In a recent interview, Bush proudly dismissed his appalling opinion polls and declared that he still has "political capital" to spend. Now Atrios reveals that even George's oldest "friends" now have to call him Mr President:

VARGAS: They call you George?

BUSH: No, they call me Mr. President.

VARGAS: I was going to say…

BUSH: They probably don't want to call me Mr. President, but they do call me Mr. President. And we sit up there in the White House.