I'm not even going to make to remotest attempt to keep up with the faster-than-light updates of the Rathergate scandal at Instapundit, Little Green Footballs and Allahpundit (just to name a few - like any of them need a link from me). But I do have some thoughts. (Thoughts are, indeed, things one tends to have as one sits in shul for three straight days in a row -- a rare occurance, fortunately -- ooops, did I say that? -- anyway . . .)
I just came across this, from Time.com's preview of its September 27th edition cover story, in which, for some inexplicable reason, it seems that Time has elected to join CBS's lemming-like march to the sea. Fine with me.
A lot of people (and I'm too lazy to link any of them at the moment) are bemoaning the fact that the media is focusing on such ancient trivia as John Kerry's Purple Hearts and President Bush's National Guard record rather than the pivotal issues and concerns of today. I would agree, up to a point.
But here's where I split off. Presidential campaigns, in this day and age, consist largely of subterfuge and misdirection. Like it or not, that's the politics of 2004. And it will only get worse, I fear. Personally, though, I hope that, as the sun sets on Election Day, we're still discussing Kerry's medals and Bush's TANG physical and Dan Rather's retirement options. And I hope the Democrats and Republicans are still throwing wild accusations at each other. Not because I find any value in that behavior but simply because if we're still focusing on that kind of BS on November 2nd, it will mean that the terrorists didn't get an attack off, that our attention wasn't riveted and our priorities straightened out for us the way they were on 9/11.
It's a pity that it would take a successful terrorist strike on this country to pull our attention out of the proverbial gutter, but I'll take politics-as-usual over post-terror-syndrome any day.
I actually have more thoughts, but it's been a long day. Later, maybe.
