Edgewise

Bannergate, or Bush accidentally tells the truth

Christian Crumlish

OK, I'm being facetious. Bush's blatant lies (or disingenuous parsing of words, for the lawyers out there) about the photo-op "Mission Accomplished" banner, examined in the DNC's Kicking Ass weblog, don't stand up to the least bit of scrutiny, but of course it's more of an embarassment and a problem for his team being pushed off message than an actual scandal (although trying to put the blame onto the sailors was pretty low).

Actually, I think Bush accidentally revealed the truth in his ad lib about his advance men: "They weren't that ingenious, by the way," which he said in a sarcastic undertone. This utterance reveals that he probably thought the flight suit, carrier positioning, banner, and photo-opportunistic speech were great ideas at the time but has come to realize that they have turned into liabilities. Hence, I imagine, his irritation with his PR flacks.