More Illusions of George Tenet

Slam dunk:

Ron Suskind, The One Percent Doctrine, p. 188: Bush then turned to Tenet and said, "I've been told all this intelligence about having WMD and this is the best we've got?"

Tenet, according to Woodward's account, then rose, threw up both arms in the air, and said, "It's a slam dunk case!"

The account of the meeting... was provided to Woodward by White House officials.... [Bush]... extensively briefed before his sit-down meeting with Woodward... told [Woodward]... that Tenet's reassurance "was very important."...

Tenet and McLaughlin don't remember the meeting very well. Tenet... doesn't actually remember ever saying "slam dunk." Doesn't dispute it. Just doesn't remember it. McLaughlin said he never remembered Tent saying "slam dunk" either... doesn't recall Tenet ever... jumping up and waving his arms.

He and Tenet have both told close friends that it was a marketing meeting, not about the actual research, but about presentation. This may be a fine point ofr distinction, but... context is important.... [Bush's] question, McLaughlin recalled, was "whether we could craft a better pitch than this--a PR meeting--it certainly wasn't about the nature of the evidence."

There's one other thing McLaughlin remembers clearly.... McLaughlin said something he'd said several times: "George, sometimes I think we need to be very careful about what we say in that room."

Tenet disagreed. "No, what we say in there won't come back to haunt us. It's what we write down. That's the permanent record. That's what'll count."

Impeach George W. Bush. Impeach him now.