[George W. Bush]

article: To any but the most dull - or more likely, ideologically blinded, partisan - the fact that Niger and Saddam had an ongoing nuclear arrangement spanning over 20 years should have been a red flag, cautioning restraint in any criticism of what Mr. Bush said in his national address.

What "ongoing nuclear arrangement"? They list two yellowcake purchases in 1981-1982. If I bought two items from Sears back in 1981-1982, I wouldn't call that an "ongoing arrangement". This is a deliberately misleading conclusion by the writer.

I don't see the purchases of yellowcake from Niger in 1981-1982 as all that significant. Around that same time, they were getting other, apparently more restricted, materials from France, Russia, Italy, etc.

In his SOTU, Bush created an impression that Iraq's nuke program had been revitalized in recent years. Talking about yellowcake they bought in the Eighties doesn't really prove much of anything.

To carry their point, for either this writer or the White House, what is needed is some proof that Iraq purchased or tried to purchase nuclear material in the last few years.

[johnqueuepublic]

Well Mr. President if you say so........at least you got that opportunity to put on the flight suit again and you didnt bend your jet like McCain used to do.