The International Herald Tribune commissioned a survey of "275 opinion leaders" in 24 countries regarding their attitudes toward the United States in the causes and conduct of the war against terrorism.
Guess what? About 60 percent of the "influential people in politics, media, business, culture and government" think that US policies were "a major cause" of the September 11 attacks.
That's not exactly correct. Here was the actual wording of the question: "We're interested in what ordinary people think about the attacks in the US. Do most people, many people, only some, or hardly any ordinary people think..."
Asking "influential people" what "ordinary people" think is like asking the ladies lunching in an exclusive bistro on the Upper East Side of Manhattan what people in Texarkana are thinking. They will answer with what they think the people in Texarkana SHOULD be thinking which is, as luck would have it, very similar to what the ladies on the Upper East Side actually ARE thinking.
On another issue, the IHT report said, "more than 6 in 10 said � that the United States was 'acting mainly on its own interests' and not on the interests of 'its partners.'"
Two words: Who cares?
All this means is the elites of the 24 other nations see the world exactly the way they accuse the US as seeing the world: What's in it for me?
Here's the Mullings suggestion du jour: We'll bomb anyONE, anyWHERE, anyTIME we think we've got a bead on terrorists and let all of these cultural, political, and media elites choke on their canap�s at their next cocktail party while they cluck at their displeasure with the United States.
And, the next time there is a "spot of trouble" in Europe or Asia or anywhere else these geniuses hang out, let's do what they apparently want.
Two words: Do nothing.
A minor dust-up occurred earlier this week when the President's staff didn't inform the White House press corps that President Bush had several lesions removed from his face and forehead in a fairly simple procedure.
The press corps only found out about it when they saw Mr. Bush at an event with Muslim children to celebrate the end of Ramadan.
Press Secretary Ari Fleischer tried to explain that he hadn't known about the procedure, either as no one thought it was a big enough deal to make a big deal over.
Of course, the National Association of Talking Heads couldn't press their speed dialers quickly enough to weigh in on the notion that the White House has a responsibility to come clean on any medical issue dealing with the President.
The most bizarre comment came from Bill Clinton's - BILL CLINTON's - press secretary, Joe Lockhart, who said, "The easiest way to keep something from becoming a bigger story is to be straightforward and prompt."
If anyone would know how being linguistically slippery and dilatory helps feed the frenzy for a story, a Bill Clinton press secretary would be the one.
Remember this golden oldie? "More rather than less. Sooner rather than later."
Two words: Monica Lewinsky.
The Congress has gone home for a month with a number of bills which have been passed by the House still bottled up in the Senate by Majority Leader Tom Daschle, including that stimulus package.
Ok. Republican Majority Leaders have used their power to keep legislation off the floor, too. This would not have happened if Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont had not switched sides earlier this year.
Democrats Zell Miller of Georgia, John Breaux of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska - the three centrists who helped craft a signable economic stimulus package - could give a Christmas present to the entire nation.
Two words: Switch sides.
Tony Kornheiser is a sports columnist for the Washington Post who also has a syndicated radio program and an ESPN television show. If he had a magazine he would be the sports equivalent of Martha Stewart.
The other day he was talking about having been invited to a pre-release screening of the film "Ali" but it missed on both of the critical aspects for an acceptable invitation:
It was taking place after dark; and,
It wasn't at his house.
Apropos being a middle aged man, today is my birthday. How old?
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