It took me an amazingly long time to understand that Bush and Co. were using 9/11 politically. I thought they were wrong-headed, misguided and incompetent, but wrapping my head 'round the idea that they would take one of the worst days in our collective memories and use it for their own ends took me forever. Even now my brain looks for alternatives, that they actually think that the neo-con plan is the way to deal with terrorism. Some in the administration might. But others, like Cheney, have dollar signs in their eyes -- cha-ching! That's so entirely heinous, it's almost inconceivable. It's positively Unamerican.

I agree with your assessment of how Kerry's mind was working. I've read the speech he gave on the Senate floor. I've read the accounts of what he was doing and how he was feeling right after 9/11. I've read his book on international terrorism from 1997, where he practically predicts an event like 9/11. This was a serious subject for him, one he's been focused on forever. And he was very, very angry after 9/11. And so he chose to believe the president would do the right thing and believe the evidence they were shown that even we didn't get to see.

I don't think he'll ever make that mistake again.

I think Kerry could understand Nixon-style corruption. But this administration is so insanely past anything Nixon ever dreamed about it boggles the mind.

As I've said, Kerry was in some ways a sleeping giant. And now they've gone and woken him. Not a good idea, that. It's not a fast process. It appears from his usual pattern he has to work his way into these things step by step, fighting through normal channels first, then building.

I put no stipulations on what I expect Kerry to do. The dude's smarter than I am, and knows way more than I do, so who am I to say he should be doing one thing or another. I expect him to be active. And I will be watching with interest. For though I'm no giant, I'm awake now too.