Monday, September 06, 2004

Stiff Upper Lip & Lower Appendage Today, on his 30th birthday, the surprising Tim Henman has turned in his best showing ever at the US Open, advancing to the quarterfinals. He may never thrill the home town London fans by winning Wimbledon, but he's having his best Grand Slam year, reaching the semifinals at the French Open and the quarters at Wimbledon. Henman, now ranked number five in the world, has modest physical attributes that are overshadowed by the game's many power players.  The secret of his success is a Churchillian tenacity that a poseur like Bush can't match. What goes through Henman's mind when he takes the court against some fearsome opponent?  It must be something like this: "We shall fight on the beaches . . . we shall fight on the grass courts of Wimbledon. . . we shall fight on the clay courts of the French Open. . . we shall fight on the hard courts of the U.S. Open . . . " 4:22:37 PM

No More Years According to the Clinton Foundation's web site, he has received over 30,000 get-well messages after his successful heart bypass surgery. None of them is likely to be from the Republicans who tormented him  throughout his time in office and eventually impeached him. But they should be thankful for small things: a) The curtailment or elimination of his campaigning for Kerry from now on, and b) The 22nd amendment to the Constitution: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice . . . If not for that Constitutional limitation, Clinton would likely be running for his fourth term, and would be the overwhelming favorite to win -- in contrast to the ineffectual Democratic candidacies of Dukakis, Gore and Kerry. Of course, the Democrats may be feeling the same way about Bush in 2008. 11:34:28 AM