We need some kind of meter to count the White House lies; there are so many and they come so fast, it is hard to keep up with them. And many get no publicity.

Take, for example, the case of the recent dirty trick played on the state of Louisiana. Louisiana's coastline is disappearing at an alarming rate. It has taken the state's Congressional delegation years to get Washington to notice and to care about this huge wetlands crisis.

Recently, the White House agreed to help Louisiana, but only under the condition that the state scrap its well thought out, long-term plan to preserve its coastline. In its place, the White House substituted a cheaper, short-term plan. The state, desperate to get help, reluctantly agreed.

Now the administration is saying Louisiana's problem is no longer a priority and there may be no money available at all.

In the meantime, Gale Norton is calling Louisiana's wetlands a "treasure." Considering that Norton has made a career out of destroying the environment, that's probably the kiss of coastal death.