(Blogged by Brad from the road...)

From last week's UNITY 2004 Convention of minority journalists when Dubya was asked what he thought "tribal sovereignty means in the 21st century"...

His response, in and of itself, is funny and a classic Bushism.

But being the stupid white guy that I am, I was too busy laughing to even realize the insensitivity and utter ignorance of his response itself until coming across this article. It seems that the soon-to-be-former "President" has managed to alienate yet another sliver of the electorate in the Indian communities due to his brain-dead use of the word "given" in the above quote.

Otherwise, for more swell fresh Bushisms, see today's Doonesbury! (I'd have reposted it here as a 'Sunday Toon of the Moment', but the reduction in size to fit the format here made a few of the best quotes unintelligible --- not that they already aren't...but for different reasons!)

UPDATE: Thanks to alert BB commenter Corey, here's the video of the "sovereignty" quote described above. And he's right, it's even more troubling watching it than reading it! (And funnier too!)

(Blogged by Brad on the road...)

I may have spent the last week in the woods, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

So here's a bunch of items of note from the past week that I've either been pondering or have only recently come to my attention in the last 12 hours or so...Forgive me if some of this has already been covered or is otherwise old news by now, but I'm catching up on a few things that I've missed while being away from all media at my campsite for the last week (save for some occassional Rightwing Talk Radio as we could pick it up in the woods with our crankable Grundig radio.)

I think it's a fair bet that much of this was not covered on Fox News. And likely in the rest of the lazy Mainstream Media that is supposed to be looking out for you. But isn't.

• Another record for the Bush Administration!
Having celebrated the good news for their record Budget Deficit last week, the gold medals just keep rolling in for the Bush Administration! The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office announced yesterday that last month's Trade Deficit has also passed a milestone! It was another record for the Bushies as the trade gap was announced as "hitting a record $55.8 billion on the biggest drop in exports in nearly three years and record imports, the government said on Friday." The US Dollar, of course, has plummeted in the wake of this terrific news! Who said those tax cuts didn't come just in time?!

• "Sensitivity" and Desperation
When John Kerry said "I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror" he was, of course, speaking of being more sensitive to the needs and requirements of our allies, so that they might be more cooperative in the effort, joining us in the fight, and leading to fewer American Deaths and other such "campaign issues".

Not unlike when George W. Bush, said in March of 2001 aboard the USS Ronald Reagan that "we must be sensitive about expressing our power and influence".

The desperation revealed by the Bush Campaign to spin Kerry's "sensitive" comment into one of being "sensitive" to our enemies, as Cheney and the Attack Monkeys tried to spin it this week, speaks volumes for itself. But just in case you're still buying that nonsense, here's a boatload of other quotes describing the "sensitive" Bush-Cheney doctrine from such macho toughies as Don Rumsfeld, Gen. Myers, Paul Wolfowitz and more. Courtesy of the Center for American Progress.

The spin may not stop on Fox or O'Reilly, but we do our best to stop it here.

• Kerry Takes Leads in Florida, but Charley may have other ideas...
Speaking of desperation...Team Bush is no doubt celebrating the death and devastation in Florida this week as it'll give the Bush Bros. a much needed chance to shine! And they need it a lot apparently! According to the latest Quinnipiac Poll released this week Kerry has now taken a 47% to 41% lead over Dubya in Florida! Without Nader in the mix, the lead goes to 49% to 42%.

It's the battlegrounds, stupid. But I'm sure Fox and CNN and MSNBC have already explained that to you.

• John O'Neill "Not a Republican"
And speaking of Fox...I understand that John O'Neill, co-author of "Unfit for Command", --- the story of Kerry's "lies" about Vietnam and his swiftboat days --- the anti-Kerry dirty-trickster for the Nixon Administration and clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquist in 1990 said on the "Hannity and Colmes" show this week that he's "not a Republican". He also said on Crossfire that "I've had no serious involvement in politics of any kind in over 32 years."

But I also understand that neither Fox, Hannity, Colmes or CNN has bothered to challenge that ridiculous idea by pointing out that O'Neill has given some $15,000 to Republican candidates and causes over the past decade. He has given $0, apparently, to Democrat causes or candidacies during that same period.

