Byline: Mark Silva

The Chicago Tribune's resident Bush apologist has been absent from our pages lately, as he has been content to serve only as Chimpy's stenographer. Apparently this morning, though, he assumed his readers don't watch the news and didn't see the actual video of the miserable man that he attempts to defend..

Marky wrote that we saw a "most blunt characterization of the war" when Bush said, "It's bad in Iraq. . . . Does that help?" Mark, Mark, Mark, that was no "blunt characterization," no plain-spoken statesmanship. Watch the tape. That was the reaction of a petulant child, not a president. It was Corky St. Clair from "Waiting for Guffman" wailing that "I just hate you, and I hate your ass face! (To hear Corky, go here and click on the first one under "Miscellaneous.")

Welcome back to doing what you do best, Mark--the carnival barker at the never-ending Cirque du Clusterfuque.