I stand behind what I've observed and many others have observed too: Bush has deliberately implied a connection between Saddam Hussein and the September 11th attacks. That is what's important, not the recent backpedaling to tenuous hints of a possible generalized connection in the indefinite past between Iraq and Al Qaeda.

The admission that there is no Iraq-9/11 connection and the renewed emphasis on the weak indications of the general connection are the latest spin strategy; the two issues are intimately related. I keep harping on the point because I don't intend to let them distract attention from the deception with sleight-of-hand rhetoric. That there may or may not have been some past connection does not excuse Bush's deliberate deception.

Further, the attempt to make an Iraq-9/11 connection takes place against the broader backdrop of Bush's relentlessly cynical (or cynically relentless) tactic of exploiting 9/11 for political gain in every aspect of his political life. See, for example, Bush Cites 9/11 On All Manner Of Questions in the WashPost. This is despicable, and I won't keep quiet about it. You can expect me to continue to call you on it every time you try to distract attention away from Bush's deceptions and his exploitation of national tragedy.