Conventional Wisdom

Bush (sideways) Surge “success” PR effort starting to gain traction, even though the numbers are phony.

Thompson (sideways) Leno launch dominated headlines but ticked off N.H. voters. And stump speech underwhelming.

Gore (sideways) Buzz about his running for prez subsides but buzz about winning Nobel in Oct. grows.

Bin Laden (down) Mass murderer resurfaces on video with Noam Chomsky plug and Just for Men beard. Die already.

Air Force (down) B-52 with live nukes flies across United States by accident. Was Homer Simpson in charge of security?

Oprah (sideways) Double O ‘07 endorsement could change dynamic. Can she do for Obama what she does for books?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Chris Hicks”

Bush (down) Rejects overwhelming consensus and stubbornly doubles down even when his cards stink. Scary.

Pelosi (equal) Her “100 hour” agenda sailing through with bipartisan support. But without Senate and prez, it’s symbolic.

Maliki (down) Iraqi leader doesn’t even want the “surge” and won’t crack down on his Shiite masters. Some ally.

Rice (down) Flayed on Hill for “augmentation” (not escalation) dodge. She’s going down with the ship.

“24” (up) Who needs a troop surge when Jack Bauer is back? He’d clear out Baghdad in a day.

McGwire (down) Nice guys and complete players Ripken and Gwynn are in. Popeye (“Let’s not talk about the past”) Mark is out.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Ella Kaye”

LEADERS Conventional Wisdom ..L1.-

George Bush Churchill? Roosevelt? James K. Polk was a war president, too. Saddam Hussein Slick move for a cornered rat, but you only bought yourself a week or so. M. Gorbachev What’s a few noisy republics when you’ve got the Arab world to play with? Y. Primakov Kissinger, eat your heart out. Saddam’s ventriloquist is envoy of the hour. James Baker He’s outside the inner circle, but will grab victory glory. Brent Scowcroft He’s inside the inner circle, but won’t get victory glory. Dick Cheney Thank God we dumped Tower. Wyoming granite makes ‘96 short list. Colin Powell No arrow up enough. CW says, have your way with me, Ike. I’m yours. ..L1.-

COUNTRIES United States War is hell, but we love it. Any bombs left over for the media? Iraq Yeah, they’re victims, too. But oh, what a lovely target-rich environment. Israel Born to be wild card. Itchy trigger makes CW nervous. Jordan What did we pay for all these years, Shorty? Maybe we should shop around. Iran Foreign-policy bazaar. Buy! Sell! Deal! No time to mullah it over. ..L1.-

MEDIA Peter Arnett Good job, but please blink out some code or something to silence the critics. Peter Jennings Bionic anchor turns withdrawal story into rout. Time to renegotiate, Roone? Tom Brokaw Where were you? After story breaks, “Today” sticks with a cooking segment. Dan Rather Terminal? Pray new executive producer can find the frequency. R. W. Apple Was Times’s gourmand “Punched out” after feasting on U.S. general? Brad Willis NBC man plays military’s hall monitor, fingers pool violators. Frag him. Bob Simon Alive! Hero to colleagues. When you get released, call your agent pronto. Briefers You’re still not saying squat, but you say it so well. And you look so fit. Questioners Unkempt, unruly and uninformed. Do you have a question or what? ..L1.-

HOME FRONT Sam Nunn Get thee to a nunnery. Antiwar stance puts him on wrong side of Gulf gulf. Stephen Solarz OK, the warmongering paid off, but shut up about it, Dr. Overexposed. Reed Irvine You should shut up, too. Incoherent media crank undercuts press-bashing. Dorothy Rabinowitz Keep talking. Media critic’s expertly used knife helps press-bashing. ..L1.-

STRATEGIES Ground war Ancient CW: Avoid at all costs. Old CW: Unavoidable. New CW: Why bother? Baghdad bombing: Who needs it? Bad PR and it won’t nail Saddam anyway. Linkage You wish. Here’s our condition: Come out with your hands up. Coup We wish. But Bush’s public encouragement may make it less likely. Coalition Looks strong now, but wait ’till we get the bill. ..L1.-

SHIFTING SANDS Old CW: Bunker bombing a probable screwup. New CW: Bull’s-eye. We wiped out his high command. Old CW: Air power alone can’t win a war. New CW: Air power alone can win the war. Old CW: Everyone’s life on hold to watch CNN. New CW: Half-price tickets? Get me my travel agent. Old CW: How patriotic when Mom and Dad go to war. New CW: One of you should be home with the kids. Old CW: We don’t know what the war aims are. New CW: We don’t care what the war aims are. CW predictions: After the war, inquiring minds will want to know: Why we were in bed with Saddam for so long. Why he is still in office. How the Russians got to call the tune and when Arthur Kent is going to become an anchor.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Mariam Canfield”

LEADERS CONVENTIONAL WISDOM ..L1.-

George Bush In charge, but out of focus. Do you want Saddam dead or alive? Saddam Hussein Ya, ya, he’s a lunatic, but so was Pol Pot. He’ll take thousands down with him. King Hussein Waffleheaded potentate may be looking for a house in the Hamptons. M. Gorbachev A Brezhnevite after all. If you want Western Europe, now’s your chance. Dan Quayle No Agnewesque alliteration. Attacks ungrammatical. Colin in ‘92?

COUNTRIES ..L1.-

United States Two, four, six, eight, why don’t we assassinate? Kill, kill, kill. Iraq Backward Third World country makes it into Super Bowl. ‘69 Jets revisited? Kuwait Country in ruins while rich exiles boogie in Cairo. Britain Too bad Maggie’s gone. It’s time for a “Mr. Miniver” remake. Iran Aya-told-you so about Iraq. Would a cake and Bible open an eastern front? Israel Scuds’ biggest victims: The PLO West Bank is Israel’s for next 50 years. Germany Only following sales orders. Zyklon-B: Can’t keep a good product down. Japan Thanks for the conscience money. But it’s only twice what you paid for MCA. Saudi Arabia Charismatic pilot’s double kill furnishes them some face. It’s about time.

MEDIA ..L1.-

Peter Jennings Peter of Arabia triumphant. Nielsen’s Person of the Week. Take that, Safire. Bernard Shaw “Sic transit’ Baghdad. He emerges from “hell,” but won’t shut up about it. Tom Brokaw Unlike his news division, Duncan the Wonder Horse is not out to pasture yet. Dan Rather Tiffany network looks low-rent. This dog won’t hunt. Ted Koppel You’re nothing special anymore, Mr. Secretary. Leave the diplomacy to CNN. Arthur Kent Fan clubs form, but NBC’s Scud stud should quit incoming theatrics. Charles Jaco Easy, fella! Your CNN gas-mask dramatics almost gave the world a coronary. Wolf Blitzer Wrongly reported the “decimation” of Iraqi forces on CNN. But cool name. Dean Reynolds For 90 minutes, ABC viewers though Israel hit by nerve gas. Never mind. Fred Francis At Pentagon, CBS’s Martin and ABC’s Zelnick also strong. But Fred ahead. Sam Donaldson Hotel fracas with Saudis, advice to buy Raytheon. Hey, this isn’t the press bus. Peter Arnett Sure, he’s an Iraqi pipeline, but at least he’s a good one.

EXPERTS ..L1.-

Anthony Cordesman Old CW: Coldly authoritative. New CW: Coldy Pollyannish. Michael Dugan Fired general gets it right: First reports are always wrong. Bernard Trainor Went from military to N.Y. Times to think tank. But not ready for prime time. Carl Sagan Claims oil fires will cause “nuclear winter.” Will that ease global warming?

BRIEFERS ..L1.-

Pete Williams Huge military asset. Affable, artful dodger makes less seem like more. Dick Cheney Old Cheney: Dr. Euphoria. New Cheney: Blames media for euphoria. Colin Powell Competent, appealing, impressive and not very forthcoming. Riyadh Team You could learn more staying in the U.S. and reading the papers.

SHIFTING SANDS ..L1.-

Old CW: No problem, it’ll be over in days. New CW: Uh, slight problem, it’ll take months.

Old CW: Saddam can’t respond. New CW: Saddam can respond, but he’s waiting for the big strike.

Old CW: Anti-force Democrats voted conscience. New CW: Hello, Roger Ailes.

Memo to Tom Brokaw: Maybe you shouldn’t be “that’ nice to Arthur Kent.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Eric Matos”

After all, the CW never claimed to be right, only certain of itself. Without missing a beat, CW shapers have dusted themselves off and climbed back on their hobbyhorses again.

