Bull's-Eyes on a Generic Nation

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , testifying last week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, declined to rule out the use of military force in Iran or Syria, although she said the administration prefers diplomacy. "I don't think the president ever takes any of his options off the table concerning anything," she said.

In fact, Iran appears to have been on some folks' minds at the Pentagon -- even if only subliminally.

For example, there was a PowerPoint presentation a few months back across the river, about the Air Force's "Future Total Force" plan. It looked at strategic needs for equipment and upgrading National Guard and reserve units with the highest-tech equipment.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Allison A. Hickey and two aides gave the briefing with the required color slides and marks showing an unnamed country with locations of targets of value, including nuclear "WMD" sites and "IBMs" and "Advanced SAMs" [surface-to-air missiles] and "Deeply Buried Targets."

Nick Schwellenbach of the Project on Government Oversight said he couldn't help but notice something oddly familiar about the imagined map, even though there were no city or country names.

That sure looks like the Tigris and Euphrates rivers west of that country and the Persian Gulf to its southwest, Schwellenbach said. Isn't this Iran? he asked.

No, no, he was told. This is just a generic country an artist drew for these slides.

But that Stealth bomber headed for the nuke site sure looks as though it's flying across Kuwait and heading east.

Everyone took a closer look. Well, we're going to have to change these, one aide said.

Embattled Sherwood Raises $26,000

The Hotline's called it "the quietest scandal ever." It's Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Don Sherwood 's legal battle over a $5.5 million assault and battery lawsuit filed by his former mistress, who claims he repeatedly beat her during their five-year relationship.

Sherwood, 64, married and hailing from a rural district around Wilkes-Barre, has admitted the affair with the now 29-year-old woman but denies assaulting her.

Perhaps as a result of this matter, Sherwood's poll ratings have dropped from 60 to 54 percent. But recent reports that a Green Party activist may enter the race next year should doom any Democratic chances of picking up the seat.