Summing Up: Lacking access to Blogger yesterday, I built up a store of comments, but today is shaping up as too busy to go on at length. More later, perhaps, but for now:

Chris Patten's goat has been got over the Bush policy on Iraq contracts. I applaud Bush for cutting France, Germany, Russia, and Canada out of prime contracts. I wish he had cut them out of the subcontracting work too. Memo to Europe: You f*ck with the bull, you get the horn.

Bush's Taiwan comments are a screw up. Didn't he just give a huge policy speech about not conceding to dictators? To rebuke Taiwan with the Chinese premier in tow is an insult. Both China and North Korea are heavy on rhetoric, but when we went into Iraq, that was the moment for them to act on their ambitions with America occupied. North Korea didn't push south, and China didn't charge Taiwan. Conclusion: We've clearly got the upper hand in Asia right now, and we might as well use that strength while we have it. China's important, yes, but this isn't 1997 anymore.

On campaign finance reform, what can I say? First, Bush gambled and lost by signing a bill he hoped would be nullified. Shame on him. Second, there is obviously no room for more liberals on the court. This wholly anticonstitutional ruling is a mockery. O'Connor and Stevens essentially admit as much by noting that money will find its way into campaigns. So why, then, is it good to put restrictions on the first amendment that are, as the court admits, ineffectual? Further, even if CFR laws did do what they were supposed to do, that would not be justification for such an incursion on liberty.