SUMMER STRATEGY

A reader sends in another twist to Bush’s smart game this summer in flushing out his opponents:

One other component of Bush’s remarkable summer strategy that I think you missed: The leaking of the legal memo from White House lawyers that Bush didn’t need Congressional approval prior to directing military action in Iraq. The blowhards in Congress – and their predictable, knee-jerk desire to be involved and oppose any assertion of presidential power – led to demands that they debate the issue even before the November elections!

I say: let’s get them on record.

THE PRICE OF TOUGH TALK: Funny, isn’t it, that the French are now becoming a little more friendly, and that the Palestinians are thinking about dumping Arafat. That clumsy oaf Bush actually speaking his mind, destroying our foreign alliances, upsetting the world. And it works!

AL-NOT-SO-BRIGHT: A reader comments on Madeleine Albright’s fatuous op-ed in the New York Times yesterday and my commentary on it:

I think you missed the larger point on the Albright piece – She agrees that Saddam is a mortal threat, that he is actively seeking nukes, and that regime change is necessary. Then she notes that Saddam doesn’t have nuclear capability yet and that his army is weak – and she offers these as reasons for waiting rather than taking military action now! The other remarkable thing about Albright’s article is that she calls for the UN to issue an ultimatum to Saddam, that she believes that the ultimatum will be rejected, but is steadfast in her position that we are not close to the time when we should take military action against him. So, we should issue an ultimatum expecting non-compliance and then back down when it is not complied with. Good strategy! Did she work for the Clinton administration or something?

MOVIE TITLE OF THE YEAR: Sorry, couldn’t resist.