LEADERS Conventional Wisdom George Bush + Master of all he surveys. Look on my polls, ye Democrats, and despair. Saddam Hussein - Hitler? Try Custer. A monster, a madman, but most of all a moron. N. Schwarzkopf + Five stars ain’t enough. While you’re at it, why don’t you save the banks? M. Gorbachev - Give back your Nobel, Comrade Backstabber. P.S. Your tanks stink. Dan Quayle - Poll-axed. Only Saddam lower as ‘92 VP choice. Is Bush that loyal? Toshiki Kaifu - The check’s in the mail? Yeah, right. Has Japan sent those promised medics yet? Yasir Arafat - Better get that Ringo look-alike gig, ‘cause you won’t get seat at peace talks. Queen Elizabeth = Classy TV pep talk can’t salvage bad PR for rest of Windsor twits. Yitzhak Shamir + Restraint in war, but he’ll hardly be as restrained in peace

ENDGAME Kuwaiti Elite - Welcome back from Cairo discos. Now democratize, and make it snappy. United Nations + Looking good for a change. We built it. We paid for it. It’s ours. U.S. Troops + Fanfare for the common man. But they won’t come home as fast as we hope. Bechtel + As usual, the rich get richer. U.S. firm gets to build Kuwait–again. Peace Parley = Now that we’ve gone to war to prevent linkage, let’s talk about linkage. Terrorism = So far, just talk. But there are thousands of Iraqi dead to avenge.

MEDIA CNN - Too many weird amateurs. Big Three polish and experience finally pay off. CBS = Some scoops help recoup, but teary Dan is still Rather strange. NBC - Correspondents drown in dumb pool rules. Hey, guys, the story’s that-a-way. ABC + Quality sells. Peter stayed home, and Ted and Sam should have. Peter Arnett + Fiancee, book contract. “Baghdad Betsy” Aaron makes him look patriotic. Bob McKeown = Into Kuwait City first, but too pleased with himself to do much reporting. Forrest Sawyer + Into K.C. second, but Marathon Man found where bodies were buried. Arthur Kent - Scud Stud is pool fool. You need more than good looks to elude checkpoints. Military Pundits - Ya, ya they predicted the flank, but they also predicted a fight to the finish.

HOME FRONT Democrats - Aaaaaiiiiiiieeeeeee!!!! Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up. Vietnam - Where’s that? You mean there was a war there too? Who cares? Economy + Short war means short recession. Schwarzkopf’s not a bear, he’s a bull. Energy - Bush’s energy policy is pathetic. So what? Fill’er up. Arms Deals - The West will never sell guns to Third World nuts again. Sure. Domestic Issues - CW disinterested while the flavor lasts. Let the parades begin. Hollywood - The deal’s off, Arnold. The war was too one-sided for good action pix.

_B_Old CW: _b_No blood for oil. _B_New CW:_b_Oil for almost no blood.

_B_Old CW: _b_Saddam has chemical weapons, and he’ll use them. _B_New CW:_b_Just another bluff from the loudmouth.

Old CW:Quagmire could last months, years. New CW:We always said it would be another Six Day War.

Old CW:Iraqi Army is battle tested. New CW:Iraqi Army was battle weary.

Old CW:War will destabilize Mideast. New CW:War will stabilize Mideast.

Old CW:Bush is a twig in the wind. New CW:Bush is a mighty oak.

Les Aspin, Richard Perle, Fouad Ajami. Cloudy crystal balls: Edward Luttwak, William Crowe, Judith Kipper.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-26” author: “Christina Lugo”

CANDIDATES Conventional Wisdom Clinton (+) Even bigger than he knows: first young landslide winner since T. Roosevelt. Bush (-) Down, dirty, cynical campaign didn’t work this time. History will be harsh. Perot (+/-) Biggest independent in 80 years. But it’s not that simple and America knows it. Gore (+) Ozone man plugged the holes in the ticket. May be a genuine full partner. Quayle (+) You did it! An up arrow at last! Classy concession helps salvage you. Too late. Stockdale (+/-) Wicked “SNL” skit gains sympathy. You’re still a hero in CW’s book. HANDLERS J. Carville (+) The price of Cajun counsel just skyrocketed. He deserves the millions. M. Matalin (+) Tone-deaf attacks lower her stock. But beau Carville will make enough for two. G. Steph. (+) (Stephanopoulos) Eternal pessimist can finally relax. Yikes! Now what? J. Baker (-) Double dip. Blew it big time by running ‘88 replay. Then tried to dodge blame. O. Swindle (+) Not bad for an amateur. With a name change, Perot could have picked for VP. H. Clinton (+) Took heat and stayed in kitchen. Most influential First Lady since Eleanor R? B. Bush (+/-) A bit nasty in the end there, Bar. But now you’ll have more time for the grandkids. MECHANICS Negative ads (-) Old CW: They work. New CW: America prefers some vision and substance. Sound bites (-) Clinton had none except “I didn’t inhale.” It didn’t matter. Polls (-) Too many and not too good. Race never got as close as some said. GOTV (+) Used to mean Get Out the Vote. Now means Get On TV. Everywhere. MEDIA L. King (+) Symbolizes the new talk-show democracy. But it’s back to Cher till ‘96. Network news (-) No more sovereignty in politics. Note to ABC: Can those pop-up graphics. Pundits (-) Even the CW wants the CW to shut up for a while. Fat chance. CAMPAIGN ‘96 J. Kemp (+) GOP’s JFK is early favorite to challenge Bill. But can he tame the right-wingers? D. Quayle (+/-) Not an “up” here. Will trip on own shoelaces. Work on your putting instead. P. Gramm (-) Texas senator well organized but not attractive nationally. Watch him bash Bill. J.Jackson (+/-) Bit his tongue during campaign on rift with Clinton, but just wait. P.Buchanan (-) Your hate speech helped hand the election to Clinton, my friend. Go back to TV.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-16” author: “Lisa Keske”

Women weren’t the only constituency Hillary was courting last week. Her campaign released a letter she’d written to a Jewish group calling Jerusalem “the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel” and suggesting the U.S. Embassy should be moved there from Tel Aviv. The sentiment, at odds with both her husband’s policy and pro-Palestinian statements she’d made last year, struck some observers, including the New York tabloids, as pandering. “New York politics is a study in the art of subtlety,” said a former Moynihan aide. “Hillary is the opposite of subtle.”

BUSHA Prairie White House?

It’s too early, and maybe too generous, to call Crawford, Texas, the next Kennebunkport. But Gov. George W. Bush is said to be close to buying at least several hundred acres of farmland near Waco as a family retreat like his parents’ in Maine. The area, a Democratic stronghold, boasts picturesque old oaks, rolling hills and good hunting. Before buying, the governor is also testing the soil to see if it will support a man-made lake stocked with fish. “We’d just love for them to be a part of our family, and we’d like to be part of theirs,” says a neighbor. A spokeswoman says only that W. is looking to buy in the area, but some locals are already assuming the land deal–and much else–is a fait accompli: one official suggests that the Feds could help upgrade roads to accommodate presidential motorcades.

ARAFATCleaning Out the Coffers to Keep the Cash

Governments normally don’t act like deadbeats. But Yasir Arafat’s Palestine National Authority isn’t a normal government. Last month a U.S. district court judge ordered the PNA to cough up $18.75 million a U.S. arbitrator had awarded to a telecom firm after a drawn-out proceeding. The PNA could have put up a bond and appealed the ruling. Instead, on July 2 the judge cited “evidence that the PNA may attempt to transfer assets from its New York accounts” and ordered the authority not to move funds held by Citibank, Arab Bank and Salomon Smith Barney. Arab sources say Arafat had a top aide begin emptying U.S. accounts in June; the plaintiffs’ law firm, Baer Marks & Upham, went to the judge after getting wind of it. Arafat now hopes for help from Washington, but national-security adviser Sandy Berger’s office was “not aware that [Berger] is involved.” Arafat’s spokesman had no comment, and his U.S. attorneys didn’t return phone calls–or show up in court to fight the new order.

THE BUZZTwo Leagues of Their Own

The all-star game was once a great spectacle: the only time, aside from the series, when the leagues went head to head. Now interleague play’s routine. But players and managers hate it, it’s heck on scheduling and the novelty’s worn off. Is it time to go?

Strike 1 While good rivalries exist (Mets-Yankees!), they’re rare (Pirates-Royals!). Interleague steals games from the real feuds, within divisions. Bullpen Call Wanna fix it? Don’t make same divisions play each other every year. And use visitor’s rules, so AL fans see pitchers hit, NL fans see DH. Strike 2 No fair that NL East plays tough AL East, but NL Central plays wimpy AL Central, skewing the wild-card race. Hit Fans love to see the other league’s big stars in the flesh. And the cross-town rivalries (N.Y., Chicago) rock. Shutout MLB seems heart-set on interleague despite the drawbacks. Why? Major markets (N.Y., Chicago) make a killing on it. Strike 3 While interleague boosts attendance in some parks, TV ratings this year are just so-so.

