THE PEANUTS PRESIDENCY:

U.S. has 'smoking gun' (Toby Harnden, January 16, 2003, The Daily Telegraph)

White House officials have signalled that the U.S. and Britain are prepared to release intelligence evidence to cement the case for war against Iraq.

Andy Card, the White House chief of staff, and Karl Rove, President George W. Bush's chief political strategist, have each indicated privately that the administration has proof that Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction.

Senator Kit Bond of Missouri said more information should be released, and asked, "What is the connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda?" According to sources at the private meeting, Mr. Card is understood to have urged him: "Don't worry."

Remember how Charlie Brown never figured out that Lucy was always going to yank the ball just as he was going to kick it? George W. Bush's opponents seem just as slow on the uptake. When the administration agreed to base invasion on inspections you had to know they had the goods. But still, all the Saddamites line themselves up behind these hapless inspectors and chortle that there's no "smoking gun".... Posted by Orrin Judd at January 16, 2003 1:16 PM