This is a bit creepy

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a conspiracy buff. I tend to doubt claims of overarching plots that would involve hundreds of people keeping completely silent about what they knew, sometimes for decades.

I have never thought we have been visited by creatures from another planet. (Leaving aside some of the obvious punch lines.)

I do not believe JFK was assassinated by the CIA.

More recently, I was amused by the claims last fall that Saddam Hussein already had been captured and was being held so he could be "caught" at the most politically-beneficial time for the Bush administration. I was doubly amused when after he was nabbed in December the story smoothly segued to it being Osama bin Laden who was in the bag, waiting to be "seized" at the right time.

That last idea got new circulation a few days ago when Iranian state radio reported exactly that: bin Laden had been captured and Bush was withholding the announcement until the elections.

The deeply weird part, however, is that when Secretary of Homeland Security (a title that retains its own measurable creepiness value) Tom Ridge was asked about it by reporters during a trip to Bangkok, Thailand this week - specifically, he was asked if it was true that bin Laden is hemmed in and would be caught or killed closer to November to boost Bush's popularity - he evaded the question. Instead, he gave some lame answer about how

"with the help" of American allies, the United States continues to pursue him. Ridge also said he has "no doubt within time" the United States will track bin Laden down and "bring him to justice."

You'd think he'd make some kind of denial, either vague - "we're after him and we're gonna get him and it's going to be as soon as we can get him, whether that's next week, next month, or next year, but we're gonna get him" - or angrily specific - "absolutely false and the idea that we would let that murderous madman remain free for the sake of petty political advantage is outrageous." But he did neither.

Very, very strange. : shudder :

Link via BuzzFlash - which, it should be noted, endorses the "Osama October Surprise" idea and earlier promoted the "Saddam October Surprise" notion.