Another Great BushCo Idea

The U.S. has taken a lot of heat lately over reports that it has held terrorism suspects in secret Eastern Europe prisons. In fact, the European Union has threatened to impose sanctions on any country found to be hosting one of these prisons.

BushCo's response to all this? Send Condi overseas to kick some European ass:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to give allies in Europe a response next week to their pressure over Washington's treatment of terrorism suspects: back off. * * *

The European Union has demanded that Washington address the allegations to allay fears of illegal U.S. practices. The concerns are rampant in among the European public and parliaments, already critical of U.S. prisoner-abuse scandals in Iraq and Guantanamo, Cuba.

But Rice will shift to offense when she visits Europe next week, in a strategy that has emerged in recent days and been tested by her spokesman in public and in her private meetings with European visitors.

She will remind allies they themselves have been cooperating in U.S. operations and tell them to do more to win over their publics as a way to deflect criticism directed at the United States, diplomats and U.S. officials said.

Or we could instead close down the secret Eastern European prisons and promise to never do it again.

I'm just kidding, of course.