We've become so desensitized to Bush Administration bamboozlement that it's almost easy to overlook the ironic juxtaposition of the White House pumping up claims of improvement in Iraq while the President makes yet another secret trip there this weekend in which he is unable to leave the confines of a U.S. base.

That's not to say that once American officials start publicly announcing their trips in advance and venturing into Iraqi-controlled territory we can conclude that Iraq has improved. These guys would not hesitate to stage such trips just to drive home the point that Iraq is now safe and stable. But the fact that the Administration cannot engage in those kinds of theatrical stunts tells you all you need to know about how bad the situation in Iraq really is.