The Missing Links

Reader Joh5n thought he could make out, on the left page, a series of Iraq-related notes: "history not written . . . empower to shape . . . what I have found from . . . vast majority . . . don't want to split. . . . Forces are united." On the right page, Katrina-related statistics: "lfi list: 118 billion . . . 16.7 b Housing . . . 6.8 b Levee's . . . " and the world "help".

In between the two pages, of course, is a seating chart. Anyone out there interested in trying to correlate it with this (which came from here) and this and this (which I just updated)?

Opinion Watch

The Los Angeles Times editorial board writes: "President Bush emphasized no fewer than 10 times in his news conference Monday that U.S. forces would not leave Iraq 'before the job is done.' It's a clever piece of rhetoric, appealing to Americans' sense of duty as well as their pride. Just one question: What was that job again?"

Eugene Robinson writes in his Washington Post opinion column that "when you try to impose your simplistic, black-and-white template on a kaleidoscopic world, and you end up setting the Middle East on fire, either you're surprised or you're not paying attention."

John Aravosis writes in Americablog: "It doesn't matter how bad things get, how many Americans die, how much money it costs. It doesn't even matter how hopeless the situation becomes. He will NOT remove US troops from that country until 'we win.'

"But what if we can't win? . . .

"The man lost New Orleans, he can lose Iraq."

Fact Checking

I'm not one to ever criticize a newspaper for fact-checking. But this surely was not the statement that needed it the most.

David Stout writes in the New York Times: "'I may be the only person, the only presidential candidate who never carried the state in which he was born,' President Bush said on Monday.

"Uh, no, Mr. President. There have been quite a few, actually."

Of Seers and Suckers

Ken Herman writes for Cox News Service: "The president doesn't like my suit."

Poll Watch

Two new polls have Bush's approval rating up to 42 percent, a move in the right direction for a president facing an otherwise overwhelmingly gloomy picture of public opinion.

Susan Page and David Jackson write in USA Today: "The arrest of terror suspects in London has helped buoy President Bush to his highest approval rating in six months. . . .

"Terrorism is the only area in which Bush has a positive standing and the only one that significantly changed. His rating is below 40% on six other issues."

CNN reports on its poll: "Fewer than half of respondents (44 percent) said they believe Bush is honest and trustworthy, with 54 percent saying they do not believe he is. . . .

"In addition, a mere 35 percent favor the war in Iraq, while 61 percent oppose it -- the highest amount of opposition to the war in any CNN poll since the conflict began in 2003.

Idiot Watch

Conservative MSNBC talk-show host Joe Scarborough last night revisited his controversial segment last week entitled: " IS BUSH AN 'IDIOT' ?"

"Struck a nerve is an understatement!" Scarborough exclaimed, before replaying his collection of Bushisms.

"Look, I know the president, and he's no idiot," Scarborough said. "But history has also proved he doesn't like listening to dissent. He lacks intellectual curiosity, and he inspires fear among allies every time he gets behind a microphone."

In his blog , Scarborough suggested that White House staffers keep Bush away from the press.

"These days the President seems distracted, disjointed and dumbed-down in press conferences. His jokes fall flat and are often inappropriate. . . .

"Has anyone told him that making jokes about pig roasts after being asked about the bombing of the Beirut airport is not how a Commander in Chief acts in front of the international press corps?"

Over at Huffington Post, Kathleen Reardon writes: "This is trial balloon season for the Republican strategists. . . .

"Think about it. If selected, visible, staunch Bush supporters begin talking about how intellectually wanting the President is . . . there won't be an anti-Bush platform for the Democrats."

Doesn't Read True

My readers don't believe for a moment that, as Kenneth T. Walsh so credulously reported in U.S. News, Bush has entered a book-reading competition with Karl Rove and so far has read 60 books this year, to Rove's 50.

Michael Herman e-mails from Walla-Walla, Wash.: "Hi Dan. I did a little research on the books from Bush's reading list. Of the twelve books listed, I come up with a total page count of 5,356 pages, including 1,585 pages not available until at least 4/2006 of this year. That is an average page count of 450 pages per book. Multiply by his 60 books so far this year for a total page count of 27,000. 27,000 pages means the President would have to average a little over 115 pages per day. Reading a quick pace of a little over a minute per page, that is two hours a day of reading, and let's be honest, longer if you want to retain information in these types of books. And this from a man who prides himself in not reading the paper. I don't buy it."

Craig Dukes e-mails: "60 books so far this year, except at least one of those books, 'Salt A World History', was on his last summer reading list. I know it has something around 500 pages, but is he still plowing through it?"

J. Harley McIlrath e-mails from Grinnell, Iowa: "Only a person who does not read books would think that a book reading contest will lend gravitas to his persona. Would entering a hot dog eating contest give him a better understanding of the culinary arts?"

Plame Watch

Matt Apuzzo and John Solomon write for the Associated Press: "The No. 2 State Department official met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003, the same time the reporter has testified that an administration official talked to him about CIA employee Valerie Plame.

"Official State Department calendars, provided to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage held a one-hour meeting marked 'private appointment' with Woodward on June 13, 2003."

Fart Watch

Just when you think nothing will ever surprise you anymore. . . .

Paul Bedard writes in U.S. News: "He loves to cuss, gets a jolly when a mountain biker wipes out trying to keep up with him, and now we're learning that the first frat boy loves flatulence jokes. A top insider let that slip when explaining why President Bush is paranoid around women, always worried about his behavior. But he's still a funny, earthy guy who, for example, can't get enough of fart jokes. He's also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides, but forget about getting people to gas about that."