Bowser's bet was a strong one based not on what official statements you may have heard coming out of government circles but instead upon Bush and Cheney's very documented behavior in the leadup to the Iraq War.

You see Tom, many of us believe in the validity of the Downing Street Memo and the reams of damning testimony from numerous people that resigned or were forced out of the administration because they refused to toe the line. We believe that the President and Vice President created the atmosphere that resulted in the outing of Valerie Plame to discredit her husband. With that kind of evidence Tom, it's pretty tough to put much creedence into anything released with the approval of the White House.

We hold our nose and listen to (of all people) Pat Buchanan who's currently calling for a full investigation into when and how much Bush knew about this NIE and what extent he lied to all of us to try to push us into a confrontation with Iran.

I hate to think it but Bowser could still win his $50. There is over a year left of this administration's rule and they seem more and more each day like a cornered beast surrounded not only by raving liberals but by mass defections of their own. I'm certain talk has occurred within their circles of possible "false flag" operations that could tilt public opinion back the other way. I tend to believe they feel there's enough internal opposition to doing that that they'd be caught but who knows.

Art