The saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

That all said, Gang W really seem to be getting it in recent days, I must say. First, W calls for across the board spending cuts, at least to pay for Katrina. A bit late, and probably not enough, but a start, IMO.

Then, today, Harriet Miers "withdraws" from consideration from the Supremes. While she had more qualifications than Diana Ross, it actually seemed to get through the bunker at 1600 PA Ave. that that job was a bit too important to give to W's consiglieri.

Psst, psst. Karl? Andy? Dick? Has it dawned on yall that announcing a pull out of Iraq would be one smooth move in the coming weeks?

If so, things at Compound W might become a bit more hopeful. In the continuum of Truman (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Korea) to Coolidge (peace and freedom), Bush might even reverse his slide toward being Trumanesque. Sure, he doesn't begin to approach Silent Cal in the pantheon, but let it never be said that amends can't be made.

Oh, yes, I won't be fooled again! But, still....

-Robert Capozzi