Presidential flunkies applaud as George Dubya walks backwards up the stairs to Air Force One.
My paranoid musings last week in which I raised the possibility of the uncovered extremist plot in the United Kingdom as a Bush administration political smoke screen don’t seem so paranoid now.
Stories suggest that the U.S. pressured Scotland Yard in prematurely revealing news of the investigation in which British subjects had planned to blow up a number of Trans-Atlantic airline flights.
I had postulated that perhaps the news of the plot was a way to preempt media coverage of the Democratic primary defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. The former vice presidential candidate was beaten by liberal, anti-Iraq war candidate Ned Lamont. Of course, my thoughts were just idle speculation with no real basis other than I don’t put anything past this administration.
But just today I read how Veep Dick Cheney appeared to put such notions into the ears of reporters before the plot was announced by Scotland Yard. Cheney suggested to reporters in a rare conference call last week that “Al-Quida types” would be encouraged by Lamont’s triumph over Lieberman. The White House later said Cheney didn’t know about the plot when he talked to reporters. But then, just how credible is Cheney?
It is sad when my cynical speculations appear to have possible substance. It’s just too bad I can’t use my deductive power for good works, such as figuring out which lottery numbers I might play to win the big jackpots.