BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

By Charles Krauthammer "A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe." -- President Obama, Feb. 4. Catastrophe, mind you. So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared "we have chosen hope over fear." Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill. And so much for the promise to banish the money changers and influence peddlers from the temple. An ostentatious executive order banning lobbyists was immediately followed by the nomination of at least a dozen current or former lobbyists to high position. Followed by a Treasury secretary who allegedly couldn't understand the payroll tax provisions in his 1040. Followed by Tom Daschle, who had to fall on his sword according to the new Washington rule that no Cabinet can have more than one tax delinquent. The Daschle affair was more serious because his offense involved more than taxes. As Michael Kinsley once observed, in Washington the real scandal isn't what...

OY! FRIEDMAN'S DONE IT AGAIN We've tried writing Friedman a letter: HERE . Guess we're all peons to even be on his radar. I have openly admitted he's been my least favorite columnist for years. Unfortunately, like a bad accident on the Grand Central Parkway I can't ignore him. He seems to keep coming back like a bad rash. He even kinda, sorta wrote what he hopes passes for an apology. Friedman admitted 9/11 made him... er, "us" stupid. Granted, I don't know if I trust the NIE report fully. Iran is definately to be watched, that's for darn sure. But now Friedman's back again. Every " Friedman Unit " or two, he cycles back around. With more of his "badness." Thomas Friedman's Flawed Analogy on Iran By William Hartung I've had a hard time taking Thomas Friedman seriously ever since his advocacy of the war in Iraq. But I have to acknowledge that there are still occasions when he's right on the money -- as he ...