A CNN news analyst said this afternoon that the latest entry in the Bush machinations logbook -- the “Scooter” revelations -- “raises serious questions about the White House’s credibility.”

On hearing that, however, what sprang to my mind were merely questions about the analyst’s seriously belated understatement. Did he mean “revives” already answered questions about the White House’s credibility? Puts the final nail in its coffin of credibility? Mean to imply that the White House has in some way retained some modicum of credibility over the last few months?

Historians will someday ponder at precisely what point the White House officially and unequivocally lost its last smattering of credibility, but their consensus undoubtedly will be that that final point came well before April 6, 2006. It's not too soon to agree on that much.