The Nattering Nabob

One thing the Democrats are doing that is quite good - and I think they should do more of it - is keep a strong focus on foreign policy. Yes, talk about the economy. Yes, talk about health care. But somewhere in the back of almost everyone's mind is the unsettling awareness of the fact that a terrorist attack can make all of that meaningless in a hurry.

That's why I think the most rivetting part of John Edward's speech - which was chock full of economic,"two Americas" stuff - was actually this:

"We're approaching the third anniversary of Sept. 11, and one thing I can tell you: when we're in office, it won't take three years to get the reforms in our intelligence that are necessary to keep the American people safe.... And we - John and I -we will have one clear unmistakable message for Al Qaida and these terrorists: You cannot run. You cannot hide. We will destroy you."

Bush has failed to do the job. Instead of destroying Al Qaida, he let them regroup and strengthened them by using their attack as an excuse to fight somebody ELSE.

Foreign Policy is NOT one of Bush's strengths. Edwards put it perfectly: it is THREE YEARS, and we STILL haven't reformed the intelligence failures that led to 9/11: these clowns are spinning thier wheels while danger gathers.

Kerry won't take the attention off of our REAL enemies to go fight a personal vendetta; that's Bush's specialty. And he won't use an attack on the United States as an excuse to test radical theories of warfare, like the neocons have done. And he won't leave our armed forces overworked, tired, and stretched too thin occupying ONE country while the REAL threat gathers someplace else.

George W. Bush has engineered a foreign policy disaster.

Foreign policy is not one of his strengths.

Domestic policy is not one of his strengths.

He has no useful strengths. The only real ability he has is the ability to smear his opponents.

And who the hell needs that in a chief executive?