ADAM'S FIB: You could go a long time without hearing a bigger whopper than State Department spokesman Adam Ereli's response to a question yesterday on the Bush administration's attitude toward international problem-solving.

"If you want to talk about global consciousness," said Ereli, "I'd say there's one country that is focused on action, that is focused on dialogue, that is focused on cooperation, and that is focused on helping the developing world, and that's the United States."

Yeah. These guys are really into that whole "global consciousness" thing. Just pass me a freedom fry, Old Europe, and I'll tell you all about it....

UPDATE: Oops. It seems I spoke too soon. We didn't have to wait long at all to hear a bigger whopper. Here's none other than Mr. Ereli again, this time on the subject of the Bush administration's rather spotty implementation of the Geneva Conventions.

"We're going the extra mile here."

Wow. You almost have to respect that kind of shamelessness, don't you?