Can you feel the fear? Not quite a fifteen minutes until former Counter-Terrorism expert Richard Clarke is interviewed on 60 Minutes and already the VERY first story on the ABC news has Clarke's book and White House response as the lead story. Laughingly saying the "White House is on the Offensive" the ABC story shows the dour, old grizzled Clarke answering a few questions calmly, like a wise-old salt, meanwhile youngish Dan Bartlett tries to pin the responsibility for the failure to predict 9/11 on Clarke. As Clarke knows where the bodies are buried AND apparently alleges the EXACT opposite of Bartlett in his book, I think its fair to assume that the period of Kerry being on the defensive is OVER. Hearings are scheduled on Tuesday with the 9/11 Commission and Clarke will testify. It should be a VERY VERY interesting thing. Why is the Bush Administration afraid? Because poll after poll shows the ONLY positive they have (and for whatever reason it is a big positive advantage at this moment) is in the "WAR on TERRA". If Clarke can demonstrate that the Bush Administration made all the wrong decisions beforehand as well as its incredibly overreaction of wanting to bomb Iraq from the get go -- well that will really eat into those numbers and undermine both the Bush terrorism policy and the far less popular Iraqi invasion. And here is the problem I see with their going on the attack -- they are trying immediately to discount and discredit Clarke, if it fails, and it is going to initially, the story becomes even bigger. I suppose it is possible that this week may be the week Osama and Al-Zawihiri are captured, but short of that miracle (or maybe accomplishing something that should have happened two years ago can never be that miraculous) it is going to be a very, very bad remainder of the month for the Bush Administration I should think. Speaking of Al-Zawihiri, while escaping in his souped up Range Rover is looking somewhat dubious, it is becoming evident that he is NOT where he was reported to be by the Pakistan government. Every false hope, no matter how discounted, is a blow to Bush. In addition, the coincidence of the Pakistani's assertion he was surrounded coincided with Powell's arrival and the grant of favorable alliance between the countries. Pakistan once again raises the question of what kind of ally they really are? Do they think we, or just the Bush Administration are Dupes? And adding to the fun, how about this story, not only is Al-Zawihiri alive and not surrounded, he has apparently claimed that Al Queda has a suitcase nuke. Get the story here: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040321/D81F0G2G0.html If that's true, what else is there to say by "Oh Shit!" I realize that there was little comedy in this post. But if it makes anyone feel better, I typed this post on my laptop and I'm not wearing pants... And I liked the feeling!