I almost feel sorry for President Bush. Almost. His approval ratings are lower than a sow’s belly—29% according to a recent Harris poll. One of his best buds, Karl Rove, may soon be indicted for his role in the CIA leak case. His CIA director, Porter Goss, bailed on him. His nominee to replace Goss, current NSA director Michael Hayden, has a tough row to hoe to gain Congressional approval, what with all the stink about the NSA amassing a massive database of Americans’ phone calls. Mr. Bush is under fire for authorizing such, as well. I have little doubt that the Prez wishes he were back home in Crawford, out on his lake reeling in a perch instead of…well, just reeling.

However, since he’s still got some 981 days left in his Presidential sentence, he’s fighting the good fight and defending his administration. Just yesterday, in his weekly radio address, he touted General Hayden and sought to justify the ever-widening NSA “Terrorist Surveillance Program.� As usual, he used 9/11 to make his case and inferred that the Clinton Administration was largely to blame, noting how “our government failed to connect the dots in the years before the attacks of September the 11th.� Not to harp on the President’s hackneyed speechifying but I believe that complex issues such as terrorism and national security perhaps deserve comparison to something a tad more profound than a preschooler’s puzzle. I would not take him to task for making such an analogy were he less fond of employing the cliché. It turns out that, since the New York Times first broke the story in December about the NSA conducting warrantless domestic surveillance, Mr. Bush has talked of the need to “connect the dots� in at least a dozen different speeches or press conferences, including his State of the Union address. In every instance, he was defending either the Patriot Act or the NSA surveillance program. On January 25, during a visit to NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, the President said:

“The 9/11 Commission made clear, in this era of new dangers we must be able to connect the dots before the terrorists strike so we can stop new attacks. And this NSA program is doing just that. General Hayden has confirmed that America has gained information from this program that would not otherwise have been available. This information has helped prevent attacks and save American lives.�

I do so love when the Prez makes such presumptive inferences, particularly when he need not offer evidence. He might as well claim that lining his shorts with aluminum foil has prevented terrorist attacks on his manhood. Who can prove him wrong? In any regard, again and again the case is made for having to connect the dots. A search of the White House website reveals some 50 results for the phrase. Lord only knows how many other times Mr. Bush has spoken of such (and the Lord should know since He allegedly “speaks through� the President). It is dumbfounding. Or just plain dumb. Nonetheless, it is high time to retire this tired ol’ cliché. Someone should help the Commander-in-Chief out.

I know!! This is a case for Crypto Cat and Decipher Dog, two of the many lovable characters featured on the NSA’s kids’ page (here). Like many a government agency or department, the NSA has a section of its website devoted to kids, offering games, activities, and information. For a list of such sites—which include the White House, CIA, FBI, FEMA, and many others—check out Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids. (Warning: some links are no longer active.) You, too, can connect the dots and help to keep our democracy strong…at least for a little while longer.