Gawdamighty you should read this transcript with Ari F., Bush flak, and the eve of war...

[MnFats]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003559612


Q What about American lives? We don't hear about that yet.

MR. FLEISCHER: Again, the President has said that he hopes that this can be done peacefully. If there are lives lost, he believes the American people understand the risks, the sacrifices that people are prepared to make if it is necessary to use force to disarm Saddam Hussein. I think people understand that. This has been a very serious run-up to what may become war. And the American people have heard and understand the reality and the gravity of the situation. And I think they understand that.

Q I pick up on that -- what you said. Does it bother the President that most of the world is against this war, and half of America? And I have a follow-up.

MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, this is an issue where you and I will never agree when you state your premise about what the people think.

Q This isn't you and I. This is a very legitimate question.

MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, I think there's a lot of public polling that you can see out there. The recent poll from your neighbor to the right, ABC News showed that 79 percent of the American people think that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States. I've heard you say on many occasions most Americans don't think he's a threat to the United States.


and this snippet takes the CAKE!


MR. FLEISCHER: You heard what Secretary Powell talked about when he went to the United Nations and has reiterated on a regular basis since then, as well as others in the administration, about the presence in Baghdad of al Qaeda operatives, about the involvement of al Qaeda trained in Iraq involved in the assassination of AID worker Foley in Jordan. So this has been something that has been discussed very publicly.

Q Why is the -- the CIA and FBI have never said that, backed that up.

MR. FLEISCHER: Don't think it would have been said if it hadn't been supported by them..

[bleever]

1. And everything worked out just fine.

This crime will only loom larger with the passage of time.

Thanks for the reminder of how it was.

[dflprincess]

2. Is there any possibility that Ari will crack and go public with all he knows?

His dad is a Democrat who once remarked when asked about Ari being a Republican, "I suppose it would have been worse if he did drugs...but not much."

Maybe his dad could convince him to do the right thing.