THE FLIP-FLOPPING NANNY

Saletan on Bush. Bush is for big government except when he’s against it; he’s for restraining spending, except when he’s boosting it; he’s for rooting out insurgents in Iraq, until he favors a more “sensitive” strategy; he’s for free trade, except when he’s against it; he’s against stem cell research, except when he’s bragging about it; he’s pro states rights, unless they do things he disapproves of; he’s in favor of responsibility, except when it comes to the budget; he’s pro-U.N., except when he’s against it; he’s for church-state separation, except when it comes to federal funding. Any decent opponent would make mincemeat of Bush’s wavering, straddling and inconsistent policy pronouncements. But Kerry is useless. And if he’s this useless as a candidate, how good would he be as a president?