Bush "Pathological Liar"

Capitol Hill Blue: Bush just can't stop lying

His eyes darted from side-to-side as he fielded questions about his real reasons for invading Iraq. He stammered. Stalled. Used the word "uh" more times than a suspect caught red-handed. He still claimed his reasons for invading Iraq were just, even though those reasons have been proven wrong. He claims the war can be won, a view not shared by many of his generals. He claimed a lot of things - few of them true. "President Bush exhibited symptoms of pathological prevarication," says Dr. Stephanie Crossfield, a psychologist who treats people who have trouble telling the truth and who watched Bush's performances on Monday and Tuesday at my request. "His eye movements, gestures, and changes in voice tone all display traits of consistent evasion of the truth."

Gee... an expert has to tell us that. I appreciate Doug's methodical process, but sometimes it amounts to a validation of the blindingly obvious. But for those who require athoritative confirmation of the obvious before they note it - there it is.

But the tragic thing is not that he's lying to us. It's clear that he believes the nonsense he spouts, at least as it's uttered. Once it is, it's forgotton. Another day, another "truth."

Dr. Justin Frank, author of the book, Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President, agrees with Dr. Crossfield.

"President Bush marches deeper and deeper into a world of his own," says Dr. Frank. "Central to Bush's world is an iron will which demands that external reality be changed to conform to his personal view of how things are."

Republicans reluctantly admit Bush has lost touch with the truth. Sen. Chuck Hagel says the President is "disconnected from reality."

And there was some point at which he was connected?

My reaction to that sad press-conferernce - before I hit the channel changer - was that he literally had no working understanding of what he was talking about. Most of the time, I don't think he was acually lying, so much as bullshitting.

And most 12 year olds know the difference.