Bush: Represents Himself, Not His Country

The NIE notwithstanding, Bush thought it would be appropriate to not give a shit about the report so that Israel's Prime Poodle, Ehud Olmert, would feel more assured:

In private conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week, the president all but disowned the document, said a senior administration official who accompanied Bush on his six-nation trip to the Mideast. "He told the Israelis that he can't control what the intelligence community says, but that [the NIE's] conclusions don't reflect his own views" about Iran's nuclear-weapons program, said the official, who would discuss intelligence matters only on the condition of anonymity.

We have a president who stands by intelligence only if it suits his agenda. That certainly cannot make him, or our intelligence community, look that great, especially while he's embarking on his legacy tour.

I guess that means we're back to being within a few centimeters of someone pushing the proverbial button.

[H/T to C&L]