It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fiasco

It's going to be a very emotional time at the White House this Christmas. They've decided to tell President Bush the truth about Santa Claus. He takes this season very seriously. Right now is when he puts the reindeer antlers on the handlebars of his bicycle and plays the Gift Decider.

One thing he isn't taking seriously is the Iraq Study Group. And call me cynical, but I believe this report was designed for one thing, and it had nothing to do with Iraq. The commission was designed to create the appearance of responding to the problems with Iraq long enough to get through the Midterm elections. That was it. That's why it took 8 months and came out the month after the elections were over.

These pundits who are tripping all over themselves analyzing it, missed the point. They didn't learn the fundamental principle of the Karl Rove years: Spin as long as you can, and when it catches up with you, spin some more. This report was never intended as advice for President Bush. If it was, you wouldn't put the word "study" in the title. You know how he feels about studying. And you know how he feels about Iraq.

They had a problem - Iraq was blowing up on them before the last elections and they needed to be able to point out something that they were doing about it. A commission is perfect. It's a stalling game - almost a diversion. It's a time filler, and more raw material for the spin factory.

Haven't these pundits learned the fundamental truth about this administration: It isn't genuine about anything. The best example of this is the description in Woodward's book of Karl Rove telling Bush he has to be decisive, because that's the best image to run on with the American People. Not to be decisive because you are genuinely decisive - just pretend you have that character strength because it plays well. And now we've got Junior committed to the Santa Claus theory in Iraq. It's a fun myth but Dick Cheney is way too fat to fit down the chimney.

The spin has spun out. The right wing machine that kept the public in line has lost control. The heroes of the conservative movement - distinguished Americans like Ann Coulter - have lost their power over Iraq, and are now starting to sound like psychopathic losers. Here's a line from a recent column Ann wrote praising the use of torture: "In point of fact, we strap people to wooden boards and make them feel like they're drowning all the time in this country. Mostly at theme parks like Six Flags." Nice one, Ann. Very funny.

The trouble with basing your government on B.S. is that it has a way of catching up with you. This administration ran an intense propaganda game for as long as it could after 9/11, crushing dissent, and pushing the American Public around. The beautiful thing about right now is that the American Public has had enough. The long years of unchallenged Iraq spin are over. It was a big push, but it was a disaster. And now the American Public is finally pushing back.