Bush Goes AWOL (Again). 32 US dead since Sunday and Condoleezza Rice's 9/11 testimony tomorrow. And George Bush has decided to take a vacation. ... Earlier this week, he banned utensils at a dinner/fundraiser because the tinkling might have disrupted his speech, and in Arkansas, he was his usual insulting and nasty self. ... Note: Before 9/11, the hardest-working sock-puppet in politics had spent 42% of his time in office on vacation.

The White House refuses to provide the 9/11 Commission with a speech Rice was set to deliver on September 11, 2001. The Washington Post reported that the speech "contained no mention of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, or Islamic extremist groups." ... This was a public speech. And presumably, Rice awoke that morning all set to deliver it. It must have been in final (or near-final) form. What possible reason could the White House have for refusing to make it available?

More Lies. On March 9, White House spokesman Scott McClellan: "She [Rice] was more than happy to visit with the commission. Only five members actually showed up, despite the fact that it was scheduled for the entire commission." ... USA Today reports: "What McClellan didn't tell reporters was that on Nov. 21 -- long before Rice met with the five commissioners in February -- the White House counsel's office had sent the commission a letter saying no more than three commissioners could attend meetings with White House aides of Rice's rank."