Words of wisdom issued from New York governor George Pataki recently, documented in a NY Times article of March 26 titled "Pataki Has Shifted Focus From Budget to All War, All the Time." Written by James C. McKinley Jr., who covers politics in the state capital, the piece details how since the war on Iraq started ". . . the governor's public agenda has been devoted almost entirely to the war and his administration's steps to prevent terrorist attacks." Clearly Pataki is riding the tide of political opportunism. It hardly even needs to be said, but: "Like the president, Mr. Pataki has repeatedly linked the war to the Sept. 11 attacks, despite scant evidence that Saddam Hussein was directly involved."

Yes, yes. Blah blah blah. Business as usual. Tell me something new. Pataki did get one thing right, though. The man said: "Don't allow those who would take away our freedom to do that by the use of fear."