Opinion: In today’s pages: Bush does something right; Democrats do something wrong
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The editorial board thinks President Bush did something right:
After a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bush was asked whether he would wait for permission from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to send U.S. forces into Pakistan if he had actionable intelligence about the whereabouts of top Al Qaeda leaders, although waiting might mean missing an opportunity to strike at them. Bush artfully dodged the question. And although this page is not in the habit of praising evasions by public officials, in the case of Pakistan, smart foreign policy required what is known in diplomacy as ‘strategic ambiguity’ -- in other words, a deliberate refusal to be pinned down.
The board is hopeful for a possibly historic energy bill, but is disappointed by the Democrats’ approval of a temporary fix to an electronic surveillance law.
Columnist Jonah Goldberg offers his take on kids today, while freelance writer Michael Carey explains how Alaska’s senator has transformed the state with his ability to deliver federal dollars. Loyola Law School’s Richard L. Hasen praises California Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s decision to decertify electronic voting machines, and Tom Standage thinks bottled water deserves all the scrutiny it’s getting.
Letter writers respond to Rosa Brooks’ criticism of how we use the word ‘hero.’ Rancho Cucamonga’s Dana A. S. Rakoczy writes, ‘Brooks’ take on our current lexicon is alarming. Heroism should not need to equate to extreme acts, no matter what the dictionary reads.’