Let's review the White House's convulated defense of the President's State of the Union.
It all started by:
1. The statement was wrong and shouldn't have been included in the speech.
then it changed to:
2. The statement was wrong, and shouldn't have been included in the speech, but it's the CIA's fault for not telling us to leave it out.
and then it changed to:
3. The statement came from the British and they say that they have other information to back it up.
and then it changes to:
4. The statement was and is "technically" correct, because all we ever said was that the British said it, and they did, and they're still saying it.
and now:
5. " No one can accurately tell you it was wrong. That is not known."
Ari Fleischer
July 14, 2003