While I don't think Americans especially care to dig into the details (and learn of the devil lurking there) of this Niger story I believe the media is whole hog for it. They smell blood on the wounded beast known as Bush and will be presenting all sorts of follow-up stories and interviews beyond the Tenet mea cupa. This, the lingering perceptions of the lying and manipulation by the Bush White House presented in the media (with an election coming up), will be what continues to cling to this administration. If more breakthroughs on lying come to light and the White House has to constantly create a new house of cards around each story, eventually some are going to collapse and their stacked deck will be revealed. All it takes is one big lie proved and everything else is tainted by it. So I actually think there is a silver lining to all this in that Bush will be painted by scandal going into the next election. We've got the ongoing public 9/11 investigation (which is being stonewalled by Bush). We've got the Congressional investigation on 9/11 about to come out with their "secured" report (which will end up with some juicy leaks). I'd say the waters are about to get very muddy around Bush and attempts to pass off the dirt as soap won't wash.

Doubt is rising very quickly about the man in the minds of the American people. Gawd, the majority are slow to think the worst but once they do, it's over. American deaths in Iraq are only going to grow. It's going to get ugly before it gets better over there and Bush is going to get the blame. Add this in with the damage being done by his attempt to control the Niger story and it suddenly looks very bad for this inarticulate president who will be grilled now at every public appearance. If he quits talking to the press, he'll be crucified. If he talks to the press he'll be crucified. No body in the office ever had such a fall coming to him and so richly deserved.

This isn't over. It's just beginning.

CIA Got Uranium Reference Cut in Oct.
Why Bush Cited It In Jan. Is Unclear

By Walter Pincus and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, July 13, 2003

CIA Director George J. Tenet successfully intervened with White House officials to have a reference to Iraq seeking uranium from Niger removed from a presidential speech last October, three months before a less specific reference to the same intelligence appeared in the State of the Union address, according to senior administration officials...



__________________________________________________________________