Hey, we're not lying. We're just "misstating the facts"

You know, there was a time, some years ago, when I would have found this funny... or at least shocking. Sadly, not any more.

I was correctly informed. And I just misstated the facts.

- Donald Rumsfeld

You probably recall the incident where the public learned that we had been paying newspaper editors and authors in Iraq to publish "good news stories" favorable to the United States occupation. At the time, SECDEF Rumsfeld assured us that it was "something we shouldn't be doing" and we had stopped.

That was a good move by Rumsfeld - one which we should all applaud.

Well... except for the fact that we, ummm.... didn't actually stop.

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday that the Pentagon is reviewing its practice of paying to plant stories in the Iraqi news media, withdrawing his earlier claim that it had been stopped.

Rumsfeld told reporters he was mistaken in the earlier assertion.

"I don't have knowledge as to whether it's been stopped. I do have knowledge it was put under review. I was correctly informed. And I just misstated the facts," Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon news briefing.

Rumsfeld had said in a speech in New York last Friday and in a television interview the same day that the controversial practice had been stopped.

He said that Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, was reviewing the practice. Previously, Casey has said he saw no reason to stop it.

Oh well. I've given up even the pretense of acting surprised.