CAREERSGot the Job, Read the Book

Every trade has its traditions–how to dress, how to talk, even which books to read to learn the secrets of the society. Though some of the insider tomes are little known to outsiders, initiates plow through them like a high rite of passage. A peri look at books that give greenhorns a look at What It’s Really Like To Be A:

Doctor The House of God by Samuel Shem Six interns juggle sex, death and sleep deprivation in their first tour of duty at a major hospital

Stockbroker Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis A onetime Master of the Universe recounts the collapse of the megafirm Salomon Brothers

Software designer Microserfs by Douglas Coupland A quirky, fictitious account of life as the tiniest bug on Bill Gates’s tech-world anthill

Lawyer A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr A cancer-cluster lawsuit, and an object lesson in how the legal system can pummel the good guys

TV writer Artistic Differences by Charlie Hauck A hilarious gem about two writers trying to steer a hapless sitcom into syndication

CELEBRITYBidder Up

High school graduation is a day to remember, and for $150, you can remember Natalie Portman’s. After the “Star Wars” actress got her diploma on June 29, copies of the program (with her real, not her stage, name) landed on eBay. One peddler says he was surprised to get over $30. Why? Her yearbook’s fetching $500.

RETAILKhaki Shower Curtain, Anyone?

Washcloths and boxers and soap, oh my! Just when you thought the Gap couldn’t cover any more ground in American malls, the giant retailer launched its latest marketing coup: Gap Body. Stand-alone stores stacked high with terry towels, jersey sheets, men’s and women’s underwear and signature scents will soon open near you. So long, mom and pop. Gap hopes to blanket the globe with 100 percent cotton.

FASHIONPapa’s Got Several Brand-New Bags

In New York, messenger-style bags (wide straps, mobile-phone pockets) from legendary local crafters Manhattan Portage dominate the streets. Among the staider set, execs are ditching bulky billfolds for slim card cases. Peri tracks the trends in the things we carry:

1 Basic’s often best: Diesel’s khaki shoulder bag. 2 Mesh adorns this belt bag by Manhattan Portage. 3 Pink terry pouch with frog by Yukie Takizawa. 4 Superslim card-carrying case in Coach leather. 5 Kate Spade makes her messenger out of pincord for fall. 6 Conceal your carry-ons with BEAP’s camo ankle bag. 7 C+G’s retro nylon backpack with glow-in-the-dark details.

WINEA Drop to Drink

Tsar Nicholas II was already doomed by November 1916, when his order of 1907 Heidsieck and Co. Monopole champagne went down off Finland, sunk by a German U-boat. But you can still enjoy a sip. Last July, treasure hunters salvaged 2,500 bottles of the champagne, which, unlike the cargo’s cognac, held up because of its bubbly pressure. Now Caviar House, a Swiss luxury food company that has spent months buying up 2,000 of the bottles, is floating their hoard at $4,000 a pop. Drink up: once opened, wine experts say, the fizz will go fast.

TRANSITIONA Free Spirit

Just before Charles “Pete” Conrad became the third human being to set foot on the moon, in November 1969, he recalled Neil Armstrong’s famous words. Jumping the last three feet, the 5-foot-6 astronaut shouted, “Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me!” Commander of Apollo 12, veteran of four rides to orbit, Conrad worked on the Delta Clipper rocket and founded a space-tourism company. He never lost his love for adventure, dying last week at 69 after wiping out on his motorcycle.

When he was asked by Attorney General Robert Kennedy to postpone a civil-rights demonstration to allow people to “cool off,” James Farmer refused, saying, “We’ve been cooling off for 350 years.” But Farmer also believed in achieving equality without violence; if asked, “When will you start fighting back?” he answered: “We are fighting back; we’re only using new weapons.” The last survivor among the four great founders of the modern civil-rights movement–the others were Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney Young and Roy Wilkins–Farmer, the longtime head of CORE, died last week at the age of 79.

SPECIAL WE’RE LISTENING EDITION

C.W. B. Clinton = After seven years, finally focused on poor. Or will his eye wander again? H. Clinton + Good marks for Senate campaign debut. And she’s already a panderella. A. Gore - More good news. His two top message meisters aren’t on speaking terms. Euro - Esperanto of currencies tumbles, creating tourism opportunities. Shopping D-Day? Barak + New Israel P.M. set to exploit his honeymoon for broader Mideast peace. Mazel tov. Soccer + Women’s Cup madness boosts whole sport. Maybe not U.S.-China relations.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-05” author: “Daniel Mauk”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “James Joseph”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Deloris Pollman”

C.W. McCain + He’s the man with the message, the momentum and the mojo. Yeah, baby! Bush - Read the CW’s lips: Daddy’s “boy” is in deep doo-doo. P.S.: So glad Quayle’s aboard! Gore + 2-and-0 but will spend another month kick-boxing Bill before focusing on… McCain? Bradley = Phew! Last-minute surge in N.H. avoids humiliation. But “President Bradley”? Nope. Forbes + Couldn’t capitalize on Iowa in N.H., the best state for his flat-tax message. Cheerio, Stevie. Keyes = With Bauer out, gets to go one on one against Forbes for… what exactly?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “Floyd Feagin”

CW Bush - Speaks out against CEOs who profit while shareholders got fleeced. Harken back to ‘89 and look in the mirror. H. Pitt - SEC chief lobbied against acc’ting scrutiny back in ’90s, now blames Clinton admin for Wall St. mess. That’s rich. U.S. military - With bin Laden still at large, they accidently take out Afghan wedding party. Not exactly surgical. Drunken pilots - Who needs terrorists when pilots are tipsy? No wonder they want those cockpit doors locked. Ovitz - Onetime king of Hollywood blames “gay mafia” for his demise. A nicer guy would have had defenders. T. Williams + The Kid was the greatest hitter ever– and he knew it. CW tips its hat to the Splendid Splinter.

Photo: OVITZ

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Teresa Smith”

C.W. Bush + Temporarily puts Cheney in charge while calmly going through colonoscopy. Could anyone notice? Pledge + Fed court says “under God” unconstitutional, proving you can be right and clueless at the same time. Parochials + Supreme Court voucher OK a boon for private religious schools. Can you say “church-state violation”? WorldCom - MCI parent in Enronesque scandal. Welcome to the neighborhood–it’s got bars on it. Lilo & Stitch + Disney proves old-fashioned, non-digital animation can work–if the script isn’t patronizing. Entwhistle + The Who’s bassist joins original drummer in rock-and-roll heaven. CW loved “Boris the Spider.”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-24” author: “Perry Walsh”

C.W. Bush - Believes the world is “black and white”–except for his business conduct. Fuzzy math all over again. Cheney - Booked Halliburton cost overruns as profits. But SEC probe will probably be a whitewash. McCain + Tops Bush with real reform ideas in strong speech. But he’s still just a senator. Good luck. Bud Selig - Cancels exciting all-star game after 11 innings with score tied. Is he trying to kill baseball? J.H. Williams - Baseball icon’s son enrages family and fans by putting dad in deep freeze. Defrost Ted now! Jacko - Michael blames album flop on “racist” record industry. But he’s not exactly Rosa Parks.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Angela Lin”

CW Bush = Plans to use creation of Department of Homeland Security as selling point– against those who thought of it first. Catholic Church = Gets points for cracking down on all abusive priests, but lets enabling bishops off easy. M. Stewart - Insider-trading probe? It’s not a good thing. New Kmart collection: Stripes are back in. Florists + Gotti funeral has more flowers than Rose Parade. CW’s fave: The Cohiba- cigar arrangement. Bada-bing. Arthur Andersen - Found guilty of obstruction of justice for shredding Enron audit records. More confetti for Gotti funeral. Red Wings + Win Stanley Cup (hint: NHL Cham- pionship). Remember when hockey was a winter sport?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-02” author: “Walter Bradshaw”

C.W. Bush - What could Bush have done pre-9-11? Probably nothing, but we need to find out. The sooner the better. Cheney - Since 9-11 and again last week, says Dems’ asking questions is unpatriotic. Now that’s unpatriotic. Ashcroft - Last summer, cuts FBI antiterror budget by $58 million–and switches to gov’t. planes for security reasons. FBI - Good news: Good Phoenix agent identifies flight-school threat. Bad news: His bosses sat on it. Investigate. Dems = Try to make hay of intel fiasco– but for good reason. In fact, their calls for a probe are late. ‘Clones’ = Dialogue sounds as if translated by an Aqualish. Only reason to sit through: Yoda unchained. Cool that is.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-23” author: “Gloria Rodriguez”

C.W. Cardinal Law - Beantown boss keeps his miter for now, but big U.S. donors might yet take it away. Cardinal George - Chicago boss wants “wiggle room” in cases of sex with “16-year-old” girls. That’s celibacy! Bush = Finesses Saudi Prince Abdullah visit (with a little help from Poppy). Next: A policy? Saudis - Breed 9-11 pilots, fund Hamas, celebrate suicide-bombers–and scold us. That’s chutzpah. French - Fascist in prez runoff, limp on terrorism, sell arms to anyone–and snobby to us. Zut. Karen Hughes + Key Bush adviser quits because family is “homesick for Texas.” Soccer moms rule!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Leticia Doyle”

