creative commons/flickr/ by azainman

Well, they'd have to, wouldn't they? But they language they're using is a league beyond the usual arrogant dismissals, as if they can barely be bothered with something so off-the-wall. No, this time - after McClellan did them some heavy damage with their own people - they're going all-out. It's "gutter journalism". It's "absurd".

In BushSpeak, that's tantamount to an admission that Suskind's right.

The Bush administration joined former top CIA officials in denouncing a new book's assertion that White House officials ordered the forgery of Iraqi documents to suggest a link between Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the lead hijacker in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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Suskind, who has written two previous investigative books that contained criticism of Bush administration policies, described the alleged forgery as a deliberate "misusing of an arm of government, the kind of thing generally taken up in impeachment proceedings." White House condemnations of the book were equally dramatic, with officials blasting it as "gutter journalism." In separate statements, several former and current CIA officials disputed portions of the account, including two named by Suskind as key sources.

"The notion that the White House directed anyone to forge a letter . . . is absurd," said White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto.

Suskind's two major sources are now claiming they never said anything Suskind says they said, but Suskind says he's got it on tape.

Many of the interviews were taped, he said. Suskind added that he understood "the enormous pressure that can be brought to bear" on sources who formerly worked for the government and still have professional ties.

The "govt" they worked for is the Bush govt, where "Revenge" is their middle name. I'd deny it, too, I suspect.