Jaime did some fine guest blogging here previously describing the other author, Jerome Corsi's record on FreeRepublic.com in the past of posting things like "RAGHEADS are Boy-Bumpers as clearly as they are Women-Haters" and describing Kerry as "John F*ing Commie Kerry" prior to Jew Baiting him in the same post.

That's your Republican Party. And there's some real Fair and Balanced for ya.

(P.S. Did anyone see George and Laura on "Larry King" where George explained that he couldn't comment on, much less condemn, as Sen. John McCain has called on him to do, the outrageous commercial put out by the Swiftboat Vets because he "hadn't seen it"? I guess Larry was unable to forego 30 seconds of sychophantic softballs to simply show the spot to the "Commander-in-Chief" then and there to get his opinion on it. By the way, Hannity told you yesterday that Bush has condemned the ad. He hasn't. Hannity lied to you.)

• No Imminent Terror Operations! (Plus, blown intelligence!)
Did Fox or CNN also remember to point out this article? The one where a White House official said "the Bush administration has discovered no evidence of imminent plans by terrorists to attack U.S. buildings"?

On Thursday, the official speaking to "nearly a dozen news organizations...on condition of anonymity" said that he has "not seen an indication of an imminent operation."

That despite Tom Ridge and the rest of the clan having decided that last week was a good time to induce some fresh fear into the electorate just after a very successful DNC Convention.

I have a feeling the bulk of the media may not have covered it.

Nor did they much cover the fact that leaking the identity of our first big "informant" in the War on Terror, has pissed off our allies in both the British and Pakistani Intelligence services since it blew a bigger sting operation that was in progress at the time. Perhaps we should be more "sensitive" to such things in the future.

Oh, well. Better to let Americans think we're fighting a brilliant "War on Terror" rather than actually go about the business of winning it.

•I'll presume they signed the Loyalty Oath before the entrees were served...
While John Kerry drew over 20 thousand folks to an open and public event in Portland, Oregon yesterday (and we were stuck in the traffic leaving Portland to prove it!), George W. was also in town. But his event, which drew about a thousand supporters, was closed to all but Campaign Insiders and Business Folks for some odd reason.

Later that night, Bush raised some $2.4 Million for his campaign at a dinner party at the private lakefront home of former Simpson Timber Chairman Gary Reed here in Washington (where we now are). He made no public appearances here.

No worries though. Bush is now down by a full 9 points here in Washington state, (another one of the "battlegrounds") according to the latest poll here.

By the way, the public hearing period is still ongoing in regards to Bush's latest giveaway to allow Timber Companies like Reed's to raid our National Forest. Please take a moment to click here and send your public comment about this new policy. It's all done auto-magically for you! So click it! I'm sure they're paying close attention to your opinions!

• Michael Moore does it again!
In an interview with Bush nominee for CIA Director, Republican Congressman Porter Goss, Michael Moore once again gets the story that the Media fails to get for you.

Said Goss to Moore's people in an interview during the filming of Fahrenheit 9/11: "I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified...I don't have the language skills. I, you know, my language skills were romance languages and stuff. We're looking for Arabists today. I don't have the cultural background probably...And I certainly don't have the technical skills, uh, as my children remind me every day: 'Dad you got to get better on your computer.' Uh, so, the things that you need to have, I don't have."

And so, that man has been nominated by George W. Bush to head the same CIA that his House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence was criticized for failing to have overseen properly prior to 9/11. He was the Committee's chairman at the time.

If it wasn't all unbelievably real, it might be hysterical.

• And Finally...Enough with the Singing Republicans!
First it was Ashcroft singing on camera...and now it's "carpet-bagging", Maryland resident and nominee for the US Senate seat from Illinois, Alan Keyes. "Why, oh, why can't I?"...indeed. (You may need to turn off Pop-Up Blockers to watch the video.)

Phew...That oughta get me caught up for an hour or two!

(Blogged by Brad from the road...)

It's pushing 100 something here on the parking lot of "Rich's Sew & Vac" store in Salem, Oregon where we're hijacking some wireless internet from the parking lot! Catching up after 5 days or so in the woods with no access (see the previous post for more info on our whereabouts).

It looks like the "President" and the Soon-to-be-President are dogging us all the way up Interstate 5! We blew through Central Point, OR yesterday just an hour or so before Kerry was to speak, then up through Eugene where he next spoke, and today both Kerry and Bush are speaking in Portland where we will be shortly. Tix to Kerry's rally sounded dull, and would slow us from our appointed rounds, but getting to a Bush rally on the otherhand would be worth slowing down for!

