Our Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, was testifying before the Senate regarding the NSA domestic spying initiative.  Now, we’ve all heard he’s lied — either during the hearings now or during his confirmation hearings before — because he’s contradicted his own statements yet claims they’re in agreement.  Well, now we know he’s lying, but even better we know he’s an idiot (a title which appears to apply to a great many members of Dubya’s régime).

During his testimony, Gonzales was trying to defend spying on Americans without court involvement by pointing out previous administrations that have done the same thing.  To wit:

President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale.

Hmmm.  Let me think about this for a moment.  Why, yes, I believe you’re correct.  George Washington, our very first president, did indeed endorse and utilize electronic surveillance outside of court mandates.  I even believe he was the first to launch a spy satellite, if I remember correctly.  And Lincoln?  Everyone knows he was the first president to use large-scale phone taps and e-mail monitoring to catch criminals and state enemies during the Civil War.  As for Wilson, he was known as the “electronic surveillance president” back in the early 1900’s while he held office.  In fact, it was under his administration that Gore created the internets to simplify electronic spying.  This is undeniable history, poppets.  If you weren’t aware of the electronic spying taking place before electronics were created, you didn’t pay attention in your American History classes.

While I find this laughable, it’s disheartening to think that the man charged with enforcing our country’s laws is this uneducated.  He’s scrambling to justify an illegal act.  In his haste to do so, he let his mouth write a check that history can’t cash.

Where does Bush find these people?

[via Daily Kos]