You know, they do have a sense of humour

As the peerless Onion shows, Americans can do satire exceptionally well. Strolling around the internets the other day, I stumbled on Bush2004.com, a strikingly well-informed mock official site for that year's Presidential campaign that reminds us that blatant lying during Presidential campaigns isn't confined to this year. The second Presidential debate of that election took place on this day four years ago, during which Bush said "I don't think the Patriot Act abridges your rights at all." Bush2004.com comments -

"A stunning insight that has eluded the best legal minds to date. The only thing the state is authorized to do to us that it wasn't before the era of the Patriot Act is: (1) arrest us without cause (2) hold us indefinitely without charge (3) subject us to secret military trial (4) replace juries with military officers (5) suspend rules of evidence (6) prevent us from witnessing our own trial (7) prevent us from seeing the evidence against us (8) convict us on hearsay (9) torture us (10) execute us in secret (11) execute our friends and associates for harboring us."

Second, here's the essential Saturday Night Live Palin-Couric parody followed by the real thing. Less than three minutes of your time, and both are hysterical.