Unfortunately, it turns out the Bush's rally is for "Party Supporters/Business Leaders Only". In other words, no actual Americans allowed. Not open to the public. Another fake rally for the Bushies. Oh, well.

I tried to quickly catch up on comments and the items posted by the Guest Bloggers, and noted that our BRAD BLOG Commenter (and our resident Canadian friend) Johanna had some concerns about who might win this fall. Lemme tell ya, from out here on the road, in supposedly "conservative" Oregon, all I see is Kerry/Edwards signs and bumper stickers. For whatever that's worth. I saw only one sign of Bush support so far: A big painted trailer with a burnt out forest and the text "Kerry = Death to the West". Whatever that may mean.

In the meantime, Extremist Conservative Talk Radio (the only thing one can get as they speed through the country) would let you think that things are wonderful for the Bushies. They are lying. But that is their job. Barring any big new events (terrorist attack, Debate blunder, October Bin Laden Surprise), I'm still smelling Kerry blow-out in November. But I understand Johanna's feelings. I think she's voicing "fears" rather than real concern based on anything in particular. Unless she's listening and watching the Extremist and "Liberal" Media in any case, in which case, that's exactly what they'd like you to believe.

Here's a quickie for you Fake Conservatives out there: Pete Peterson's Running on Empty: How The Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It. Peterson was Reagan's head of the Federal Reserve, and he's blowing the whistle on the "Conservative's" absurd No Tax and Spend policies that are sure to bankrupt this country in about five years or so. Those Tax Cutting Voodoo Economists (like BRAD BLOG Commentor Paul) are living with their heads in the sand if they think these Tax Cuts are good for this country, as opposed to just good for getting folks elected. He's got plenty criticism for Dems, as well, but unfortunately they're not the ones who control every house of Congress and the Whitehouse and are managing to spend us into oblivion while cutting the tax base and leaving the bill for our kids and grandkids.

But I've already said too much today, and we need to hit the highway again. So check out the book for yourself!

See ya next from....wherever! Thanks everyone for keeping up the good fun here while I'm gone! It's especially fun while I'm gone, ain't it?!

(Blogged by Brad on the road...in the woods...on 8/10/04 at 8:43p PDT)

Not sure when this item will get posted, as I'm writing from site #25 at the Aspen Point campgrounds in Lake of the Woods, Oregon.

The sun is all but set now, though the lake still shimmers from the remains of the day as Desi builds a fire, and I peck out a Blog Item to be posted whenever the Internet and I shall next meet.

The weather here has been exceptional. Each day in the 90's and pushing 100 near the water's edge. But here amongst the towering Ponderos pines, many of them 200 feet or more, (think Styx's Grand Illusion cover meets Stephen King's Any Book That Takes Place in the Woods meets Dirty Dancing) it stays dry and cool all day long.

Our one night stay here has turned into four nights when our calculations determined that we could be here with a great view of the night sky on the night of the 11th, morning of the 12th when the Perseides Meteor Shower is predicted to be in fine and stunning form.

Lake of the Woods is in the Southern part of Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range. A chain of currently-dormant and spectacular volcanic peaks, cone and lava fields that have left a wonder of a summer playground for those Americans (and otherwise) clever enough to take advantage of them.

Today's day trip took us forty or so minutes north to the breathtaking Crater Lake National Park which has mostly inspired this evening's twilight entry.

For a measly $10 to the shamefully underfunded National Park System we were able to enjoy the entire day slowly working our way around the 33-mile rim road that encircles yet another natural American Marvel. In this case, one I didn't even realize existed until it found it's way onto our imagined path Northward smack dab in the middle of our well worn 2001 Rand-McNally Road Atlas.

Formed some 7700 years ago, when the former Mt. Mazama blew it's literal load and collapsed into itself forming a six-mile wide sinkhole surronded by towering peaks of molten lava, this awe inspiring site spent the next several thousand years collecting rainfall and snowmelt to become the bluest and deepest lake in the United States. And it's such a rich, vibrant --- even unnatural --- color of blue, such as I don't recall seeing before that the only comparison we could come up with was an overdose of Tidy Bowl. Hopefully you get the drift.

