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Sometimes one must overreact to make a point when the holder of an opposing view refuses to pay attention. Thus "too harshly" may, in fact, be just harsh enough. Likewise, your generous characterization of media bias by the left as being an undercurrent is seemingly, to me, a riptide. A riptide may result in your eventual drowning if you struggle directly against it. If you swim as close to perpendicular to the tide as possible then it is more likely that you will regain the shore alive. Ann's book puts us perpendicular to the riptide by using its force to give us all a chance to regain the shore.

This is a terrific analogy and would be very useful when critics of President Bush's tactics complain that he is not 'doing enough.' Instead of butting heads with Daschle, et al, he is using their actions against them. A recent example - his reference to the waiver that Daschle gave to South Dakota forest managers resonated well with the President's audiences on the west coast .