People of the lie Slate’s Timothy Noah contributes to the growing field of Ari Fleischer Studies with a careful analysis of a single interaction between Fleischer and Helen Thomas at an April 18 news conference. Present are all Fleischer’s techniques, most notably bullying, repeated interruption, and several different kinds of misdirection—all in service, not of “spin”, but of a thoroughgoing lie.

Plainly put, the current White House press secretary is a bad man. He is the Grima Wormtongue of modern politics. And Bush isn’t Theoden, we are. [11:53 AM]