Putting Lipstick On A Pig.

“Evil is whatever distracts.” —Franz Kafka

At least the Bush Administration attempts to make the news palletable by putting a better looking face than Tony Snow’s on it. However, it doesn’t make the news any truer. In fact the spin is mostly simple obfuscation:

Q I guess the point is that if the senior administration official told us on a conference call that these methods wouldn't be used, why won't you say whether or not head-slapping, waterboarding, would be used?

MS. PERINO: I don't believe that I -- I'm not in a position to be able to do that. I am not going to comment on specific techniques. And if there's -- I don't know who that individual was, and maybe you can follow up with them and get more.

Q But your point is that you're giving away things to the enemy, but it was okay for someone to do it, but not okay for you to do it? Or are you just --

MS. PERINO: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know who was on the conference call. I don't -- what I -- I know what I know, which is that techniques that we use are classified, and classified for a reason. To the extent that there was one ruled out, then so be it. But I'm not going to comment on others.

Q And you won't say whether waterboarding is being ruled out, or head-slapping has been ruled out?

MS. PERINO: I'm not going to comment on those.

Q What is your definition of "torture?"

MS. PERINO: Well, that's clearly spelled out in the -- in the Detainee Treatment Act, and interpreted under the December 2004 opinion that governs, and has governed -- and if you look at the footnote from that opinion, governs all subsequent opinions that have been made by the Justice Department.

Q And has -- have any attacks been averted since President Bush revealed the existence of his program, because terrorism suspects have been held in the program?

MS. PERINO: I don't know, Toby. It's not -- I can tell you that General Hayden and Fran Townsend, the President's National -- Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, have said that this program continues to save lives. When we can, we declassify information so that we can provide it to you. But right now I don't have any to provide.

There’s nothing like appearing to give information while providing absolutely nothing of substance. What a waste of time.