Final lie count: 935

The Center for Public Integrity and Fund for Independence in Journalism recently finished compiling all 935 lies (click the post title to see them) told by the Bush Administration between September 11th and the start of the Iraq War, concerning the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and his (nonexistent) WMDs. The White House Spokesman Scott Stanzel commented that the decision to invade Iraq was based on "the collective judgment of intelligence agencies around the world."

Lucky number 936. The decision to invade Iraq was made years before September 11th by Paul Wolfowitz and Bush's neocon colleagues. The 935 lies helped, but it was all too easy for Bush to capitalize on our fears following 9-11. The lies serve as a reminder that, in times of widespread fear and conflict, it is crucial to fact-check our leaders' statements and premises.