Iraq and a Hard Place.

“Bush is moving fast these days. The commander in chief spends all his time waging war on Democrats. He should perhaps pause long enough to explain to those in Congress why he withheld the news about North Korea’s nuclear program from them for 12 days, making sure that the war resolution was safely passed without any distracting revelations.” Post columnist Mary McGrory tries to understand the difference for Dubya between Iraq and North Korea.

The Other Shoe Drops.

Perhaps content that Saddam’s “resurgence” has snuffed out media coverage of Enrongate for the time being, Dubya tries to gut the SEC’s budget increase, making it impossible for the agency to fulfill the requirements of the recently-signed Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Absolutely shameful. And, as per usual, I think we can guess who’s the brains behind these latest shenanigans.

Media Cordon.

“Ari has the uncanny ability to suck information out of a room.” The NYT delves into reporters’ issues with Dubya’s White House. As a journalist friend of mine put it, “Ari Fleischer is the first press secretary in American History whose conferences result in a net loss of information.” In sum, the guy’s just not ready for prime time.

This Time It’s Personal.

Today I settle all family business, so don’t tell me you’re innocent, Carlo. Bush tells the UN we’ll go it alone against Iraq if need be. I mean, something has to happen before the first Tuesday in November, or else there’s not much point, is there?