Oh, please.

First off, Bush uses his tried-and-true lying technique here, alleging, hinting and implying that his illegal surveillance program was responsible for stopping the terrorist “plot” to fly into the U.S. Bank (a.k.a. “Library,” not “Liberty”) Tower–while if you read the fine print, you’ll see that he refused to say it directly. That’s the exact same technique he used to implicate Saddam Hussein in 9/11, not by saying it directly but by making everyone think that’s what he’s saying without actually saying it.

An even closer reading will reveal that there is not even any proof that the “plot” was real–apparently, the suspects are still “in custody,” which is strange because it was four years ago and it seems that no one has been convicted yet.

But the strongest proof is that we are just now hearing about it. If this “plot” were in any way some kind of threat, Bush would have announced it back in 2002 in time for midterm elections, in 2004 for his re-election, or at some other time–if not immediately. Think about it: there is no reason whatsoever to keep it a secret. Al Qaeda certainly would have known the “plot” was foiled. We’ve been told of other apparent plots almost as soon as they happen.

No, the only reading that makes sense here is that the L.A. “plot” was so weak, so thin, and so indistinct that it was not even worth mentioning until Bush needed something to justify his surveillance program–which, from what we can tell, was not even connected this this at all. But Bush needs something that will catch attention, something that will make him and his lawbreaking look effective, so they searched for even the most nebulous possible “plots,” dusted one off, and trumped it up so everyone would get scared all over again and believe that surrendering their civil rights is the only thing keeping them safe from attack.

As if to punctuate the ludicrous nature of these claims in a ham-handed attempt to scare the American people, Fox News cartoonishly replayed the scene from the movie Independence Day where aliens blew up the U.S. Bank Tower. All they needed was to have Bill O’Reilly come on right after that, hands reaching toward the camera, shouting, “Booga Booga Boooooga!!!”

As has always happened when Bush lies like this, the quiet truths get squelched in the loud static of spectacular lies that Bush heaves forward by the truckload.