SEEEEE MYYYYY VEST!

You can take off the tinfoil caps now, it appears that the "Bush Bulge" was really a bulletproof vest:

Call off the conspiracy freaks. Now it can be told: That mysterious bulge on President Bush’s back during the first presidential debate was not an electronic device feeding him answers, but a strap holding his bulletproof vest in place.

Speculation about the bulge on the Internet only increased since Georges de Paris, the Washington tailor who makes Bush’s suits, told The Hill last month that it was nothing more than a pucker on the back of Bush’s coat caused when he crossed his arms.

But sources in the Secret Service told The Hill that Bush was wearing a bulletproof vest, as he does most of the time when appearing in public. The president’s handlers did not want to admit as much during the campaign, for fear of disclosing information related to his personal security while he was on the campaign trail.

I suppose we can go back to our lives now. I guess this conclusion reflects well on Bush's handlers, because if they were transmitting messages to Bush on what he should say, they didn't do that great a job.

Still, what was up with Bush saying "let me finish" 45 seconds into a 2-minute response period during the first debate? Guess it doesn't really matter now.

No word from the Secret Service as to whether the vest was made "with real gorilla chest".

Interesting that the candidate who, as the consensus went, lost all three debates went on to win the election. The last time that happened?

Al Gore.