Bush on Tenet
Tenet's gone as CIA Director.
Strike #1: Woops! How did India and Pakistan get those nuclear weapons?
Strike #2: September 11, 2001
Strike #3: Don't worry. The case for weapons of mass destruction is a "slam dunk!"

In his typical, artful way as the nation's chief wordsmith, the President had this to say:

"George Tenet is the -- is the kind of public service you like -- servant you like to work with. He's strong. He's resolute. He served his nation as the director for seven years. He has been a strong and able leader at the agency. He's been a -- he's been a strong leader in the war on terror. And I will miss him."

Right or wrong, I have no problem chalking this up to the Al Gore speech. By all accounts, Tenet is a conscientious capable guy (separating him from the others on the Bush team), and I'd like to think that Al's scolding shamed him into quitting. Oh, no, sorry. He wants to spend more time with his family. And here I thought it was because his agency's failures have thrown the whole world into a tailspin. Will the Gore spanking bring down anyone else in the next few weeks? I'm predicting the only other one to go before November will be Ashcroft. That will be the Rove effect, not the Gore effect.