I think the majority of the members of the current Administration *and* their Democrat counterparts lost their ability to separate deception from "spin" long, long ago. In their minds, some of them probably figure that they were just wordsmithing, not lying. Politicians have an unbelievable capacity to believe their own bullshit and to operate as if the end always justifies the means. There are exceptions, of course, but very few.

All I can offer forth is this: believe in cheese. It's tasty, it's good for you, and by God cheese never lies.

Thanks for the mention, Tess. I don't know if it was a *good* discussion, but it seemed to avoid (so far) the explicit flamefeasting that too many of these discussions do.

My own *guess* about this is that the admin had enough evidence in aggregate to believe Iraq had WMDs, but most of the individual items weren't sexy or solid or convincing enough to actually use as a public argument. So they were willing to grasp at whatever sounded good, and that included evidence the CIA was unwilling to back, but the Brits were. So the reference was put in the SOTU.

But that's a *guess* -- unlike some folks, I'm unwilling to declare It Must Be True, epsecially most of what we know (including various contradictions) comes from "officials" and "insiders" and unnamed sources.

Now, whether that was blatant deception (doubtless in some nefarious cause) or a legitimate cultivation of public opinion (in a noble endeavor) probably depends more on where you're coming from than on the facts known.

But I ramble ... :-)

Cheese sounds good. Particularly something white and salty and hard.

Don't believe in cheese, Tess. Believe in tangy Wisconsin Chedder, believe in melty Camembert in a wooden box from Normandy, believe in salty Sardiginian Pecorino ripened in black wax, or in Danish Leerdamer. Believe in Greek Feta, marinated in olive oil, garlic, and spanish red peppers. Believe in hand thrown cheese ripened in Andelusian cellers and made from the milk of sheep, still herded by "shephards who tend their flocks by night".

Believe in the sharpness of fresh parmesean on your tongue, and the mildness of colby. Believe in the whiteness of soft goat's cheese in the Swiss alps or the gentle softness of fresh mozarilla made from the milk of a buffalo.

Believe in the individual, not the catagory.

Kraft will try to convince you that Velveeta is cheese. It's not. But it tastes good - believe in the sticky-ness of Velveeta, or the color - both are a wonder to behold.

Everybody wants a piece of your opinion. Believe in your experience, believe in your senses, believe in yourself. You're doing just fine, girl.

N. (personally, I find Limburger beyond belief.)