Posted 3:02 PM by Gene

It is still hard to know if America has not been attacked for the past four years because (1) the Bush administration has waged an effective war on terror or (2) the threat is not as severe as originally thought. The answer may be a bit of both.

And that would be a reasonable answer except it appears in TOILETBOWL rag, and that very fact turns it into a kind of spin, however well-intended.

The American public may be less than sympathetic to the targets of the Bush antiterror crackdown. But if the administration is shown to have violated the civil liberties of mainstream peace groups or (heaven forbid!) members of the press, the outcry could produce an overreaction.

So what is it, Norm Grandson and company, national security -- or your eternal right?

And yes, there are times we wish heaven could forbid members of the press.