Short Cuts

He's Kinda Cute When He's Mad: A ticked-off and tired-out George Bush did little to hide his irritation at the press corps yesterday. As John Podhoretz suggests here, he must have taken great glee in the knowledge that shortly he can jam his tormentors into a steel cartridge and hurl them toward one the hottest locations outside of Iraq. A month in Crawford, Texas with long, sweltering walks among the brambles and weeds awaits those who falsely accuse him of lying. This torture for a group who protected another president who started lying each morning before his toothbrush left his mouth must be coolly gratifying.

More Dog Days Snapping: Those who know Secretary of State Colin Powell will tell you that in private, as some New York mothers say, the man has a mouth on him. Perhaps the Bronx and the Army had some influence but yesterday's public statement was quite unique for him. Calling Saddam a "piece of trash waiting to be taken out" nailed the topic once and for all but shows that everyone needs a vacation.

Critical Mass: A recent survey tells us that the American people, who have been most tolerant so far, are turning on the gay culture and it looks like the subject of same sex marriage was one floral bouquet too far. Howard Kurtz takes an in depth look here: Kurtz quotes liberally from Maggie Gallagher’s watershed piece in the Weekly Standard posted earlier this week. Bookmark to read this weekend. It is excellent.

Lie Coiled: While dem party leaders are chilling in the Hamptons at yet another Clinton fund-raiser, Dr. Howard Dean, the surly sawbones of the dem party has become their 2004 front-runner. This is the best possible news the GOP has received since Impeachment Week. Bush insiders caution total silence. Do nothing, say nothing, walk around whistling, staring at the ceiling and quietly muttering "We want Dean." The only problem here is that people will now actually listen to what he's saying. After that, Dean is doomed.

-Your LComStaff