LET'S RECONSIDER THE USE OF THE WORD "UNILATERAL"



John Miller over at The Corner reports that the United States has the support of 18 Europen nations when it comes to the question of action in Iraq. Here is the complete list:

Albania

Bugaria

Czech Republic

Croatia

Denmark

Estonia

Hungary

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Macedonia

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

United Kingdom

The word "unilateralist" almost exclusively refers to the French, now.

ON COLIN POWELL



I was late to work this morning because I found myself riveted to the TV and Colin Powell's presentation to the UN Security Council. While watching the Secretary of State, I was struck by two thoughts (one of which would cause much consternation among some staunch conservatives):



(1) Powell is a convincing, forceful, and persuasive speaker. When he introduced the first of two intercepted Iraqi phone calls, I noticed him pick up a glass of water. Steady as a rock under pressure.



(2) This man is Presidential material.



Now, I would share some of the reservations of many conservatives regarding a Powell presidency, not the least of which is his support for quota-like forms of affirmative action. That said, I think the Presidency could be his for the taking. He need only run (perhaps with Ms. Rice as his VP?).

SMALL EARTHQUAKE



We just had a small tremor here in San Francisco. My apartment swayed a bit, but otherwise nothing serious happened.



The culprit is seismic activity in the East Bay.

READ THE SPEECH



Bill Kristol, speaking on Fox News Sunday, made a very interesting obervation about the President's address to the nation. He noticed that the President never used the personal pronoun "I" during the address. Kristol also encouraged all Americans to read the speach, which can be read right here:

Remarks by the President on the Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia

The Cabinet Room







2:04 P.M. EST



THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.



On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.



In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more.



All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude of this country.



The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.



In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."



The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.



May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America.



END 2:08 P.M. EST

OUR FRIENDS THE FRENCH



Col. Ilan Ramon, a Payload Specialist on Columbia, had previously distinguished himself by participating in a 1981 Israeli attack on an Iraqi nuclear facility. The French built this facility. Keep this in mind when you hear the French "threaten" us with -- scary -- a UN veto.