by Terri Firma

In the face of escalating violence in the Middle East, President Bush said today that he believes his instincts were correct all along, and he was right to intervene militarily in a stand-off over WMDs in Iraq, because, “as you see, that place is a fucking nightmare anyway.”

After going briefly to his colloquial brand of speech, he returned subsequently to increasingly shopworn themes at his joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair standing beside him. “Even if there were not WMDs – and let me point out, most people thought there were…except maybe some of the weapons inspectors – but that does not change our being there to do good. And we will do good. Just not yet.

“It’s freedom vs. tyranny and terror. And if it’s not one, it’s the other. And the fact WMDs were not found proves that.

“In Texas, we have this thing called a ‘tautology.’ That means I’m always right. Especially after September the 11th.”

Shaking his head incredulously behind him was Blair, who answered another questioner, “No, I don’t think the word ‘tautology’ means exactly what the President thinks it means.” Blair recently told the London Times he had not completely lost his faculties when he elected to join Mr. Bush on his vision for Iraq.