It's a matter of national security. Not only do we have to contemplate other natural events that could be of a similar scale of Katrina, but we also have to think of other manmade events.

President Bush will show that the math speaks for itself. The bottom line is that the Social Security system, in 13 years, will be taking in less money than it's paying out. We'll go into the red.

The fact of the matter is when our nation faces these type of emergencies, it unfortunately requires us to deficit spend. It's nothing that anybody in Washington, or anywhere for that matter, likes to do but it's necessary.

We're not going to question a convert on the day of his conversion, but we're glad Al Gore now agrees with Governor Bush's proposal to hold schools accountable for results.

I'm fascinated by power, especially veiled power. Shadow power. The National Security Agency. The National Reconnaissance Office. Opus Dei. The idea that everything happens for reasons we're not quite seeing.

It's a program to make sure that we connect the dots. It's not some sort of roving domestic spying program. It's a carefully tailored program to survey the enemy.