Reasonable doubts

From William Raspberry:

The president, locked in a tight race for reelection, has discovered that he is most vulnerable on matters such as the economy and other domestic issues -- and strongest in the polls on matters directly related to national security and fighting terrorism. Would the guy who was willing to serve up "cooked" intelligence to justify an avoidable war be reluctant to head back to the kitchen if his job were on the line? ....

When our president tells us that our security is at risk, that attack is imminent -- when the shepherd boy tells us that the wolf is already among sheep -- we need to be able to believe him, without doubt or reservation.

As I recall Aesop's fable, the shepherd boy survived his mendacity, losing only his job. It was the sheep that took the hit.

Bush & Co. are now peddling the notion that going to war in Iraq wasn't their mistake -- they were the victims of bad intelligence. That excuse works only if you ignore Cheney's repeated treks out to Langley -- to ensure CIA analysts produced intel that met White House specifications -- and Doug Feith's little custom intelligence operation over at the Pentagon.

Raspberry's right: We need a president we can believe. And Bush hasn't got a shred of credibility left.