Bin Laden Elects Bush

OK, perhaps a tad strong, but I simply do not see how this development helps John Kerry. Despite the claim that the winner of the election will not determine America's security, bin Laden explicitly makes it personal between George Bush and himself. (And the bit about the girl and her goat was a nice touch, you gotta admit.)

The Bush administration need only tacitly and calmly ask Americans who do they stand with, Bush or bin Laden? Can the White House screw this up between now and Tuesday? Absolutely. Reach too far or protest too hard on the Tora Bora issue, and voters may catch a whiff of grandstanding.

But Kerry can only watch from the sidelines, it seems.