I am rereading the Harry Potter books, which I highly recommend. Harry Potter contains something for everyone. The most recent book, for example, contains a government organization that clamps down on individual freedoms, runs a smear campaign against brave souls who question the party line, manipulates the mass media, and destroys the educational system . . . all to preserve its own power.

You would think that George W. Bush would have enough to do without turning up in children’s novels, as well.

Incidentally, just in time for the elections, history is repeating itself. In the same way the trumped-up charges against Iraq began worming their way into the public consciousness three years ago, trumped-up charges against Iran are beginning to appear now.

As our National Embarrassment said: "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, it's probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. It fool me. We can't get fooled again."

It is to be hoped that we, as a country, are not stupid enough to be fooled twice.