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Why does the president get away with such "lies?" In part because they're grounded in just enough actual truth that his critics look stupid when they accuse him of "lying." There were, in fact, enough instances of interference or hindrance of weapons inspectors here and there that Bush can indeed credibly claim that Saddam "chose not to disclose" something or other. That's not an excuse for war, of course, nor is it the whole story, and the whole affair was a bungled joke since 1991, but part of that bungling consisted of liberals and Democrats who couldn't get a coherent and credible message out, and still can't.
Here's a hint, Mr. Conason: focus on present-day mismanagement and malfeasance, not on "winning" last year's moot arguments. You'll sound more relevant that way.
