Call me an old cynic, but are the tactics of Bush's people to attempt to manipulate the political process getting more visible, or are we getting better at spotting them? Or perhaps are they not working so well anymore and it's started getting harder to do them?

All three. News blogs and the mass press no longer act is Bush supporters has provided better and faster coverage of these events. And the closer it gets to the end of the Bush administration, the less ability they have to manipulate things.

Jay