CW Ashcroft - Boosts gun-rights argument before Supreme Court. Who edoes the AG rep- resent? The NRA or USA? Bang. Rumsfeld + Fights the Congress–and the Army– to kill obsolete, costly weapons sys- tem. Don’t stop there, Rumbo Enron - Used schemes called “Fat Boy” and “Get Shorty” to bilk Calif. energy con- sumers while Bush regulators winked. Kournikova = Nude shots of her in Penthouse weren’t … her. Just once we’d like to see her in the news for her tennis. Ozzie + Old: Drug-addled, ugly, bat-chomping has-been. New: Beloved, charismatic defender of [expletive] family values. U.S. Students - History? No prob. Q: Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb? (a) P-Diddy (b) Britney (c) Spider-Man (d) Hugh Grant.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Alexandria Huffines”

C.W. Cardinal Law - Still has his gig. And his archdiocese drops out of victim-comp plan. How Christian. Bush = His Mideast policy is suddenly critical–but what is it again? Dial 41. Sharon = Coming to D.C. with a plan for interim peace. But it’s a non-starter. Jenin = Remember the IDF “massacre”? The Arabs finally admit there wasn’t one. Clinton + Bubba talk TV? Maybe the next “People’s Court” judge. He’d feel their pain. ‘Spider-Man’ + Violent comic adapt. is killer app of the summer. Tobey Maguire is the new web master.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-29” author: “Bridget Gonzalez”

C.W. Bush = New saber-rattling Bush doctrine: “We’re No. 1 and won’t let anyone catch up.” How humble. 9-11 inquiries + Bush finally backs one under pressure from families and more embarrassing revelations. What took so long? Dems - Rove’s war-talk strategy keeps spineless Dems off-balance, off- message. It’s still the economy, stupids. Kozlowski - Ex-Tyco chief charged $2,200 wastebaskets to company. Makes Jack Welch look like Mahatma Gandhi. Summers + Harvard prez says those pushing endowment divestment from Israel are anti-Semitic. Gutsy and true. J.K. Rowling + Harry Potter creator is pregnant, wins plagiarism case and, best of all, says book five coming soon. Brilliant!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-27” author: “Vincent Lindon”

C.W. Bush + Makes powerful anti-Saddam case at U.N. But the question remains: How political is the timing? Powell + His international argument got Bush to the U.N., finessing the Lone Rangers. Jitters + September 11 anniversary, Florida false alarm, nuke-boat mystery and real arrests in Buffalo. Code Orange! Florida - No more hanging chads in voting, but still hanging results. Memo to Jeb: Ask Cuba for election tips. Miss America + The CW wants to know: How can a pageant contestant named Misty Clymer have no nude pictures? ‘Sopranos’ + America’s real first family is finally back on the tube. Now Osama can see what U.S. is really like.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-27” author: “Wanda Schmidt”

C.W. Bush - While 9-11 families sue the Saudis, he rolls out the Crawford carpet for Saudi prince. Oil together now! Cheney = Old: Bush must make case for war on Iraq. New: Stick to the treadmill, Dubya, while Big Time does the talking. Baseball = Good news: Suicidal strike averted. Bad: “National pastime” rates below NASCAR, rodeo and kick-the-can. Skakel - Kennedy kin gets 20 to life. CW’s mod- est request: Move further proceedings to Ashcroft’s secret court. Eminem - White rapper dominates MTV awards but loses cool at ribbing by comic puppet dog. Grow up. NASA + Agency OKs ‘N Sync singer as Russian astronaut-for-pay. Next: Britney orbits in bare-midriff spacesuit.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-25” author: “Thomas Taylor”

C.W. Bush - Smokey Bear strategy: let the logging industry cut down the forests. That way nothing will burn! Ashcroft - Fed. judges accuse FBI of abusing secret antiterror court. Even with baddies, don’t lie to your own side. B. Clinton = Will $50 million a year for talk show pit him against Oprah for talk-show supremacy? Think of his book club. Jacko = Reveals third child–but not the mother–backstage at Siegfried and Roy. Think of his reality show. Opie & Anthony - Shock jocks’ stunt broadcasting “sex” in St. Patrick’s gets swift reprisal. Finally, zero tolerance. B. Barr - Georgia wing-nut and Clinton impeach-booster Rep. loses re- election primary. Opie’s replacement?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “John Brown”

C.W. Bush - Iraq obsession genuine, but no coincidence that it changes subject from bad economy and Osama. Congress - Caves to gun nuts to put pistols on planes. Will it take a jumbo disaster to roll back this bad idea? A. Cuomo - Bails from N.Y. gov. race days before certain defeat. Then blames everyone else. The wrong stuff. Welch - Former GE CEO got his board to secretly give him millions in luxuries for life. Neutron the perks, Jack. Killer kids - Florida tykes convicted as adults for whacking dad. Coming next: electric high chairs? ‘American Idol’ + Kelly beats Justin in America’s big election (50 million voters!). And no Supreme Court needed.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-31” author: “Audrea Ramos”

C.W. Bush - Economic ‘Forum’ as believable as ‘Plan 9 From Outer Space.’ And guess what: donors getting W.H. sleepovers. CEOs = Old: Day of truth when top dogs verify results. New: They sign, but who knows if they’re lying? Amtrak - Shelves high-speed trains to check for cracks. But big subsidies still go to bankrupt airlines. Choo-choo! Baseball - Players set strike date two weeks before 9-11. Nice timing. Clearly, the real national pastime is greed. Elvis + Dead for 25 years and still burnin’ burnin’ burnin’. Media can’t help falling in love with same tired stories. ‘Hairspray’ - B’way musical based on John Waters classic gets ‘Producers’-level raves. Fierstein is no drag, he’s divine!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Julia Coletti”

C.W. Cheney = Out of hiding, but won’t talk about his own CEO problem. Hey, Big Time–go prime time, with a press conference. Gore = Version 2.0 of the guy who lost (?) the election is still running, this time sounding like… Ralph Nader. Saddam - Says that if U.S. and allies invade him, they’ll “die in disgraceful failure.” Now he’s leaking his plans. Heston + Pistol-packin’ Moses gives Oscar-level performance in revealing he’s got Alzheimer’s. His finest moment. Springsteen + All that hype (he logged more TV time than Ashleigh Banfield) paid off: “The Rising” is No. 1. Now just sing, Boss. Rosie - Former talk-show diva tries to micromanage eponymous magazine. So much for the Queen of Nice.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Frances Larkin”

Bush - War on terrorism stalled, economy on precipice, time for a month on the Crawford ranch. Ashcroft - Says he can’t use gun background checks to spot terrorists. But GAO says that’s not true. NRA over U.S.A.? B. Clinton = Newly rich Bubba wants Whitewater lawyer bill paid by U.S. Dick Cheney will watch this with interest. Traficant - Ohio’s flamboyant felon finally gets House heave-ho. Only supporting vote: Gary Condit. Bad-hair lobby? ‘Austin Powers’ + The humor’s in the toilet, but Dr. Evil et al. take our minds off 401(k)s (also in the toilet). Mini-Me rules! Rigas - Adelphia’s Dr. Evil CEO, two sons, busted for fraud–including using funds to buy golf courses. Yeah, baby!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Ty Lindgren”

CW Cheney - “Big Time” has time for GOP fund-raisers but he’s MIA at White House corporate-greed-bill signing. Leave your foxhole. Torricelli - N.J. senator “severely admonished” by ethics panel for improper gifts, tries gauzy mea culpa. Put out the Torch. H. Clinton = Going soft on soft money but boffo at Democratic Leadership Council conclave. Make a date for ‘08. J. Kerry = Vietnam pedigree lets him blast Bush for letting Al Qaeda get away. Bonus: Contrast to gun-shy ‘04 field. B. Moyers - Busted for DUI and contesting the charge. Coming soon: Nine-hour PBS series on ethics of state troopers. Skating - Now a Russian mobster is implicated in scoring fix. Send Tonya Harding to bust his knee.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-19” author: “Mario Smith”

C.W. Kissinger + Back in the saddle as chair of “independent” commission re: 9-11. Will Dr. Secrecy expose the truth? Air safety = New TSA airport teams seem on the case. But now we have to worry about surface-to-air missiles. U.N. + Inspectors’ shakedown cruise goes smoothly. But wait until they arrive unannounced at a “palace.” Red Sox + New owners hire hip 28-year-old GM and stats whiz Bill James to fight The Curse with brains. Good luck. Cruises - Old: Have fun but don’t forget sunscreen. New: Have fun but don’t forget biohazard suit. Lisa Marie - Jacko’s ex splits with Nicolas Cage after less than four months. Listen to daddy: Only fools rush in.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-29” author: “Joseph Mcaninch”

C.W. Bush + Presides over NATO expansion and bonds with buddy Putin. And Keeps His War On. Gore = Shows some “spontaneous” humor in painstakingly scripted political re-entry. Don’t count him out. Whitman - EPA chief sells out to polluters on air quality. Time to go back to your horse farm, Christie. Saudis - 9-11 money trail leads to Saudi royal family. What did they know and when did they know it? DeLay - Slips giveaway for companies that relocate offshore into homeland -security bill. How patriotic. ‘The Bachelor’ + Huge audience watches rich guy pick Jersey Girl. CW bets she’ll be in Playboy before Modern Bride.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Mary Smith”

