Since the Clarke revelations began on 60 Minutes last Sunday, the White House has not said much about John Kerry's record on national security. I was under the impression that the Bush-Cheney-Rove crowd were about to launch a 90 day propaganda campaign designed to make Kerry look weak on defense. I don't live in a battleground state, so it is possible that I'm just not seeing ads directed to my neighbors in Wisconsin or Missouri. The White House has tried to make Kerry's Senate votes, often on minor procedural matters, a major campaign issue on national security. This now seems ludicrous compared with administration negligence on al-Qaeda and mendacity on Iraq.

Clarke has undercut the Bushies on the one issue where they thought they had a big advantage. So expect every attempt by Bush-Cheney-Rove to discredit Clarke and assassinate his character.
Fortunately, Clarke is a tough and skilled infighter whose executive branch experience spans four administrations. He will not shut up or go away anytime soon.
It's no longer a question of whether Clarke will hurt Bush, but rather how much he will tarnish the GOP ticket.

I saw Tim Russert acting like Bush's lap dog attacking Clarke at every opportunity. Clarke is very bright & knowledgable and beat him back at every strike. I can see why Bush is crapping his pants.