I know the thread has moved on. But it begins to look more hopeful for our side… as they tie themselves more and more into knots!

Hadley said Bush was first told in August or September about intelligence indicating Iran had halted its weapons program, but was advised it would take time to evaluate. Vice President Cheney, Hadley and other top officials were briefed the week before last. Intelligence officials formalized their conclusions on Tuesday and briefed Bush the next day.

So he lied. Again.

Bush Claims He Wasn’t Briefed on NIE Until Last Week

Who knew what and when? House Intel committee apparently didn’t know and I haven’t heard anything from Senate Intel..someone needs to ask Jay and/or Feingold.

Shall I assume this means he never called on her?

Correct. He quite studiously and obviously ignored her raised hand – again.

At least we have gotten this far. AP headline reads:

Bush Claims He Wasn’t Briefed on NIE Until Last Week

So, at the very least, there is doubt expressed in that headline. He claims. Not bush only briefed last week.

So, we’re making progress here. Press not just transcribing. Actual thought going on.

That’s funny, because the opening grafs of The Consortium’s story by Ray McGovern on this read as follows:

With redraft after redraft, it was what the Germans call “eine schwere Geburt”—a difficult birth, ten months in gestation.

I do not know how often Vice President Dick Cheney visited CIA Headquarters during the gestation period, but I am told he voiced his displeasure as soon as he saw the first sonogram/draft very early this year, and is so displeased with what issued that he has refused to be the godfather.

This time Cheney and his neo-con colleagues were unable to abort the process. And after delivery to the press, this child is going to be very hard to explain—the more so since it is legitimate.

In other words, Cheney certainly knew, and we all know that he’s the real Decider.

“The NIE doesn’t do anything to change my opinion.”

QED