White House denies hand in Allawi speech -- the dog ate his homework

Here's one answer to that musical question: "Just how dumb do they think we are?" (Or, conversely, "How dumb are THEY?")

CRAWFORD, United States (AFP) - The White House denied that aides to President George W. Bush had a hand in crafting Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's speech to the US Congress last week.

'Those were, obviously, Prime Minister Allawi's words,' said spokesman Scott McClellan. 'He talked about the progress that is being made, but he also talked about the ongoing security challenges.'

The question arose after the Washington Post published a line-by-line breakdown of Allawi's September 23 remarks and juxtaposed them with very similar previous remarks by Bush...

Asked whether any US officials had shaped the speech, McClellan replied, 'None that I know of' and then elaborated 'no one at the White House.'

Let's see, the CIA asset that Bush appointed to be premier of Iraq. accepted as a compromise because, as was said at the time, he was "equally distrusted by all parties."

And -- mirable dictu! -- he actually said the guy who gave him his job was doing the right thing...

Well now we know -- you couldn't get away with that answer in 9th grade.

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