What the Meaning of Is Is.

Today at the Cleveland City Club:

THE PRESIDENT: First, just if I might correct a misperception. I don't think we ever said -- at least I know I didn't say that there was a direct connection between September the 11th and Saddam Hussein. We did say that he was a state sponsor of terror -- by the way, not declared a state sponsor of terror by me, but declared by other administrations. We also did say that Zarqawi, the man who is now wreaking havoc and killing innocent life, was in Iraq. And so the state sponsor of terror was a declaration by a previous administration. But I don't want to be argumentative, but I was very careful never to say that Saddam Hussein ordered the attacks on America.

Though, as Keith Olbermann pointed out tonight on MSNBC, he did say this in the 2003 State of the Union address:

Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaida. Secretly, and without fingerprints, he could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own.

Before September the 11th, many in the world believed that Saddam Hussein could be contained.

To be fair to HRH, that part of the SOTU was mainly about what Saddam could do, not what he had done. But you'll recall that he never took great pains to make the distinction he made today until, well, today. And during that time when so many people had the impression that Saddam had ordered the attacks, they certainly had plenty of opportunities to clarify that point.

As Olbermann asked, is he f-ing kidding?