Sometimes the Daily Show has such compelling material it is worth simply repeating for emphasis.

Recently, The Daily Show played a clip of George W. Bush speaking on the campaign trail on October 26, 2000. The podium had the words "Responsible Leadership" across the front. The background had the words "Bipartisanship" and "Results" and "Leadership."

Bush was saying, "In my administration, we will ask not only what is legal, but what is right. Not what the lawyers will allow, but what the public deserves."

I wish that more news organizations would play that one again. It should be played over and over again.

Sure sounded good at the time, especially after Clinton caused me to lose all respect for him when the truth came out after Clinton wagged his finger at us and proclaimed that he "didn't have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky." We still need a giant housecleaning in Washington on both sides of the aisle.

I have a few words of response to Bush's words from above. Abu Ghraib. Sure, Bush deplored Abu Ghraib. But the finely parsed Bush Administration "torture memos" helped effect conditions at that prison which were conducive to creating the pictures that became arguably the single greatest recruiting tool the Islamic terrorists have ever had. If Bush had come to the McCain camp early on why we shouldn't torture, and unequivocally spread that philosophy from the top of the military command structure down to the lowliest grunt, I think we could have avoided Abu Ghraib.

Valarie Plame. Bush's words above are so compelling with respect to Valarie Plame...you can argue for months about the legalities of revealing her name, and the talking heads have done so. But in the name of political hardball, is it *right* to ruin the career of the *spouse* of a person you're targeting for political retribution? I would even stipulate to the claim that no law was broken (even though I think there was). My point here is purely on the right and wrong of it. I think Bush, Cheney, Libby, et. al. know in their heart of hearts that it wasn't the right thing to do.