Free Republic

WASHINGTON – For the first time, Earth has a regular orbiting eye-in-the-sky spying on the solar system's smallest and strangest planet, Mercury. NASA's spacecraft called Messenger successfully veered into a pinpoint orbit Thursday night after a 6 1/2-year trip and 4.9 billion miles and tricky maneuvering to fend off the gravitational pull of the sun. It is the fifth planet in our solar system that NASA has orbited, in addition to the Earth and the moon.

The long knives have been unsheathed, and Donald Rumsfeld’s back targeted. One of the most capable, energetic, intelligent, determined and articulate public servants in the history of the American Republic is under fire for not being omniscient and infallible, and for using an Auto-Pen to sign letters of condolence to the families of those killed in action. A classic orchestrated PR offensive is underway, bearing all the signs of the customary collaboration among the Usual Suspects in the capital’s media-political universe. Things were getting scary for the opponents of George W. Bush. Not only did he win a smashing electoral...