Reservations were unavailable for the Restaraunt (with mouth watering menu!) in the elegant old Crater Lake Lodge at the end of the day. So appetizers in the firelit Great Room would have to suffice. And so the day's journey ended at dusk sipping an excellent Red Crater beer (from the great local Deschutes Brewery) and munching on inspired appetizers overlooking the lake a few thousand feet below us.

The inspiration for this entry is not so much to share today's adventure with you, but to once again share some of the news that it took me, personally, and to my own shame, some three decades to discover; The extraordinary National Park and National Forest System that we have in this country.

If you're not taking advantage of these National Treasures whenever possible, you're out of your mind. If you're not doing everything you can to support these "local" Wonders of the World, then you simply must be unaware of their unparalled majesty.

I've heard America described over and over as "the greatest country in the world", but often wonder --- particularly when you hear something like that outta the mouth of the current Resident of the White House, who'd never even travelled across an ocean before becoming installed as "President" --- exactly what it is that makes us so "great".

I know it ain't our "freedoms" here, as many countries I've visited seem to be far "freer". It's certainly not the education or health of our citizenry. Other countries are much "greater" in both of those regards. We've had great victories in war, but also shameless failures in that same regard. We're technologically very clever, but have given up much of our lead in those areas as well. With our current Administration we are losing all sorts of ground in the area of science "greatness". Our economic system is certainly "great" as every country in the world seems to measure theirs against ours, though the seperations between the Have's and Have More's continue to widen and even the International Monetary Fund is taking us to task for our current Tax Cut and Spend Blowout. (Even Warren Buffett is chosing to invest in the Euro, instead of the Dollar! And for good reason!) Our system of government might have been considered "great" until the Stolen Election of 2000 and all the inequalities it revealed.

So what can we regard as "greatness" indeed? The still-mostly-protected wonders of our National Parks and Forests. Why any national politician could fail to see and protect with all their might the greatest of earth's miracles that we've inherited as a nation is far beyond me. The price is so small, given the rewards they present to every strata of American Society.

Teddy Roosevelt knew this of course, when he declared Crater Lake the country's 6th National Park back in 1902, long before there was any danger of Wal-Mart hoping to open up a new super-store on the rim, and even before the Logging Companies had figured out how to "save our forests" from devastating fire by clear-cutting them. FDR continued to understand the importance of these National Icons by pouring funds into them to protect, develop and make them family friendly through many CCC projects that still stand today as testament to a forward thinker and a great American.

I've rambled on enough, the light on my keyboard is gone, and the gnats are now migrating towards my computer screen, so I suppose that's more than enough for this evening.

Point of it all: Hit the roads, enjoy the parks and all that America has to offer. Skip the airplane, bust out an atlas and pay attention to those areas highlighted by a thick purple or red boundary line. They are the best that a Great America has to offer.

And while I'm at it, don't stand for any politician slacking off in their role as temporary proprietor of these Majestic Wonders!

Now back to my campfire. And back to your regularly scheduled fire fight.

UPDATE: Click here to easily send a letter giving your opinion of the Bush Administration's recent opening of National Forests to the Logging Companies!

UPDATE 8/30/04: Here's me blogging the entry above at Lake of the Woods!

More pictures from Crater Lake and the rest of the Road Trip here!

(Blogged by Brad on the road...)

While driving the scenic mountain byways at dusk up here near the California/Oregon border, we always must remind ourselves to be very careful of deer who enter the road and become transfixed by our headlights.

Hope you'll do the same this summer. Here's your reminder...

(Blogged by Brad on the road...)

Our trek through three battleground states (Nevada, Oregon and Washington), helping to influence the electorate to do the right thing, takes us back into Northern California for 24 hours or so and man is it glorious up here!

Not only are the folks smart enough to vote against George W. Bush without any efforts on our part, they get to look at stuff like that mountain you see on the right. It's Mount Shasta and it was outside our motel room window last night. Very lucky us.

All my years in Southern California, and I've never made it North of San Francisco until now! What was I waiting for?!

Hoping to find a beautiful campsite on the shores of one of the many lakes up here, and into Oregon (near Klamath) where we plan to end up shortly. Just thought I'd quickly check in to say hello, from this friendly wireless coffee shop. And happy to see that johnhp was already on the Hypocrital Keyes issue!

So it turns out that Keyes doesn't have the moral integrity he seemed to have enjoyed acting like he had in the past, and that it turns out it's power he craves after all, as he is willing to represent the people of Illinois as a Maryland resident (see John's previous post for more details).