C.W. Bush = Message: I learned lesson from Dad’s economic woes. But new team will still have to hew to his tax-cut obsession. O’Neill - The smartest guy in the cabinet was too candid and independent for Bushies—so he got the bum’s rush. West - Former White House staffer Diulio tells mag Bushies are Wingers “Mayberry Machiavellis”: All rightist politics, no policy. Saddam = So far, rope-a-dope “what weapons?” strategy is working. Now Dubya must pray for a provocation. Winona + Avoids jail, gets to help sick kids, gains sympathy at D.A.’s low blow about exploiting Polly Klaas—and looks great! Disney - “Treasure Planet,” most expensive animation ever, barely tops Adam Sandler’s Chanukah cartoon. Arrrrgh.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-26” author: “Kelly Goodell”

C.W. Bush = War talk distracts attention from a budget that breaks campaign promises–and the bank. Powell + Eschews Bush’s cowboy-speak in favor of lawyerly brief on hard evidence. Next: Explain the aftermath. Manned - What caused the crash? Who knows? Time to scuttle the Flight shuttle for next generation of space exploration. Tom - House majority leader signs explosive letter calling DeLay Big Labor unpatriotic, then denies he saw it. Sure. Reagan + The Gipper celebrates 92d birthday, breaking ex-president longevity record. Here’s to you, Dutch. Jacko - Good news: TV special gets boffo ratings. Bad news: There goes Father of the Year Award.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-26” author: “David Thomas”

C.W. Bush = Even a strong State of the Union can’t change the facts on the ground. Needs more evidence before H-hour. Allies = Old: Whiny appeasers underestimating Saddam threat. New: Counseling caution. But they’re still ingrates. Saudis = If rich princes can engineer a coup in Iraq, thus avoiding war, (almost) all is forgiven. Privacy + Senate takes a swing at Orwellian Pentagon scheme, Total Information Awareness. Will House follow? SUVs + Time to upgrade to a Hummer? Bush wants to give bigger cars a bigger biz-tax break. Now that’s sacrifice! Reality TV + “American Idol” reprise gets 25 million viewers, most of whom could sing better than the “talent.”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Francisco Lean”

C.W. Bush = War is a harder sell than he expected. But sold or not, it’s too late to back down. Powell = Understandably impatient with U.N. wobblies. Still, using bin Laden tape as proof of Iraqi link is a stretch. Duct tape + Old CW: In Cipro we trust. New: Hold your breath and stick up those plastic sheets. Greenspan = Fed chair finally figures out that Bush plans might put nation in poorhouse. That’s why they call him maestro. Estrada = Senate GOPs: How dare the Dems act like we did and actually block judges they don’t like. Sorenstam + Annika will now play golf with the boys. But ladies-tour champ is still not the right gender for Augusta.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-27” author: “Joshua Follett”

C.W. Crew + “They slipped the surly bonds of Earth…” Consolation: they died doing what they loved. Shuttle - After 113 missions and increasingly creaky vehicles, it’s program time for an upgrade. But don’t quit. NASA = Even on its worst day, reason for pride: candid, sincere and open. Could other countries match this? Portents - Baghdad sees presence of Israeli, explosion over Bush’s home state as a sign of Allah’s retribution. That’s sick. Bush = State of the Union: Sells Iraq war, but domestic plan a nonstarter. But will he trade in his SUV for a hydrogen car? Wallis - Turns out woman Edward VIII gave up his throne for was not Simpson just a greedy Nazi symp but two-timing him too.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-27” author: “Brent Dayton”

Dean + Crushing other Dem. prez hopefuls in money, Internet poll. But needs to improve his bedside manner.

Iraq war - Our soldiers keep dying while Iraqis cheer. Will the CW still be saying this 10 years from now?

Middle East + Israelis are pulling back from Gaza, Ariel and Abbas are buds and Jerusalem is peaceful. Who knew?

Men’s tennis - Who’s playing? Who’s winning? Who cares. CW solution: Serena should do an Annika.

JFK Jr. = Hit with posthumous, gossipy cheap shots about his marriage in upcoming book. We need to know this stuff?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Jim Zechman”

Supremes + Love ’em or hate ’em, diversity and gay-rights decisions were in sync with America. Now who’s retiring?

C. Thomas - Affirmative-action justice passionate- ly inveighs against affirmative action. So does he think he belongs there?

G. Davis - Total recall? If Calif. voters terminate Gray’s governorship, Ah-nold is ready to muscle in. Hasta la vista, Graby.

RIAA - Just when legal file sharing is getting traction, record labels decide to sue their customers. O Brother.

Phone spam - FTC Web site swamped by citizens crowding into new don’t-bug-me-at- home list. Why not put everyone on it?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-12” author: “Angela Bird”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Kenneth Kessler”

Blair = Good news: Bush’s mentor wows Congress with speech. Bad: He has to go home to gibes he’s “Bush’s poodle.”

Condi - Her Teflon is peeling too. It was her job to vet the S.O.U. Her yellowcake de- nials are inedible.

Media = Finally doing its job of questioning this prez. What a novel concept after slum- bering for almost two years.

House Punks - McInnis says “shut up.” Stark calls him “fruitcake.” Dictator Thomas calls cops. Oh, grow up.

Calif. Recall = Now Arianna Huffington might jump into gov. race. If she and Ahnold de- bate, we’ll need subtitles.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Nola Arocho”

C.W. Bush = Gets his $87 billion but even GOP senators put off by the “my way or the highway” attitude. Feds - Why is the FBI probing Philly Mayor Street on eve of election? It won’t say, but maybe Karl Rove knows. Gen. Boykin - Active-duty general routinely trashes Muslim religion but backed by Rummy. Nice way to build allies. Chinese rocket - Joins U.S.-Russian space race despite 40-year handicap. When will the first panda go up? G. Little - The only person at the game or watching TV who thought Pedro should stay in. Note to China: Send him to the moon. Cubs - Can’t clinch NLCS with their two best pitchers, then blame the fiasco on a fan. Even more pathetic than usual.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Robyn Ramirez”

C.W. Bush - U.N. speech aimed at U.S., not U.N. Neither is impressed. Why not try real diplomacy for a change? Clark + Old CW: Enters Dem race too late, Clinton ties hurt. New: Perfect timing, Clinton ties a plus. Dean = He’s debate punching bag, proving others think he’s the one to beat. And the cyberdough keeps rollin’ in. Ahnold + Risky debate strategy (only one, and with questions in advance) pays off: Never has to explain how to fix Calif. Bustamante = Great voice, seemed most gubernato- rial in debate. But do Californians really want a governor? D. Kelley - Overproductive TV producer jumps shark in first episode of “Poland, N.H.” Even the “dancing baby” can’t fix this one.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “Margaret Tappen”

C.W. Condi + Old CW: Marginalized after State of Union dustup. New CW: Takes Iraq portfolio from Pentagon. Rice-a-Roni! Rummy - Throws public hissy fit over Condi coup. Ask Rush’s housekeeper for a chill pill. M. Shriver + Keeps Camelot alive by rescuing Ahnold during Gropegate. Coming next: “Marialine NBC”? Kobe - Prelim. hearing presents chilling images, which could haunt him forever, guilty or not. Leno - By emceeing Ahnold’s victory bash, breaks late-night nonpartisan tradition. Cite him for Jay walking. Tigers - First Detroit, now this: Siegfried’s pal still critical, while Ming bites N.Y.C. roomie. Thank goodness for the golfer.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Wayne Dunstan”

C.W. Bush = Another stumbling policy week with Intimigate leak scandal and Iraq. But job uptick could help. WMD - Despite Bush-Powell’s crude spin, Kay’s report shows there were none. Bottom line: Sanctions were working. Wilson + Shaggy-haired surfer turned brave diplomat is married to (outed) “real- life Alias.” Paging Joel Shumacher. Ahnold + Old CW: Serial groping and admiring Hitler are political death. New CW: Springtime for Sacramento. Rush - Race-baiting works for radio dittoheads but not for cheeseheads and other NFL esthetes. What a pill. B. Murrray + Sublime performance not Lost In Translation. Now give him the Oscar he was cheated out of for “Caddyshack.”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-14” author: “Janna Mcquay”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Brenda Wilcox”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Jeffrey Montoya”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-21” author: “Alphonso Eichhorn”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Grace Schmitt”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-12” author: “Juan Peterson”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Keven Deloney”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-09” author: “Jesus Bunker”

C.W. Bush - With millions looking for work, he still insists his tax cuts will create more jobs. Maybe in India. Rumsfeld - On Iraq visit, gushes about “wonderful start” to rebuilding. He’s sounding more and more like Baghdad Bob. Abbas - Old CW: Finally, a Palestinian leader who operates out of Arafat’s shadow. New: Arafat’s shadow forces him out. Wes Clark = Former NATO commander is tan, rested and ready for Dem race. So cut the Hamlet act, general. CDs + Universal slashes disc prices. Coming soon: Downloading 50 Cent for 50 cents a song? Chicago + For the first time since 1908, Cubs, Sox still have hope in Sept. Could be a corker of a World Series.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-30” author: “Jessie Gallman”

