Required Reading

Krauthammer:

Of course the terrorists want Bush defeated. How can anyone pretend otherwise?

Why are we collectively nervous about terrorism as the election approaches? Because, as everyone knows, there are terrorists out there who would dearly love to hit us before the election. Why? To affect it. What does that mean? Do they want to affect it randomly?

Of course not. We know the terrorists’ intent and strategy. We saw it on display in Spain, where a spectacular terrorist attack three days before the national election set off the chain of events that brought down a government that had allied itself with the United States. The attack worked perfectly. Within weeks Spain had withdrawn its troops from Iraq.

Meanwhile, Kerry already promises we’ll be out of Iraq in 2008, if he’s elected. If that’s his timetable as a candidate, how little violence would it take to – ah – persuade President Kerry to turn tail even faster?

NOTE: Actually, I already know the answer to that question, but I’m saving it for a Kerry Victory column I’m keeping on standby, just in case. And it’s not as scary as you might think.