Worst Fears. Confirmed.

There was no doubt in these quarters that the small, nasty, festering puss was lying when he said that the escalation of his Iraq invasion was adopted only after extensive consultation with Congress. And that certain knowledge has been confirmed.

But there was, still, remarkably, I admit, a nagging belief that no one would be so mean in spirit, so lacking in morality, so despicable in the most extreme and literal sense, as to offer up more of our children, more of our brothers and sisters, without having probed the generals, without having seen the briefing book, without having demanded chapter and verse, and without having internalized the plan, the rationalization, for why, on this fifth try, it had a chance of success.

But, horrifyingly, that festering puss in the White House is that mean, that immoral, that despicable. Comes this from an interview with the Speaker:

"He's tried this two times — it's failed twice," the California Democrat said. "I asked him at the White House, 'Mr. President, why do you think this time it's going to work?' And he said, 'Because I told them it had to.' "

Asked if the president had elaborated, she added that he simply said, " 'I told them that they had to.' That was the end of it. That's the way it is."

Because I said so?!

Because I said so?! This, in a meeting with the Congressional leadership to tell them of his decision -- not a public forum, but a meeting between co-equal branches on the single most pressing and difficult issue facing the Nation for the last several years. He was asked a reasonable, frank question and Speaker Pelosi, the Congress, and the Nation, deserved a real answer, one that betrayed thought, revealed analysis, expressed understanding. Instead, they -- we -- got "Because"!?