Malice Aforethought

George Bush projects to the world the image of a slow and inarticulate dolt, though some have suggested that this superficial impression is misleading. Tony Blair is very much opposite, quick-witted and highly articulate. I suppose it's possible that this impression is equally unfounded. The Downing Street memos seem to confirm, though, that whatever their IQs, both are devious, unprincipled and dishonest.

Terry Gross had an interview on today (recorded yesterday) with Michael Smith, the reporter who broke the story of the memos. It's a good interview and I recommend it. It's clear now that Blair had been amply warned of the bad consequences of the war and the war's illegality. Nonetheless, Bush and Blair were determined to have their war, apparently for political reasons. I'm not sure how or whether Labour is likely to dump Blair, but a new Zogby poll shows that a lot of Americans think Bush should be impeached if he misled us into war, as surely he did.

In a sign of the continuing partisan division of the nation, more than two-in-five (42%) voters say that, if it is found that President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should hold him accountable through impeachment...

Among those living in the Western states, a 52% majority favors Congress using the impeachment mechanism while just 41% are opposed...

Of course it can't happen in this age of the world, and even if a bizarre alignment of the planets should allow the Democrats to regain control of the House (or both House and Senate) in 2006, there would be little chance of success. It might be nice to see his deceptions investigated though.