C.W. Bush = In rare candor attack, admits that there’s no evidence that Saddam was involved in 9/11. Now he tells us. Cheney - Old CW: Calm gravitas on “Meet the Press.” New: Calm prevarication on “MTP” requires presidential correction. Clark = Many Dems are thrilled to have a real warrior on their side. But is the general wound too tight for politics? Edwards - Typical of campaign so far: Official “announcement” lost between Wes and Isabel. But winds can still change. Time Warner - Three years after merger of the millen- nium, the “AOL” is gone from company name. You’ve got… mud on your face! Rodents + Fossil of 1,500-pound critter found in South America. At last, an explanation for the size of N.Y.C. subway rats.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-16” author: “Susan Burns”

C.W. Bush = Tries Churchillian pledge of “total victory” over terrorism. But are we closer than we were two years ago? John Bolton - State Dept. superhawk insults N. Korea on eve of talks, driving out best U.S. diplomat. Thanks, bonehead. NASA - Blistering report shows it learned nothing from ‘86 Challenger disaster. Houston, you’re the problem. White House - EPA says WH asked it to doctor Ground Zero air-quality assessment after 9/11. Why didn’t they trust us with the truth? Tom Daschle - Helping gut campaign-finance reform with bad FCC appointment. What a surprise: Back to business as usual. Arnold = Changes mind on taking money from fat cats. But old Oui magazine gang- bang invu will siphon votes from Flynt

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Manuel Huth”

C.W. Bush - Says Iraq war didn’t slow hunt for bin Laden. So why don’t we have a division over there looking for him? Blair - Report shows his prewar intel said terrorism would get worse after invasion. Thanks for sharing, Tony. Grasso - NYSE chief banks $140 mil. from cos. he’s supposed to be regulating. When will Congress probe this greedy pig? Music fans - RIAA starts suing file sharers. Though odds are way against getting caught, the good old Napster days are gone. Bennifer - J. Lo and Ben announce wedding is “indefinitely postponed.” At least they’ll always have “Gigli.” M. Stewart - Drops her personal-calendar feature from her magazine. How will we know the visitation days at Allenwood?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Robert Dick”

C.W. Bush - Mr. “energy expert” prez says blackout was “a wake-up call.” Why was he sleeping to begin with? Bloomberg + Unloved N.Y.C. mayor was cool, competent and in control. Even Rudy couldn’t have done better. Pataki - N.Y. gov tried to blame Canada, every- one else. What have you been doing for past nine years about the grid? Cities + No power, hot summer night, lousy economy–and almost no looting. Post 9/11: We’re nicer to each other. Air travel - They check your shoes, but not cargo. Terrorists can get shoulder missiles. Welcome to your final destination. Microsoft - Months after Bill’s security push, Blaster worm eats hundreds of thousands of Windows. Blame Canada.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-25” author: “Gerard Rosenthal”

C.W. Bush = When Powell bolts in early ‘05, there’ll be no one tempering the administration’s superhawks. Yikes. Arnold + Conan the Predator is now Running Man in Total Recall. Hasta la vista, cliches. But they’ll be back. Recall - A thousand clowns. And with a “democratic” process gone goofy, the joke is on the voters. Robinson + New N.H. bishop is “Queer Eye for the High Church.” Not that there’s anything wrong with it. J. Lo & Ben - They’re everywhere and nowhere as “Gigli” is stink bomb of the century. Just break up already. Camilla + Queen finally lets Chuck shack up with the love of his life at Clarence House. After all, he is 55.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-31” author: “Jeannette Esquivel”

C.W. Bush = Goes both ways on gays and finally admits his own Iraq words were his. Now off to Crawford for 35 days. J. Warner + Loyal GOP sen. takes on Bush for cutting out Congress on troops to Liberia. Here we go again. Saudis - Saudi spies apparently helped two 9-11 hijackers. Why is our president covering for them? Saddam’s Daughters - Papa Sad lured them home to kill their hubbies, but they still call him good dad. CW advises family counseling. M. Gibson - Mad Mel’s new film on Christ’s final days will fuel anti-Semitism. Just what the world needs right now. B. Hope + Like Strom, checks out just after hitting Willard time. He’ll be playing the USO in heaven.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-27” author: “Susan Russell”

C.W. Bush = Good news: Whacked Uday and Qusay, but don’t declare victory again because our guys are getting whacked, too. Saddam - Talk about a bad week. He’s no Osama bin Laden: He can’t hide in a cave or apartment forever. Pfc. Lynch + Gets a hero’s welcome at home, but even she seems a bit uneasy about the hyped-up hoopla. Davis = Facing recall Oct. 7, but if he switches focus from his own lousy record to the lousy idea of a recall, he can survive. DeLay = With budget and Mideast meddling, the Exterminator is out of control and even Bush won’t take him on. 9-11 report = Cong. probe says FBI lied. Govt. had more warning than it admitted, but why did White House censor Saudi link?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-08” author: “Raymond Loew”

Bush - Iraq, Mideast blowing up on him. Now he needs friends in the rest of the world. But they can’t stand him. Air - Bush guts Clean Air Act via admin fiat, letting old industrial plants foul at will. New motto: Leave No Polluter Behind. Terror + Old CW: Invading Iraq will squash its network. New CW: Occupied Iraq is breeding ground for new wave of evil. Bustamante + Calif. lieut. gov. admits he’s fat, bald and boring–and he’s gaining fast. P.S. Arnold: People do care about numbers. Fox News = Laughed out of court on anti-Franken injunction. New trademark: We hate the First Amendment. But still No. 1. Sobig.F - Good news: The virus didn’t kill the Internet. Bad news: The next one might. Help us, Bill.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Anthony Harvey”

C.W. President - Drooping numbers on itchy-finger war, moribund economy. Bush Is that the sound of Teflon peeling? U.N. = Those empty warheads–smoking guns or water pistols? Inspectors Keep looking for something that’s really bad. Supreme - A Mickey Mouse© decision approving ridiculously long Court copyright extensions. What public domain? Yao + Courtly 7-foot-6 rookie Houston Rocket inflicts China Ming Syndrome on NBA. Shaq melts down. ‘Joe + The CW is outraged that hit reality show humiliates Millionaire’ female participants. When’s it on again? ‘Harry + Late fifth installment due in June will weigh in at 768 Potter’ pages. Was it writer’s block or carpal tunnel syndrome?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-22” author: “Edward Cox”

C.W. Bush + Looks like he was right about ex-generals’ hand-wringing being “silly.” But it’s not over yet. Rumsfeld + Old CW: Orders too few troops to do the job. New CW: Brilliant architect of flexible war plan. But it’s not over yet. Powell = Meets with allies to get postwar cooperation. Better share the occupation or U.S. is a sitting duck. J. Lynch + Will it be Kirsten Dunst or Reese Witherspoon in “Saving Pvt. Lynch”? And hats off to that Iraqi tipster. SARS - Mystery illness is one more thing to worry about. And it’s making economy sicker. Coming: Surgical-mask chic. P. Arnett - Old CW: Old warhorse rehabs career in Baghdad. New CW: Stupidly blows career by going on Saddam TV. D’oh!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Young Mccracken”

C.W. Bush + Things he did that Dad didn’t: (1) lib- erated Baghdad (2) addressed the economy (3) alienated the world. Saddam - Elvis has left the palace. But people will be spotting him in supermarkets and gas stations worldwide forever. Occupation = Old CW: “Americans good! Thank you Mr. Bush for freeing us!” New CW: “Hey hey, ho ho, U.S.A. has got to go!” Bechtel + Crony capitalism construction company gets megacontract to help rebuild Iraq. What a surprise. S. Peterson - After bodies found, cops put the collar on Laci’s philandering hubby. For fair trial, try Antarctica. Sox watchers - For second straight year, South Sider jumps fence and attacks. This would never happen at Wrigley.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-26” author: “Roger Boucher”

C.W. Bush - Steadfast, but his war cluelessly flings open the gates of hell, making any sort of victory Pyrrhic. Blair + British P.M. can actually explain this thing coherently. He’s Churchill to Bush’s Red Buttons. Cheney - Tells “Meet the Press” just before war, “We will be greeted as liberators.” An arrogant blunder for the ages. Rumsfeld - Taking fire from TV retired generals for flawed war plan. And how did you miss the fedayeen? Wallace + Top general honest enough to admit U.S. misjudged the enemy. But bosses not honest enough to admit he’s right. Blogs + Internet diarists, both here and abroad, offer fresh, feisty angles. Beats Aaron Brown every time.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-20” author: “Michelle Moutoux”

