“Newt Gingrich will announce his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday with postings on Facebook and Twitter. He’ll give his first interview as a candidate to Sean Hannity on Wednesday night.” [Political Wire]

On February 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared at the United Nations with proof that Saddam Hussein was harboring weapons of mass destruction.

This was later proven untrue.

On April 1, 2003, Jessica Lynch was said to be liberated from her Iraqi captors, in the first successful rescue of an American POW since World War II.

This was later proven to be a wholesale misrepresentation of events.

On April 9, 2003, a statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, in what was presented as a popular celebration of his downfall.

This was later proven to be staged by Marines, with the assistance of an Army psyops team, for the benefit of news cameras in a nearby hotel.

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Title: “SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper”

Authors: Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin

Rank: 5

Blurb: “SEAL Team Six is a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of Navy SEALS and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) — the toughest and longest military training in the world.”

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Turn Off the Dark’s Reign of Terror Returns on May 12th [Topless Robot, via Comics Alliance]

The initial headline:

WTF at WTC? Obama Has American Flag Removed From Ground Zero Site Moments Before Photo Shoot!

The supposedly corroborating Jake Tapper tweet:

One minute to air and they decided to take the flag down from the live shot!

The wingnut blogger’s kill shot:

This administration and, by extension, the Democrat Party are now so thoroughly divorced from the history, traditions and morals of America that we might as well admit the Marxist left has executed a successful coup d’état on this Republic.

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“Al Qaeda released a statement on jihadist forums Friday confirming the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist websites.” [CNN]

Against our better judgment, we ended up watching the Redshirt Republican debate over dinner last night, and managed to keep our food down.

(Disclosure: “Keep our food down” is here used for obligatory comedic effect only. “Managed to stay awake” would be closer to the truth.)

We’ll spare you the recap, since we’re not wonky enough to really care. But for a very brief moment, Herman Cain said something mildly interesting: That as President, he would consult with Experts and make Decisions, since he’s a veteran Decision-Maker.

We know, we know: Herman Cain is The Decider, Part II.

Or: That’s what every businessman running for political office says.

Or: Didn’t President Obama consult with Experts and make a Decision just the other day? We seem to remember hearing about it Sunday night.

But to take Herman Cain almost seriously for what is likely the first and last time: What kind of Decisions does he have experience making?

You know the shorthand: Pizza! Meat or Veggie? Does Citizen Cain have an opinion on the controversial Pineapple Question? When you ask whether anyone else wants the last slice, what happens if somebody says Yes?

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