Evidence of absence?

Remember Boy's Life? It's still around, the official white-bread publication of the Boy Scouts of America, same as it ever was.

As I recall from my own Scouting days, the last page of each monthly issue was devoted entirely to humor -- specifically, the corniest jokes imaginable. Now one of those old Boy's Life jokes comes to mind every time I hear former Vice President Dick Cheney (et al) talk about the absence of terrorist attacks since 9-11 as proof positive that the Bush administration's black-bag policies worked.

The joke went something like this:

"I'm wearing elephant repellent," said a boy to his mother.

"Don't be silly," Mom replied, rolling her eyes. "There are no elephants around here."

"See?" the boy said with pride. "It works!"

It takes a real elephant -- or a real sheep -- to buy Cheney's brand of unfiltered, self-serving bullshit.