The New York Times has a really interesting article on the faith-based presidency entitled Without a Doubt. It covers a lot of the concerns, particularly within the Republican party, that people have about Bush's willingness to ignore inconvenient facts.
I find it interesting, though, that the term for this degree of certainity is "faith-based". The term, of course, comes from GWB's constant decree that he is doing God's work. Why do I find it interesting? Well, what does faith mean? Faith, in this context, really means "Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence".
Well, fair enough. Note, however, that it does not say "Belief that ignores inconvenient logical proofs or material evidence that doesn't support it". While I don't even pretend to be a religious person, I'm not so silly as to describe that approach as being "faith-based". I tell it like it is: idiot based. Idiocy dressed up in religious trappings. And that's assuming he's sincere and honest, so it's really the best possible interpretation. It's much more likely that it's a cynical ploy to manipulate the American public and let him do what he wants without actually needing to justify it.
To deny evidence that is conclusive and firm is not an act of faith, and it really shouldn't be called one.
