Gee... you think?

(Ranting along with Shakes' post below.)

That 33 percent must really sting. And they were so sure that Zarqawi would boost him back up into the high 30s!

Half of Americans think the level of violence in Iraq will be unchanged by Zarqawi's death, while 30 percent say it will actually lead to more attacks against U.S. forces.

Oh, crap!

So, keeping in line with the new Republican plan of "Bush finally sort of acknowleges a mistake so we don't look like total fucking douchebags, what with elections coming up and all," Bush has finally stated that Guantanamo just might make us look bad.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush acknowledged on Wednesday that the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where three detainees committed suicide, has damaged the U.S. image abroad and said it should be shut down.

But he said a plan for relocating the prisoners was needed first and he also was awaiting a Supreme Court decision about the forum for handling detainee cases.

But not that bad.

"I'd like to close Guantanamo, but I also recognize that we're holding some people there that are darn dangerous and that we better have a plan to deal with them in our courts," Bush told a news conference in the White House Rose Garden.

Hooray... more "Guy You'd Wanna Have a Beer With" talk. Yessiree bob, they're darn dangity ding-dong dangerous. Of course, we can't figure out which ones are dangerous. And most of them are being held there without being charged with anything. But trust him, they're mega-super-ooper dangerous. So you might not want to hold your breath while waiting for that closing.

Bush said Guantanamo is seen by some countries as an example of the United States not living up to the principles it espouses on human rights.

"No question, Guantanamo sends, you know, a signal to some of our friends -- provides an excuse, for example, to say, 'The United States is not upholding the values that they're trying encourage other countries to adhere to,"' Bush said.

But it's just an excuse. We know we're really the good guys... every horrific blow to human rights we commit is, you know, completely justified. And it's only some countries, after all. Other countries cheer and dance when we treat prisoners like animals.

When all else fails... point to the troops.

"I also want the people to understand, here and around the world, that 99.9 percent of our troops are honorable, decent people who are serving our country under difficult conditions," Bush said.

Further proof that our country is being run by a six-year-old, if the "darn dangerous" stuff didn't clue you in. "99.9 percent." There's a bad apple in there somewhere. Of course, none of the bastards on top have caused any of this to happen... it must be that o.1 percent.

So, what, there's pretty much one guy ruining America's image in the minds of the rest of the planet?


By jove, I think he's got it.

(Cross-posts melt in your mouth, not in your hand.)