He's No C.J. - Two provocative pieces on White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer appeared recently. The first, in The New Republic, delights in detailing some of the specific tricks Ari uses with the press corps. The second, from the Washington Post paints a broader picture and offers some insight into his motivations. I'm no fan of Ari, but I suppose you have to admire his deftly performed "skills" of spin and obfuscation.

Of course, my personal favorite Ari quote was his statement regarding an opinion of Bill Maher, the host of the soon-to-be-defunct Politically Correct, where the Press Secretary said, "these are reminders to all Americans that they need to watch what they say and what they do." Thank you for the civics lesson, Ari.