John Aravosis is having a reality moment.

Sometimes you just have to let an idiot hang himself.

As you all now know, George Bush made public the executive summary of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq late yesterday. Bush claimed that the NIE was going to exonerate him and show how peachy everything was in Iraq and in the war on terror. In fact, the document was horrifically pessimistic, and said just what the NYT said it said - namely, that Bush's quagmire in Iraq is fueling more terror and making us less safe.

The thing I can't fathom is what possessed Bush to make this document public AND to claim that it was going to be a really happy and peppy assessment. Granted, he may not have read the thing - it was, after all, a full three pages (and there were no pictures). But seriously, he must have read the thing - how did he get off thinking he could just lie about it, and then release it three hours later, like nobody would notice?

Now for a summary of the media reaction to the story. It ain't pretty. Meaning, it's absolutely hysterical.

John highlights some adverse reactions from the media in general, and there are some familiar organizational names in there that in the past have been brazen Bu$hCo boosters.

We’re not psychiatrists, nor do we play them on television, but we do dabble in online psychoanalysis. We suspect Mr Bu$h was counting on the standard reaction from media units that have been beaten into submission by 30 years of incessant VRWC noise, as well as eager co-operation from those members who are ashamed recipients of RNC income subsidy.

We would also point out that any document of this degree of sensitivity has been egregiously redacted. The actual document is much worse than what has been released. We know this because we know how Bu$hCo works. But perhaps this is just the first few thin drops seeping through the dike, and we will see a fuller release of this document if public clamor increases.

By all means, visit John's remarkable page and view all the negative media comments.