Watch the Wall Street Journal obfiscate!

Here's the Wall Street Journal editorial board, doing their damndest to explain and defend the Administration's near-Midnight Massacre ("11pm Massacre?"):

In Mr. Comey's spirited retelling, Messrs. Gonzales and Card were trying to "end run" his authority as acting attorney general by taking advantage of a "very sick man" who had delegated his AG powers to Mr. Comey. In a series of events that followed, Mr. Comey, under the guidance of Mr. Schumer, presented himself as further harassed--summoned to the White House to meet with Mr. Card, and later with President Bush himself.

The implication is that the White House was trying to lean on Justice to do something illegal. But listen to what Mr. Comey actually said as Mr. Specter questioned him. Was he pressured by Mr. Card, Senator Specter asked? No. "I don't know that he tried to pressure me, other than to engage me on the merits and make clear his strong disagreements with my conclusion."

Did they threaten him, or suggest he could be fired? "No sir, I didn't feel threatened, nor did he say anything that could reasonably be read [as threatening]." And what about Mr. Bush, did he twist arms in the Oval? Through FBI director Robert Mueller, Mr. Comey explained, "The President said the Justice Department should do what the Department thinks is right."

So where's the smoking gun here?

Well, WSJ editorial board, lemme see if I can explain. The problem is not that Comey was ordered or threatened if he didn't sign off on the warrantless wiretap program. The problem is that President Bush and Alberto and Andy, Official Minions, decided they didn't need him to sign off because they thought they could seduce a signature out of the ailing Ashcroft. Sure, the President could tell the Justice Department to do what it thinks is right, because as we know now, the President didn't particularly care what Justice thought one way or the other -- having failed to obtain "midnight" certification from Justice, Bush went ahead and reauthorized the program anyway. It was only the threat of mass resignations from virtually everyone in that department that forced his hand and resulted in changes to the program, changes that -- according to the Wall Street Journal -- apparently were entirely unnecessary, since, you know, the President said the program was legal. Got that? With me? Enjoying it on this side of the looking glass?

This story is not over.