THE SADDAM HUSSEIN VERDICT

By Michelle Malkin

Saddam Hussein, the tyrant who gassed and tortured his own people en masse, will be sentenced on Sunday. Instead of seeing the conclusion of the trial as an instrument of justice, Bush critics have put on their tinfoil hats to ply more nutball conspiracy theories:

A verdict in the first criminal case against Saddam Hussein is expected two days before a key US midterm vote that has become a referendum on the Iraq war -- but any benefit for President George W. Bush's Republican Party was unclear.

The verdict is to be presented on Sunday, just ahead of Tuesday's vote in which Bush's Republicans appeared poised to lose control of Congress...

... On the Internet, in US leftist discussion forums and among some bloggers, there is a strong suspicion that the date was chosen on purpose to benefit the Republicans.

"Given the Bush administration's history of timing national security-related actions to the political calendar, has the date for the verdict's release been set to provide maximum political benefit for the administration and congressional Republicans?" asked a blogger on the DemocraticUnderground.com discussion site.

Tom Engelhardt, writing in the leftist The Nation magazine, notes that the verdict comes "curiously enough, just two days before the midterm elections. It's the sort of the thing that -- you would think -- any reporter with knowledge of the US election cycle ... would at least note in an article. But no, you can search high and low without finding a reference to this in the mainstream media."

US Ambassador in Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad rejects the charges, insisting that the date was set by Iraqi judges and that Washington had no role in the decision.

THE POODLE'S EMPTY APOLOGY

Just as predicted, John Kerry strode to a microphone yesterday and attempted to apologize for saying those who didn't study hard and get an education would wind up in Iraq. Here is how he said it: "I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended. As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: My poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop."

Now...to properly understand Kerry's apology, you will need an interpretation. Here is what he really means:

1. He regrets that his words were misinterpreted. What he really means here is that if anyone thought he was insulting our troops abroad, that means they're an idiot. Remember, no one is as smart as John Kerry...and if you don't know what John Kerry meant, then that means you're just not qualified to pass judgment on The Poodle. Only if and when you become as intelligent as The Kept Man will you ever know what he truly meant. Translation: it's all your fault.
   
2. As a combat veteran...his comment was never intended to refer to any troop. Translation: hey...John Kerry served in combat for a few months, milking it for several purple hearts and medals...ribbons? Ok, medals. By saying only dumb people wind up in Iraq, he didn't mean the troops. He meant....well, he's not sure. But it wasn't troops...because, hey...he's been there. Oh .. and his words must have also been "misinterpreted" last year when he talked about our troops "terrorizing women and children" and several years ago when he compared them to the rampaging hoards of Genghis Kahn.

At the end of the day, the basic thrust of Kerry's "apology" is that anyone who thinks he meant what he meant is not as smart as he is. Typical elitist, leftist condescension....and part of the reason he was blown out in the 2004 election.