How can it be?

How can 44% of Americans still stand behind George Bush? 44% is his favorable rating as of today, the highest it has been in a year. And these numbers come out at a time when Bush and his cronies STILL blather on about a Saddam-Al Qaeda connection. When this "unitary president" is continuing to try to pass himself off as the savior of Iraq. When this supremely arrogant man is stridently trying to undo the Geneva Convention on torture (while some of the pillars of his own party are refusing to go along.)

Bush's blooody boondoggle, Bush's Iraq. Where as of today, 2,552 US troops have died since he told the world that his mission was accomplished (on May 1, 2003). Where a total of 2,689 US troops have been killed since that insane day (March 19, 2003) when he unleashed his "shock and awe." Where as many as 48,100 US troops have been wounded. Where, according to the strictest documentation rules that probably do not count half the Iraqi deaths, up to 43,289 Iraqis have been killed. Where a civil war -- and we are witnessing just that by any honest historian's definition -- is begetting constant kidnappings, sometimes of as many as 30 people at the same time (as reported by CNN's Anderson Cooper.) Where dead bodies appear in the streets every day, sometimes (also reported by Cooper) with holes drilled into them from head to foot.

Meanwhile, the war profiteers continue to get richer across Iraq, corruption is rampant, the new Iraqi police is thoroughly infiltrated by militia types and everybody lives in fear.

The whole blessed world knows who lit this ruinous fire. Except, apparently, 44% of Americans.