Can I get a “Well…duh!”? Chicago Tribune | Former CIA official says Bush misled country to war WASHINGTON — The former CIA official charged with managing the U.S. government’s secret intelligence assessments on Iraq says the Bush administration chose war first and then misleadingly used raw data to assemble a public case for its decision to invade. Paul Pillar, who was the CIA’s national intelligence officer for the Middle East and South Asia from 2000 to 2005, said the Bush administration also played on the nation’s fears in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, falsely linking Al Qaeda to…

Oops! – Bush Unaware Mikes Were Still On – Yahoo! News When reporters left, Bush spoke about the National Security Agency program that he authorized four years ago and which has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. However, the microphones stayed on for a few minutes. That allowed journalists back at the White House to eavesdrop on Bush’s defense of the eavesdropping. His private statements were basically no different from what he’s said in public. “I want to share some thoughts with you before I answer your questions,” Bush began. “First of all, I expect this conversation we’re about…