corrente

The invaluable Froomkin writes:

Reader Frank Grunder e-mailed me a while back to ask: Just when was the last time Bush did actually speak about bin Laden explicitly?

So I did some research (using the very handy and highly recommended Compilation of Presidential Documents database.)

And what I found is that Bush treats bin Laden a lot like those wizards in the Harry Potter books treat He Who Must Not Be Named.

Since the beginning of 2003, in fact, Bush has mentioned bin Laden's name on only 10 occasions. And on six of those occasions it was because he was asked a direct question.

In addition, there were four times when Bush was asked about bin Laden directly but was able to answer without mentioning bin Laden's name himself.

Not once during that period has he talked about bin Laden at any length, or said anything substantive.
(via WaPo)

Nice snark, Dan! And good data.

Of course, the Theory A, that Inerrant Boy botched capturing OBL at Tora Bora, by relying on warlords instead of our troops, and Theory Z, that the Pakistanis are holding OBL on ice for an October surprise, are not necessarily incompatible...