bibles? we don't need no steenking bibles!

Let me get this right. The Bush Administration has its collective panties in a bunch about the bible. They want it everywhere. They want it to be the guilding light of public policy. They want it to replace science textbooks in school rooms. Some of its supporters want the rule of law thrown out and replaced by the 10 commandments. The president said last week that even his foreign policy is based on his belief in "The Almighty."

So, why the terrible aversion to the bible when it comes to testifying in front of Congress?

Today Alberto Gonzales marched into a Senate chamber to chastise us all for our knee-jerk reaction to the administration's domestic spying operation. Like a good parrot, he was there to say "it's legal, it's legal" to any and all queries.

But before saying a word, Democrats asked that the Attorney General, the nation's highest-ranking law enforcement officer, be sworn in. They asked that he place his right hand on a bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

No, thanks. Gonzales declined. And like the loyal Republican soldier he is at heart, Arlen Specter defended him and allowed him to address the panel without being placed under oath.

In fact, Senator Jeff Sessions, the Republican from Alabama, suggested it was an affront to the Attorney General to even ask that he swear an oath to tell the truth. It's would impugn his honor, sir, to suggest that he might NOT tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"My answers would be the same whether I was under oath or not," Gonzales said. One must conclude that this was just the first of the lies to be spewed today in response to questioning.

Why do so many Bush Administration officials refuse to be placed under oath? Bush and Cheney have collectively refused to do so while testifying to Congressional investigators. Condoleeza Rice refused to do so before revealing that the president had, in fact, received a Presidential Daily Briefing headlined by the prophetic words: Bin Laden Determined to Strike Within U.S.

How can people who loudly claim to live their life with a bible in their hand be so terrified of placing their right hand on a bible and swearing to tell the truth?

Put another way, would you believe a used car salesman who wouldn't sign an affadavit stating that the miles on your car's odometer are accurate, but swears you can trust him?

One can only conclude that this is a broad-based strategy of denial calculated for when the truth actually DOES come out. And that's an unsettling prospect. When the players are so blatantly going into "Cover Your Ass" mode NOW, what can we expect from them later?

We can already see a few clues about that, now, too.

exhibit a) Scooter Libby got his trial date -- and surprise, surprise, it's scheduled for AFTER the 2006 election cycle. So far after that it's January of 2007 before he sees a courtroom to ask for another continuance.

exhibit b) The federal attorney investigating the case, surprise, was recently named to the Federal bench -- in the real world that would be called a payoff. Or a buyoff.

and exhibit c) Some of the critical emails regarding Libby's activities have mysteriously disappeared. Does the name Rosemary Woods or the words "18-and-a-half-minute gap" ring any bells here?

What we're seeing here closely resembles a crime family closing ranks around its own.

And the bottom line is this: We can't rely on these people to protect our constitutional interests when they're already busy protecting their own ass.

More soon.