There is a saying in America that goes like this... "if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a duck".

The BBC programme 'Today' had an item this morning about a book by ex-White House spokesman Scott McClellan. In this book McClellan apparently describes Bush as something of a fantasist and says that the White House cabal (Rove, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz etc.) knowingly misled us about the invasion of Iraq.

Anyone who has given a modicum of thought to events in recent years would not find this either surprising or news, indeed, most would consider it to be an understatement.

However, our doughty BBC North American Editor, Justin Webb, sees it differently. After an initial summary Webb spent the majority of his report in attack mode by saying:

"McClellan did not leave the White House voluntarily" ... "he was not in a position to know" ... "he was guilty of making it up" ... "he was not the brightest chap" ... "other staffers are amazed and bemused" ... "Ari Fleischer (McClellan's predecessor) is heartbroken"(!) ... "McClellan has had his mind taken over" (!!) ... "This is about someone selling a book who did not know much anyway".

So George Bush is not a delusional fantasist and those nice neo-cons believed everything they said! Given that this is a very serious topic and that McClellan was in a position to know (he was a close adviser to Bush in Texas even before Bush became president) the subject deserves a different treatment.

The accusation, from a credible insider source, that the President is a fantasist and the administration lied, means that they are guilty of war-crimes and should be charged before the International Court.

At no point did Webb take up the implications of the book. He is not fit to be the person who frames America for BBC audiences.

... quack ... quack ... quack.