It's good to be out of the catfighting for a few days, though with news cycles happening every two hours these days, I'm always eager to check in. Hopefully our Fake Conservative friends, Paul and Ed will come back in to let us know how the Libs here are all wet! It's always fun! And in all seriousness, I'm very impressed, for the most part, at the level of honest discussion and debate that has occurred here over the last few weeks. With things as hot as they are now, most similar discussions quickly degrade into hostility and name-calling. For the most part, I'm glad to see BRAD BLOGGERS have avoided that quicksand. For now, anyway

See you all at the next available Internet Outpost! And thanks again to Johnhp, Jaime and Bryan for keeping the fire lit under the lying liars!

(Blogged by Brad on the road...)

We'll be moving Northward very shortly on our great trek and thus leaving the mysterious wireless access that reached us in our 10th floor hotel room at the Sands in Reno. I don't know when I'll get net access again. Could be tomorrow, could be two weeks. So until I'm able to revisit, here's a couple of (possible) parting thoughts for a while...

From my hotel room, I've been able to watch the line reach around the corner each day starting at around 11am for the Soup Kitchen next door to our hotel. I know that Bush and Rush and BRAD BLOG Commenter Paul have told us that this is "the best economy" in twenty years. So all I can assume is that those men (and they are all men) who are lined up around the block do so because they are lazy and they enjoy waiting in line in the blistering 95+ degree desert heat for 45 minutes each day. Either that, or the food at the soup kitchen is really good.

As the latest Zogby poll shows that Kerry is now leading in 13 out of the 16 "battleground states", I can conclude only that he must have gotten Nevada wrong by leaning it towards Bush. Since I have been in Nevada, I have seen two political bumper stickers. Both for Kerry. Therefore, using Fox News' "some people say..." logic, or Paul's "I have a co-worker who believes..." logic, it's clear that Nevada will instead be going to Kerry as well, since "every bumper sticker I've seen in Nevada is now supporting Kerry".

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the Rush and Fox News reports that tear Sen. Richard Shelby a new one for leaking classified information while the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, as Johnhp mentioned here previously. And I imagine I'll be waiting a while. Shelby is, unlike Sandy Berger --- who's been accused of nothing --- a Republican after all. So different rules of "outrage" apply.

I'm also waiting for the Bush Administration, as John McCain demanded of them, to condem the scurrillous allegations by Veteran Bush Supporters that Kerry fabricated the stories of his bravery in service in Vietnam and caused self-inflicted wounds to receive Purple Hearts. I'll likely be waiting a while for that too, I guess, since the White House has refused to condemn that group and their ads to that effect which are now airing in swing states.

Thanks to Johnhp, Jaime and Bryan for their great Guest Blog contributions! And to everyone else for supporting the BRAD BLOG! Go buy a ticket to see Springsteen and Fogerty and the Dixie Chicks and REM and Pearl Jam this October as they fight for all that's good in America! And use that Email it to Someone! button on each item to bring in more folks (on the Right or the Left!) over here so --- as the Jesus Loving Abortion Clinic Bombers on the Right might say - the Good News keep spreading!

(Blogged by Brad from the road...)

"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
- Your Commander-in-Chief, today, speaking about terrorists.

Smoking Gun has the video for posterity.

(Blogged by Brad from the road...)

In 1942 the U.S. Government forced some 150,000 Americans of Japanese descent, two-thirds of them actually born in America, to leave their communities, sell their houses (if they were able to in the two weeks time they were given) and relocate to one of 10 "relocation" or "internment" camps here in the United States of America.

A few days ago, while on the road, we had the occasion to stop by and spend a few hours at what is left of the Manzanar Relocation Camp between Lone Pine and (ironically, enough) Independence, California. The remains of the camp are found on a quiet dusty stretch of lonely Highway 395 as it runs along the Eastern Sierras near Mt Whitney (at 14,000+ feet it's the tallest peak in the contiguous 48).

On the desert floor at the foot of the mountain range, lies the remains of Manzanar, shamelessly razed after 1945 as if to wipe out all memory of it's existence.

Some 10,000 Japanese-Americans, citizens, business owners, doctors, professionals, Army veterans and their families and thousands of children, were relocated into makeshift barracks in blockhouse rows here during WWII after the attack at Pearl Harbor. None of the interned were ever officially accused or convicted of "sabotage" against the United States.

