Bush, in a "free-wheeling interview with a handful of Texas print reporters," goes to great lengths to show he continues to reign freely in his own Kingdom of Fantasyland.  Yeah, I know there is no way he's coming clean on Iraq or the Plame Affair.  But regarding steroids, you'd expect him to be able to stick to his "get-tough" message that he outlined in this year's State of the Union:

 

The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now.

So, Rafael Palmeiro is exposed yesterday as the highest-profile player to test positive under MLB's new steroid policy.  In this free-wheeling interview, when asked about it, Bush definitely had some harsh words, right?  Umm...no, not exactly:

 

THE PRESIDENT: Well, Rafael Palmeiro is a friend. He's testified in public, and I believe him. He's the kind of person that's going to stand up in front of the klieg lights and say he didn't use steroids, and I believe him. Still do.

Still do, huh?  Palmeiro himself doesn't really deny it now... he says he didn't INTENTIONALLY do so, which is quite different.  But Bush isn't a man for details.