The Fear of Truth

The White House will allow Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to testify before Congress as long as:

• They testify in secret,
  
• They are not compelled to tell the truth,
• No record is kept of what they have said.

Therein rests the core of the Bush Administration. From Scooter Libby and Dick Cheney to Antonio Gonzalez to Bush himself is a systemic terror of the truth. When lying risked everything and gained nothing, Libby chose to lie under oath to a grand jury. Scientists are instructed, on pain of losing their jobs, to lie about their research. When trying to parse the truth in the Iraq War, it is easier and most accurate to assume everything said by the government is a lie.

Rove and Miers are afraid to testify under oath. They want to preserve their right to lie at will. They want no transcripts so that no one can test the veracity of their testimony. And above all else, they want it in secret because they are terrified of truth.