In Bush's case I think this word means: "Golly, if I call myself responsible, people like me better than they do if I say I had nothing to do with it. My poll numbers have been in the toilet, so I'll say I'm responsible for something, then they'll like me and I'll get to be like the Oscar Meyer weiner for another day. And absolutely nothing has to change one iota. Hey, cool! Lookit me, I'm responsible, I'm responsible, hey look, I'm responsible, ha ha ha!"