Gordon Bathos of the Toronto Sun has summed it up well. Intentionally ignorant, know-nothings in America are buoying Bush's poll results.

Most Americans remain persuaded that the war and 8,000 Iraqi deaths were justified, to topple an America-hating, murderous despot.

But nearly one American in two now believes Bush intentionally misled them about Saddam's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

Bush's credibility would be lower still, except that a sturdy core of invincibly ignorant people — one American in three — is convinced that these weapons already have been found.