Homeland Security's Early Test

"I'm the only honest person in Washington," Armitage said, prompting a laugh from Thompson. "I gave it the Washington read."

"You looked in the index to see if your name was in it," Thompson said.

"And then what was said about me," Armitage acknowledged as the crowd laughed.

A Sense of Urgency

Few participants in the Clarke Wars seem inclined to look for at least some areas of common ground that might narrow the chasm.

But perhaps there are things everyone can agree on?

For example, Clarke has said that while the Bush administration didn't ignore concerns over terrorism, he felt it didn't consider the threat to be a matter of great urgency before Sept. 11.

And here's President Bush, asked whether he would have ordered Osama bin Laden taken out before Sept. 11, telling The Washington Post on Dec. 11, 2001:

"There was a significant difference in my attitude after September 11th. I was not on point, but I knew he was a menace, and I knew he was a problem. I knew he was responsible, or we felt he was responsible, for the bombings that killed Americans. I was prepared to look at a plan that would be a thoughtful plan that would bring him to justice, and would have given the order to do that. I have no hesitancy about going after him. But I didn't feel that sense of urgency, and my blood was not nearly as boiling."

So they agree? Well, perhaps not.

Gold Medal Winner Appointed

Marion Jones, three-time Olympic gold medal winner and leader of the U.S. Olympic track and field team heading to Athens this summer, is to be appointed by President Bush to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Jones, who lives and trains in North Carolina, will be sworn in today and will be making a visit to the Pentagon to open up a new physical fitness center and later will be at the Department of Health and Human Services. Jones was one of Team USA's stars in 2000 and is expected to compete for gold medals in the 100, long jump and 4x100 relays in Athens.