<![CDATA[BALKING ON ZARQAWI]]>One of the worst mistakes the administration made was not killing Zarqawi when they had the chance. They had their reasons – they didn’t want to derail the diplomatic preparation for the war against Saddam by striking within Iraq before formal hostilities broke out. But they had a chance. And they must surely regret not taking it today.

EMAIL OF THE DAY: “I have recently added your blog to my daily reading and have noticed a disturbing trend. Everything — and now the missing tons of high explosive in Iraq — is George Bush’s personal fault because, as always, there aren’t enough troops there. As a bureaucrat I can assure you that bureaucrats screw up hourly. Does the President have to be on-site to ensure an explosives dump in protected, or is it safe to delegate these tasks to the 100,000+ soldiers that are there? It seems obvious that half a million troops couldn’t perform all the tasks that are required in a country that big, nor did Rumsfeld intend that the country should receive blanket security, presuming, of course, that it was possible given the manpower shortages we now know exist.
My point is, it takes a certain (yes, Liberal!) attitude to identify every burned-out lightbulb as a dire consequence of the President’s intellectual shortcomings. In their case, it’s because their lack of self-esteem makes them hate everyone (themselves in particular). But what excuses your lack of tolerance for Dubya?” Don’t forget the best Letters Page on the web.

AND LIFE AND DEATH GO ON: A beautiful journal entry from one of my longtime readers and email interlocutors, who now has her own blog. It’s about getting through an election season while nursing your own brother to his early death from AIDS. It’s about life and the need for constant prayer.

IN THE DETAILS: The latest Washington Post poll showing Kerry with a minuscule lead contains something more significant, I’d say. It’s the following:

First-time voters also oppose reelection by 58 percent to 37 percent.

Now remember how unprecedentedly copious the new registrations have been in so many states. I have to say that I’d be more surprised now by a Bush victory than a Kerry defeat. Of course, I can still be surprised.

OLSON AGAINST BUSH: Another former Bush supporter (and campaign adviser) balks this time around – on the estimable blog, Overlawyered.com.

MORE LATER: Apologies for light blogging. Been feeling under the weather here. And I’ve been working on an endorsement piece, to be posted later today. More later.

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