Hello Ladies,

Again, I am getting thoroughly over-excited about the American elections - don't worry, I will go back to my more usual fare soon.

I have just read on the dear old BBC that Donald Rumsfeld has fallen on his sword to take the heat off his boss.  I suppose someone had to do it and there would have been no use in Dubya using the White House housekeeper as the fall guy for the mid-term election debacle.

Mr Rumsfeld made a short 'resignation' speech in which he quoted Winston Churchill.  He said -

"I have benefited greatly from criticism, and at no time have I suffered a lack thereof, "

Damn right, Mr R - but is the quote from Churchill really necessary? didn't you have an inkling that you might be out on your backside before now? didnt you have time to make up your own bit of wit?  After all, as the great Churchill said 'all my best off the cuff comments have been worked on for hours beforehand'.

Stung by this inappropriate use of a great war leader's funnies, I consulted a Churchill expert whose view was that of course, the great man's witticisms should be available to all - but that he would like to point out one great difference between Mr Rumsfeld and Mr Churchill - Churchill won the war.

Ah well, life goes on and Dubya hopes to appoint Mr Robert Gates as his next Sec of State for Defence.  Is this wise? Portia asks, seeing as Mr Gates got his hands rather dirty during the Iran-Contra affair and Nicaragua has just re-elected Daniel Ortega?  If I were Mr Ortega, I would buy a dog with a loud bark and make sure that Mrs Ortega always carries a brick in her handbag.

In the words of the song 'there may be trouble ahead....'

(for a quick background on the Iran Contra Affair see here  )

Portia