Latest Cartoon: The Counting Game
Plus, we love freedom, right?

Sorry, I forgot to post this Wednesday. The count of U.S. military dead has since gone up to over 700, I believe (see the Washington Post for a detailed interactive graphic, "Faces of the Fallen"). The count of Iraqi civilian dead is still not officially counted (though Iraq Body Count has some estimates). And the count of Bush administration lies just keeps going up, and up and up (Condoleeza Rice's testimony, anyone?)

But what struck me the most last week wasn't as much of a direct factual lie as an insane oversimplification. In a speech Tuesday, Bush gave a typically nuanced political analysis of the situation in Iraq: "These people hate freedom. And we love freedom. And that's where the clash occurs." (quote via the AP)

Yes, it's really that simple.

(As a side note, I continue to be amazed that the U.S. administration in Iraq thought that shutting down a newspaper was a good way to demonstrate that commitment to freedom.)

P.S. Newsweek has some numbers, too.