RECENT COLUMNS

Editor's note: After more than a year of quasi-regular updates, The Weekly Shredder is going on hiatus. James Norton is chest-deep in research for his upcoming book, "Saving General Washington," and will be sinking into a potentially fatal swamp of reading and writing from now until his manuscript is due. Look for the Shredder's reappearance in late November, and — until then — sporadic appearances as events warrant and guest writers allow.

John Bolton gets his hands on a UN document and whips out his pen. Is he all that moderates feared he'd be?

Iraq's new constitution is (not at all) ready to rock!

A vivid, rabblerousing e-mail forward demonstrates the Internet's amazing power to deceive and misinform.

John Bolton is lifted from the muck and mire of an inconvenient Senate confirmation through the magic of a recess appointment.

Howard Dean has Supreme Court nominee John Roberts in his sights. But he'd have better luck trying to destroy the Death Star with a sparkler.

The Top Ten Karl Rove-related dodges, weaves and outright lies of Scott McClellan.

The Danes put the screws to Bush, and we parse the gap between words and truth.

US troops die in combat; Iraq goes up in flames; Bush gives a speech.

Wherein Scott McClellan makes a powerful case for his own irrelevance.

Rep. Duncan Hunter uses two plates of chicken as a shield against the Gitmo abuse charges.

Red states are tough on crime, and full of values. Blue states are dens of sin and tolerance. Guess who's got the worst crime?

The court bodyslams our right to know about our own government.

The Wall Street Journal's editorial page plays the denial game with Abu Ghraib.

A baldfaced defense of Tom DeLay may exhaust the Republican Party's dwindling line of credit.

The GOP's love of danger takes its most adventurous turn yet.

Bush hits the road to urge Americans to board a sinking ship.

Sometimes, in order to defend a playbook full of deception and lies, you need to resort to deception and lies.

Bush's plain-talkin' press conference was surprisingly devoid of plain talk.

Political consultant Frank Luntz presents the 2005 edition of "Lies That Get You More Power."

When you've got a bad plan to kill a good program, you need a great playbook.

Wherein Advisor Rice becomes Secretary Rice, but that darn mushroom cloud trails in her wake like a shadow.

Wherein the next American secretary of State cannot decide whether torture is "good" or "bad."

In the wake of the Ohio vote challenge, it's "clueless" versus "vicious" on the House floor, and nobody comes out looking good.

Beware noncombatants who celebrate the glory of war.

Wherein the US government tries to size up the cost of war.

A Wisconsin senator known for his tough stands goes after the country's incoming Secretary of State.

A little-known government report starts with the question of strategic communication and turns into a scathing indictment of the Bush administration's war on terror.

It's Thanksgiving, and the White House is answering questions about turkey trivia through the ages. Can they collectively tell the truth... just this once? Remember: It's a holiday!

An independent journalist's video documents the killing of an unarmed, injured Iraqi prisoner. Why war crimes — and the deaths of innocent civilians — matter.

The not-so-liberal editor of The New Republic kicks John Kerry while the Senator is down.

Wherein our leader kicks off his next four years by spinning castles out of clouds, and talking about his valiant efforts to "unite all Americans."

One of hip-hop's most dangerous voices taps into an undercurrent of youth anger and directs it squarely at the president.

At a time of incredible national crisis, one of the nation's top public servants lies and misleads those who most need his help.