Reply #5: The tea leaves say, Osama is dead or deep underground.

[eataTREE]

Everything the Bush administration does is carefully stage-managed.

If they had a live Osama in custody, or expected to get him, we would be hearing quite a bit from Bush about how our brave forces are tracking down the evil doer 24/7... all building up to the triumphant announcement of Osama's capture.

Instead, we get "I don't really think about him that much."

This suggests two possibilities to me. The first possibility is that Bush & Co. honestly have no idea if Osama is alive, and if so, where he might be. So they seek to downplay Osama lest people start asking impertinent questions about why he has not yet been caught.

The second possibility is that the Bush coterie has reason to believe that Bin Laden is dead (and has been for some time). This would explain why they're not really looking for him. Why don't they make a triumphant announcement of this happy news? Because if Osama is dead, there is no longer any reason for the American people to fear him. And if the American people stop being afraid for a few moments, they might notice the total mess that Bush & Co. have made of the country. Can't have that.