corrente

There's a wonderful old Bob and Ray sketch from the Royal Palm Bar and Grill that reads in part:

[RAY] If that's for me, tell 'em I left an hour ago

[Telephone rings.]

The point being that Ray muffed his cue: He spoke his line before the telephone rang.

Doesn't all the Republican spin torque (back) on the Iraqi election remind you of that old Bob and Ray script? Even before the results were in, the Bush team knew exactly what they were going to say; they've played the expectations game masterfully.

Yet all we have to go on—besides Bush's word, of course—is guesstimates from Iraqi election officials (who must know what side their bread is buttered on), reports from reporters who can't leave their hotels, lots of bloviation by media whores paid policy advocates (back and plenty of media imagery. Sayeth Republican pollster Frank Luntz:

''Americans will watch the pictures over the next few days and you'll see support for the war increase,'' said Luntz. ''The pictures over the last few months have been negative. These are the first positive visuals and it will have an impact on American public opinion.''

Sheesh. 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths for positive visuals...

Every time we've ever given Bush the benefit of the doubt on anything, he's fucked us. Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results. But I'm not sanguine. Especially when the scripted spin so very, very obvious.