This was our second time at Manzanar following the guided auto-tour along the ruins, imagining the life there for those four years. It was again a moving and troubling experience. In 1997 the area was taken over and protected by the National Park Service and finally, in April of 2004 --- over half a century after the camp was finally shut down --- a terrifically designed and very educational Interpretive Center has been opened in what had been the High School auditorium building, the only building still standing on the 800 acre site. The Center is chock full of information and artifacts which bring the place back to life after it has so shamelessly been relegated to the dustbin of Americas Forgotten History.

If you find yourself near Manzanar, set aside a few hours to learn and/or remember one of the shameful chapters in our country when we last panicked in the face of fear and gave in to our worst instincts in the name of "self protection". Last time it was under a Democratic President, this time it's under a Republican "President". Apparently, we haven't learned all that much from the last time we were attacked by an enemy we didn't understand and found ourselves willing to sacrifice much of what this country stands for in the name of giving in to our most base and unfounded fears.

The US Constitution, like our Tax Laws and our Welfare System has many flaws and loopholes to be exploited by those who care to for political or personal gain. It's our job, as Americans, to see to it that the spirit of that Constitution is upheld, no matter who the charlatans are who may wish to use our fears against what that document stands for.

This one caught my eye, and while I've got some wireless net access from the road, I thought I'd drop it by...

Brought to my attention by AMERICAblog...

Here's the full story (courtesy of Knight-Ridder who, by the way, deserve some praise!) in case the story didn't make it at all onto Drudge or Fox.

I'll be out battling the forces of evil on the road for the next week or two. I hope to check in here when and if possible, but in the meantime, please welcome first-time Guest Bloggers, Jaime, Johnhp and Bryan to the BRAD BLOG! See their items as they roll in below this one. I'll leave it to them if they wish to introduce themselves, or just pick up where I left off, saving the world, and causing mayhem however possible. Keep 'em honest. Thanks as always for your support, and keep spreading the good word (the "Email it to Someone!" link at the bottom of each item works great!)

See this previous item. Then read this:

Just so you're not confused...remember, "America is safer now" and yet "We are a nation in danger". Threats are "imminent and real", but think about that during your August vacation. Also..."I am a war President" and "I am a peace President".

Got that? Confused? Good, that's just where we want you. Happy and not afraid and angry and terrified.

Now go out, enjoy the summer by vacationing with your families and shop, and buy duct tape and be aware of your surroundings at all times. The threat is real though the terror alert color will not be changed. Have a nice/horrible day.

(We're Bush-Cheney '04, and we approve of this mixed message.)

The Democratic radio address Saturday was given by a Retired General and Bush 2000 supporter...

When both the "Solid South" and the Military are falling away from a Republican "President", one needn't be Miss Cleo in order to connect the dots.

I had planned a review of the various failed strategies of the Bush-Cheney Campaign, and a look at what is left for them to try. I hope to do just that before leaving town shortly.

But by way of a preview, Atrios hit upon the lynchpin of a very dark and dangerous truth. There is only one way for Bush-Cheney right now to eke out a win (short of Kerry imploding of his own volition). In the attempt to do so, I'm sad to say, they'll be manipulating and preying upon the fears of the American people between now and November in every subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, way possible.

Here's a perfect example of their only "hope". And it's a dark, cynical, and dangerous one indeed...

Today's "terror alert", coming as it did earlier enough to make it onto the Sunday News Programs after a universally lauded DNC Convention, along with the announced arrest in Pakistan last Thursday (on the morning of Kerry's big speech) of one of the African Embassy bombers who had been captured the previous Sunday (but the announcement waited as requested until "'twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July'--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston") shows that the Bush Leaguers are not ashamed in the least to play this card. Ridge's phrasing above demonstrates that clearly.

This is not the stuff of conspiracy theorists. This is the stuff of subtle, shrewd and cynical manipulation of the very real fears of the American people.

While such tactics should be out of bounds at all times --- and from both parties in this country --- Bush-Cheney has such a dreadful "record of achievement" to draw from, and their other hopes of dividing and conquering have amounted to little more than $100 million down the drain, this sort of insidiously subtle parasitism may well be the only prayer they have left. Clearly they are not above the moral dishonesty required to exploit such a cynical tactic for all they can.