C.W. Bush + Like a rock: he told us so–and never wavered. But the looting chaos looks more than “untidy.” Saddam - Whatever happened to him, he’s riding a big fat down arrow straight to his uncle Satan. Hot enuf for ya? Jay Garner + Retired general and Kurd-rebuilding wiz will be Iraq’s MacArthur. But Israel biz ties not a crowd pleaser. Chalabi = Iraqi expat arrives in homeland for first time in 45 years and wants to run the joint. And it could just happen. Al-Sahaf + Iraqi info chief kept straight face while claiming victory even as our troops rolled in. Does Enron need a PR guy? J. Garofalo - Predicted “doom” for U.S. forces, promised apology to Bush if troops greeted as liberators. We’re still waiting.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-03” author: “Gary Moore”

C.W. Bush + On top of GDP growth, now jobs coming back. If this keeps up, it could be Bush blowout in ‘04. War - More Black Hawks down in bloodiest week since “mission accomplished.” Will W attend any funerals? Dean = Stiff-neck redneck gaffe shows he’s still out of his league. But two big union nods may help him clinch pennant. CBS - Craven network denies right-wing pressure had anything to do with can- celing Reagan docu-drama. Black eye. Pvt. Lynch + Iraq hero says Pentagon made up her dramatic rescue tale. CW will buy her action figure anyway. Rosie = Lied under oath about heartless cancer remark. Win or lose, that’s the end of the Queen of Nice.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-23” author: “Robert Hoff”

C.W. Bush = Cowboy in chief trades chaps for pinstripes during Asia trip. Better late than never. Rummy = Good news: Slog memo shows he’s in touch with reality. Bad: It’s a monkey wrench in admin’s spin machine. Quattrone = Poster boy for dot-com sleaze dodges bullet with mistrial. But don’t take any option on him yet. Diana = Butler says she predicted own death in auto “accident”–and he just happened to find it in time for his book. Concorde + Au revoir to the supersonic passenger age. We’ve seen the future, and it still takes seven hours. Liza + Start spreading the news, she’s got a great right hook. New show: “Black Eye for the Queer Guy”?

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-15” author: “Donna Smith”

C.W. Bush = Old: We’ll be here as long as it takes. New: We’ll be here as long as it takes to get an excuse to leave. Kerry - After canning camp. chief, decides to play catch-up with wife’s ketchup money. But he can’t cut the mustard. Sen. GOPs - Stage antifilibuster filibuster even though they blocked more Clinton nominees than Dems are doing now. Durst + Dismembering, decapitating cross- dressing millionaire acquitted of murder. Meet your new neighbor! Baseball - Tests show what fans could see from the bleachers: Those boys are on steroids. Next year: Pitchers rule. Paris Hilton + Old answer: Hotel near Eiffel Tower? New: Hard-core socialite and new media superstar.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-31” author: “Jonathan Rodriguez”

C.W. Bush = Says the right things, but doesn’t have the credibility to make Brits listen. And why not help Blair on trade, prisoners? AARP - Old: Incorruptible champion of seniors. New: Backs Bush’s Rx, and will profit from it. Just another special interest. Gays + Mass. court clears way for gay marriage. Now we’ll never be able to get a reservation in Cape Cod. Rush - Back on air with no apologies as news comes of money-laundering probe. Can he blame liberals for this one? Jacko - Old: How weird is this guy? New: Forget the weirdness, this is sick. And it’s only going to get worse. Spector - Beatles album rereleased without his Wall of Sound. And he’s charged with murder. Words of wisdom: Let It Plea.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Brian Coley”

• George W. Bush Ends year on a roll with economy and the spider-hole coup. Next: Capture of bin Laden as October surprise? = Dick Cheney Oversells the war, does public biz in secret, emerges only to raise funds and to shoot 90 pheasants in a day. Solid. = Donald Rumsfeld Won the war, but too arrogant to plan for peace. His moment as septuagenarian sex symbol has come and gone. - Paul Wolfowitz Chief neocon hypester of war convinced Washington Saddam posed an “imminent threat.” Never mind. - Condi Rice Old CW: Superstar could be VP by ‘08. New: Ineffective arbiter of State-Defense squabbles–and in over her head. - Saddam From dozens of gold-plated palaces to a couple of Mars bars and a can of roach spray. But hell will be worse. + Howard Dean Bristling Dem front runner cracks code of cyberpolitics. But will he now become Howard the Sitting Duck? = Wesley Clark After playing Hamlet, he’s now Michael Jordan playing baseball. But hey, it’s only the fourth inning. - John Kerry Windy war hero and onetime favorite is sucking wind for now. This season’s Ed Muskie? + U.S. soldiers Brave, professional–and the only Americans asked to sacrifice anything after 9/11. + Vladimir Putin By arresting his enemies, shows that czar power still works in Russia. Try a little glasnost and perestroika. + Paris Hilton Heirhead Internet sex object becomes network superstar. Will Paula Jones make a cameo? - Kim Jong Il North Korea’s tyrant has the nukes, the palaces and the hair. And his country makes Iraq look like Gstaad. - Junk e-mail New laws, new prosecutions and new technologies might slow this blight. But where will the CW get its VIAGR*A? + ‘Queer Eye’ Fab Five’s challenge for 2004: Makeovers for Howard Dean and Dick Cheney. Kucinich is a lost cause. = Tony Blair Master explainer of Iraq, but repeated diplo fumbling by Bush makes him look like a “poodle.” + ‘Lord of the Rings’ A (hobbit-forming) trilogy that actually got better each time around. Hear that, Neo? + Annika Sorenstam At the Colonial, lady driver showed she could play with the boys. At the Skins, showed she could beat them. Fore! - Strom Thurmond Segregationist sen. turns 100, dies and is revealed to have fathered a black daughter. How Jeffersonian. + Madonna kiss Children’s-book author busses Britney so deep she can almost taste the silicon. + Paul Bremer Iraq honcho wears Timberlands with his pin-striped suits. Coolest line: “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!” + Elizabeth Smart Gets away from the kidnap- ping creep. But the selling of her story was also creepy. Lock the windows and the TV, too. + Google Silicon Valley start-up takes Web by storm and plans huge IPO. Haven’t we been here before? Better Google that. + Jessica Lynch The Pentagon fabricated her Rambo heroics, and that TV movie stank. But she came off as sweet and honest. - Jayson Blair All the news that’s fit to tint. Bogus “reporter” burns down the NYT house and ends Raines of Terror. + ‘Da Vinci Code’ Blockbuster thriller with lots of religious mumbo-jumbo and cracker- barrel art history. Mona Lisa Smiles! + Jessica Simpson MTV’s “Newlyweds” star on physical effects of death: “Rigor who?” She makes Paris Hilton look like a Rhodes scholar. + Al Franken Takes on conservatives at own game with monster best seller. How telling: It took his funny bone to give Dems backbone. + Dixie Chicks Even after Bush-bashing flap, they’re still hot and toe-to-toe with Toby Keith. Let ’er rip. - Jacko Do we really need this freak show in ‘04? Another tawdry spectacle of media overkill? (More mug shots, please.)

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Raymond Manfre”

C.W. Bush + Medicare bill passes, economy surges, Thanksgiving stunt a PR coup. Like Nixon in ‘72? Baghdad Suprise + In war and politics, surprise is everything. But unlikely to be a factor a year from now. Medicare bill = Good news: Seniors finally get Rx benefit in ‘06. Bad news: Only after drug and insurance co.’s drain billions. GOP + Strong-arms bill through, stripping Dems of key issue. Bonus: Bad effects don’t kick in till after election. Neil Bush - Lawsuit papers show First Bro took Asian sex freebies. What will Bar say during Christmas dinner? T. Woods + Tiger to tie the knot with Swedish model. CW to readers: Make your own stroke joke.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Terry Smith”

C.W. Bush + Finally bags Saddam, shutting up antiwar critics, at least for now. But real victory still not assured Dean = Big week after Gore endorsement. But Saddam capture raises question: What if the war goes well? Gore = Back in the news–with a stab in Lieberman’s back. It reminded the CW of why he lost in ‘00. Nader - Talking about jumping into the race. Once great man has turned into a clueless egomaniac. Halliburton - Cheney’s old firm price-gouging U.S. on no-bid contract. Of course GOP Congress won’t investigate. Nixon + In new tape he calls Reagan “strange” and “not pleasant.” Say what? Guess we’ll have to hear it on Showtime.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Lenore Landor”

C.W. Bush = Good news: Appoints commission on intel lapses. Bad news: Allows it to probe everywhere–except the White House. C. Powell - Says if he knew then what we all know now on WMD, he would’ve said no to war. Tell that to the widows. M. Powell - Famously hands-off FCC chief threatens fines over Super Bowl exposure. What a boob. Scalia - Can Supreme Court justice rule fairly on Cheney after they’ve vacationed together? Well recuuuse me! Sharpton - Partially bankrolled by Republicans and mired in single digits, except for his hotel bills. Timberlake - Double standard on “wardrobe malfunction”: Janet busted from Grammys while Justin skates through.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Judith Lyon”

