corrente

With the lying liars now resorting to their favorite ironic weapon of choice--threatening a perjury prosecution--Josh Marshall tells us that Baby Doc himself is directing the character assassination of Richard Clarke:

Bear in mind that top White House aides have told the press that the president personally initiated and is directing this campaign against Clarke. Not outside rabble-rousers, not nefarious aides operating on their own account, but the president himself. This is all his doing, according to his own staffers.

Well, one good thing: at least we now know that he's capable of focusing his attention on something other than getting Saddam. And it's not like there's anything else going on in the world or the country that might merit sustained, serious attention.

In Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders, Aaron T. Beck, Arthur Freeman, and associates list typical beliefs associated with each specific personality disorder. Here are some of the typical beliefs that they have listed (pp. 361-362) for Narcissistic Personality Disorder:

• Since I am so superior, I am entitled to special treatment and privileges.
  
• I don't have to be bound by the rules that apply to other people.
  
• Other people should satisfy my needs.
  
• Other people should recognize how special I am.
  
• Since I am so talented, people should go out of their way to promote my career.
  
• No one's needs should interfere with my own.
  
• If others don't respect my status, they should be punished.

The other night, commenting on Clarke's testimony, Jon Stewart reminded viewers of Jack Nicholson's famous line from A Few Good Men, and added that, having watched Clarke, he now knows he'd personally rather not know the truth. I know what he means. Not only are we in deep shit on nearly every front, it may be deeper than we imagined.

NOTE Alert reader pansypoo informs us that Jack Nicholson's line is: "You can't handle the truth!"