The republicans thought they had a whopper at news of Kerry's characterization of terrorism as a "nuisance," which is how it was generally reported, and spun. But here's the quote in context, and I think that if Kerry were to play it right, it could strike a cord: We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance. As a former law-enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life. Now, my purpose in this post is not to quibble with all the bullshit premises implied in the above that all reduce, essentially, to the notion that government should determine what values you hold and how they'll be managed throughout your course of life. But I agree with the general theme regarding how terrorism should be viewed; and who wouldn't? Yes, life is short, and wasting it...