CW Bush = Polls hit new low as Iraq handover has overtones of escape from Saigon; but images of Saddam in court help. Saddam - Behavior at hearing shows he’s the same defiant wacko. But CW likes the dapper Just for Men look. Supreme Ct. + Affirm rights for terror detainees and free speech on the Internet. Nice to see they reread the Bill of Rights. Greenspan = Belatedly raises interest rate by measly quarter point. Dust off your Jerry Ford WHIP INFLATION NOW buttons. U. of Texas - Longhorn baseballers lose college world series finals. Then refuse to take field for runner-up prize. Hook ’em. ‘Spider-Man’ + Sequel has better plot, cooler villain and reviews to die for. Bonus: bumps Michael Moore from top spot.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-29” author: “Paul Arthur”

CW Reagan + No matter where you stand, he helped make us believe in ourselves again. So long, Gipper—it’s mourning in America. Bush = Ignores papal jibe on Iraq while embracing good news on jobs. And handover might actually work. Tenet - Mr. Slam Dunk claims he quit for “personal reasons.” But it doesn’t take a spook to see that he was through. Chirac = Uses D-Day anniversary to extend olive branch to the Yanks. After all, in ‘44, we saved France’s derriere. Spelling Bee + America holds its breath while young Tidmarsh spells a-u-t-o-c-h-t-h-o-n-o-u-s. Beats watching hockey. Smarty Jones - The horse of destiny has the biggest choke since ‘64 Phillies. Serve him his cheese steak cold.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-23” author: “Roger Mosley”

CW Bush = White House 9/11 response was more chaotic than it let on. And who gave the shoot-down order? Cheney - Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he’s still selling Iraq-9/11 link. Put up or shut up. Clinton + Get ready for the biggest nostalgia tour since the Rolling Stones. But will anyone finish 957 pages of Bubbamania? Madonna = “Re-invention” ticket not so hot for Kabbalah devotee calling herself “Esther.” Oy vey! Pistons + A team without superstars eviscerates the pampered Hollywood now-has- beens. And no victory riot! Foul-ball guy - Former youth minister bowls over 4-year-old for a lousy horsehide. Next: Golf date with O.J.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-20” author: “David Leandry”

CW Bush - Long-awaited speech on Iraq exit specifics has few. And now he won’t even take questions from Repubs. Kerry = Finally comes out with coherent assault on Bush foreign policy. But he still needs some catchphrases. Gore = Strident tone of attack on Bush makes him look unhinged—but makes Kerry look more moderate and presidential. M. al-Sadr + Old: He and his followers must die! New: Candidate for high job in care-taker gov. Talk about U.S. flip-flops. Judy Miller - Though New York Times WMD “sorta culpa” didn’t name the reporters, she was the one duped by Chalabi and Co. Adriana - Mob fiancee gets whacked on “Sopranos” and will be exiled to “Friends” retread sitcom. Christo-fuuuuur!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-02” author: “Julie Gandolfi”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Joseph Sullivan”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Charles Atkins”

CW Bush + Poll bump proves it’s good to be steadfast no matter what the results. But will he blink before June 30 deadline? Kerry - So inept a spinner that even his stellar military record is tying him up in knots. P.S. What’s your message again? Iraq - A year after official war ends, refugee camps spring up with people avoiding the battle of Fallujah. Yikes. Tillman + Ex-NFL player KIA in Afghanistan. Gave up millions to serve his country. Our kids will read about him. Omarosa - Wacko “Apprentice” reject is Courtney Love of reality TV. Soon she’ll be downgraded to a trivia question. Tarantino + Old: “Kill Bill” split is has-been’s desperate bid. New: Boffo “Vol. 2” gives geek better revenge than the Bride’s.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-20” author: “Elijah Kellstrom”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-09” author: “Tammy Hawke”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-05” author: “Tamika Garst”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-29” author: “Kara Perkins”

CW Dean = BTE: Wins by five points and keeps front-runner status. WTE: Third place and sinking fast. Gephardt = BTE: A clear winner and still alive. WTE: Not even second place, and the lifelong dream ends. Kerry = BTE: Win makes him comeback kid of the cornfields. WTE: Behind Edwards and no mo going into N.H. Edwards = BTE: Mr. Positive surges into top two. WTE: Even his homestretch kick leaves him out of the money. Kucinich = BTE: Beats anyone and Ted Koppel apologizes. WTE: Leaves state without a date. Jacko - Turns child-molestation court appearance into grotesque pep rally. At least he didn’t dangle the baby.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Amy Frazier”

C.W. Dean = Harkin’s endorsement gives him street cred on the farm, but there’s nowhere to go but down. Clark + Wows big crowds in New Hampshire; new sweaters (no epaulets!) make the military option go down easier. Gephardt = Has the most labor troops in Iowa, but do they have the intensity to show up for a three-hour caucus? Kerry = After early fumbles the Gravitas Guy is finally finding his game, but the clock is running down. O’Neill = Ex-Treasury secretary says the president is totally disengaged from policy. The CW is shocked… shocked. Trump + You gotta hand it to the weird-haired ’80s vulgarian. In schlock-obsessed world, he’s still king of PR.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-11” author: “Olive Cross”

C.W. Ridge + Phew. Orange joins green and red for the holidays and we manage to sur- vive. But when will the next shoe drop? Ashcroft = Finally sees what was in Plame sight: He’s not the guy to investigate the CIA leak. Who’s nervous now? Clark + Old: Military guy can’t play the game. New: Deft positioning, solid fund- raising makes him Dean’s main rival. Beef Industry - Its lobbyists got it off the hook for inspections, and look what happened. Turkey burgers for these turkeys! CBS - Tries to finesse $1M payment for “60 Min.” interview with alleged molester. Bottom line: They’re in bed with Jacko. BCS - Wasn’t this college-football system set up to avoid double champions? Play it safe and pick Trojans.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Sheila Ziego”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-03” author: “Sally Dietrich”

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-23” author: “Kathy Rodriguez”

CW Bush = Finally good job numbers. But burned Americans are gruesome reminder that Iraq mission is far from accomplished. White House - Why reluctance to hand over Clinton papers? Why does prez need veep with him in 9/11 testimony? Fallujah - The moderates there think Americans shouldn’t be mutilated—only killed. And there’s nothing we can do. Kozlowski = Good news: Weirdness in jury room gets him a mistrial. Bad news: Next time prosecutors will do better. Microsoft = Pays $1.6 billion to settle with Sun, then joins forces with the company that calls its products “hairballs.” ‘The Simpsons’ - Old: Animation is gold mine—cartoon characters can’t go on strike. New: But their voices can. Doh!

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-03” author: “Samantha Curry”

CW Kerry - Bush attacks taking toll in polls. And responds humorlessly after snowboarding collision. Lighten up. Cheney = Whacks Kerry as weak on defense. But McCain says it’s a bum rap. That’s two Vietnam vets versus a deferment man. Iraq war - A year later, time to admit mistakes and work together to make the best out of a bad situation. Don’t bet on it. Spanish voters = Justifiably angry at Aznar, but give terrorists an inadvertent victory. Solution: Spanish troops hunt bin Laden. Scalia - Refuses to recuse self from chum Cheney case, using “we were never in the same duck blind” defense. Lame. J. Kelley - USA Today star cited by bosses for gross fabrications. Jack: Please don’t make it worse with a Blairesque book.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-21” author: “Thomas Wolfe”

CW

Bush = It’s hard to get back on track when you’re fixated on staying the course. But gets points for consistency. Rove - In N.Y., says liberals coddled bin Laden post-9/11. Get real, Karl–all Dems backed Afghan war. Durbin - Ill. Sen. weepily half-apologizes for stupid comparison of Gitmo to Nazis, Soviet, Pol Pot. One more distraction. Santorum - Penn Sen. rips Durbin for lame apology–just after his comparison of liberals to Nazis. Heal thyself, Rick. Cruise - “Dr. Tom” gives Lauer manic lecture on shrinks and mental-health drugs. CW liked him better in “Cocktail.” Spurs + Forget the Alamo—Duncan, Ginobili et al. win third NBA title and hardly anyone notices. Boo-hoo.

The CW is not NEWSWEEK’s opinion, but an informal distillation of the ever-changing thinking of Beltway pundits and the chattering classes.

title: “Conventional Wisdom” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Winter West”

ON the heels of Utah coal disaster, Bush admin greenlights ‘mountaintop mining’ to wreck environment. Nice crowd.

Bush Old take: Don’t dare compare Iraq to Vietnam. New: Reason to fight on—we should have stayed in Vietnam.

Warner Va. GOP senator breaks ranks with Bush, and wants some troops home by Xmas. Is he a surrender monkey, too?

Maliki Beltway Brahmins want his head, but replacing Iraq P.M. won’t solve anything. Remember Vietnam?

Rove Departing divisive “architect” gets razzed even from righties. So much for permanent GOP majority.

Spitzer GOP-paid dirty trickster harassed N.Y. governor’s elderly dad, lancing the boil of Eliot’s own trickery. Bizarre.

M. Vick No amount of scrambling lets QB avoid the blitz that came from his dogfighting misbehavior. All-Madden?