One of the most fascinating things about Dick’s little hunting accident is that it exposes Dick violating the rules–rules that few are going to argue are partisan. When Dick and Libby broke the law to out Valerie Plame, wingnuts proclaimed they were just exposing an unfair partisan attack. When Dick and Bush broke the law to eavesdrop on American citizens, most Republicans excused it by saying Democratic complaints about the law-breaking just proves they’re pre-9/11 partisan sissies. But many of the same conservatives excusing Dick for breaking the laws of the United States are the same who will tell you–in no uncertain terms–that you don’t shoot your gun without looking where you’re shooting. My blogmates (who are much better shots than I) are better qualified than I to pursue this line of thought. Meanwhile, though, I’d like to talk about a similar object lesson this shooting incident might offer.

Cheney’s shooting accident and the bungled aftermath demonstrates clearly (again, to people who have doubted this in the past) many of Cheney’s and Rove’s favorite techniques for lying.

Repeating the Lie until It Becomes True

My favorite of these is a technique that is quickly becoming ineffective. Just keep asserting something to be the truth over and over again. Will it to be true.