HOLY JAMOLEY! NYTimes Picks up on the Bush Earpiece Story

Good lord! if this has any legs, it will be devistating. Evidently after that salon article ran, the white house was flooded with questions. here are the answers they fumbled out:

First they said that pictures showing the bulge might have been doctored. But then, when the bulge turned out to be clearly visible in the television footage of the evening, they offered a different explanation.

"There was nothing under his suit jacket," said Nicolle Devenish, a campaign spokeswoman.

"It was most likely a rumpling of that portion of his suit jacket, or a wrinkle in the fabric."

Ms. Devenish could not say why the "rumpling" was rectangular.

Nor was the bulge from a bulletproof vest, according to campaign and White House officials; they said Mr. Bush was not wearing one.

Pretty weak. this will probably go away but if not, it may be crippling. the idea that the president, this strong leader, cannot present his own record without any help. the idea that this president could not function without the training wheel guidence of his staff will be submitted and those dreams of a new face added to Mt. Rushmore will have to dissolve away.