Surprise, surprise

David Corn's latest piece in The Nation, reproduced in his blog (linked on the right), points out that the Republican-led committee that was supposed to investigate the presence (well, absence, actually) of WMDs in Iraq has decided to cancel "Phase II" of its work, which it had insisted on not beginning until after the election. I am truly, utterly shocked, aren't you? According to Corn, Pat Roberts, chair of the Senate Intelligence committee, decided that there was little point in proceeding with this stage, in which the committee was to investigate how the Administration used the intelligence it was given concerning the existence of WMDs.
What a complete load of whitewashed crap. Everyone with any sense at all knows that Smirky and the rest of his cronies lied their a$$es off about WMDs to stir up support for his whacked policy of pre-emptive war, but that non-story has never gotten the attention it deserves--over 1/3 of the people in the US, even as late as 2/18/05, still believe that Saddam Hussein actually possessed WMDs, even though none have ever been found and none were expected to be there. Canceling this investigation makes this particular tragic farce the Republicans have perpetrated against us complete, not that any real investigating would have taken place, I'm sure. The Bush disciples have jobbed us again, succeeding in burying the truth amidst more sleight-of-hand press "outrage". (Social Security's doomed! Michael Jackson's a freak! Scott Peterson's been sentenced to death! Terri Schiavo's been unplugged!)
The dormant press will undoubtedly ignore this near-admission of culpability--after all, if there was nothing to hide from an investigation, Smirky the Chimp would certainly trumpet that from the rooftops, doncha think? The most frustrating part about these last 4 1/3 years has been the complete self-emasculation (and de-feminization--I don't want to be accused of using sexist language!) among the presses in the country. Any time the Republicans in power have foisted some new breakdown in democracy on our nation, the members of the press have either: 1) made excuses for their own lack of spine; 2) swallowed the Administration's storylines whole; or 3) been distracted by some sort of faux news instead. Ooooh, look, Paris Hilton is wearing something sparkly! Wowwwww . . .
Ick.