Saletan goes "We we"

Slate's William Saletan wrote a piece on Bush's losing debate strategy. Critics have seized upon this passage:

Because Iraq is different from Vietnam. We were attacked on 9/11. We thought Saddam Hussein was behind it. We thought Iraq posed the next threat. We don't want to believe that we were wrong, that we've committed $200 billion and sacrificed more than 1,000 American lives in error. We can't imagine asking thousands more to die for a mistake.

"We" thought Iraq was behind the World Trade Center attacks? Speak for yourself, Bill.

Here's one fact of history which has disappeared down the memory hole, a fact I never tire of repeating: On September 17, 2001, CBS published the results of a poll in which Americans were asked to pick the culprit responsible for the disaster. The vast majority correctly fingered Al Qaida. Only three percent of respondents considered Saddam Hussein responsible.

Over the next two years, that percentage rose dramatically, even though no new facts came to light. A massive misperception of that sort does not happen by accident.

"We" did not think Saddam was behind it -- not initially. Unfortunately, Saletan's "we" include millions of gullible fools who believe any malarky the RNC and the radio rightists choose to repeat on a daily basis. Before that propaganda machinery geared up, "we" saw matters accurately.