COUNTER-POINT (Sweet Smell)

It's not success we're smelling but spin, which smells a lot like the alternative fuel source that Tina Turner used in the Thunderdome.

It's too tiresome to go through all of these, but let's take some batting practice:

- The Surplus Issue: He inherited one quarter of negative growth. His first quarter was the second quarter of negative growth which forms a recession. In addition to the Fed's suppression of interest rates, Bush's tax cuts helped to stimulate spending and limit the scope of the recession. The burst of the Tech bubble could have been substantially worse, and the markets never corrected themselves entirely. The engagement of our military on several fronts would have taken place with or without Bush, hence the need for more military spending. Given the circumstances of his Presidency, it's fair to say that Bush has done an estimable job of keeping America from a greater economic slide.

- Gas prices: When adjusted for inflation, gas prices are actually $.10 lower than they were 25 years ago. Go back to WWII and see what you find. This is always a stalwart rhetorical trick, and it's nice to see it dusted off.

- The Allies: Granted, this is where Bush is the most vulnerable. The status of our diplomatic ties with other countries is far from good, but our allies have hardly been driven away. Friends have disagreements, and both Germany and France have clearly asserted that this is merely a strong disagreement in the course of a stronger friendship. Neither country has stopped considering us an ally or removed any of the major benefits of their friendship. China's the one that counts anyway, and they haven't even blinked as we've set about in Iraq.