Sadder or funnier?

You've heard of "sad but true." You've heard of "funny because it's true." But have you ever seen both in the same item at the same time?

President George Bush, during his latest daily confidence-building statement, this morning said Americans “rejoice that we have, this week, continued a 232-year tradition of peaceful, bloodless transitions of government.”

The president noted that the U.S. economy has been “transformed from an unreliable free-market model, to one in which global investors can trust, because government has taken ownership of the foundations of the economy — banks, debt merchants, insurance underwriters — thereby tapping the full faith and credit of U.S. taxpayers who can be compelled by law or force, if necessary, to cover any potential losses.”

By buying into, and bailing out, these businesses, Mr. Bush said, “The U.S. government has fundamentally changed from a Constitutional Republic with a shaky capitalist economy, to a more stable, centrally-planned construct I like to call a ’smart-ocracy’, where the people who know best will direct our nation’s course to the benefit of all.”