The subscription-only Publishers Lunch is reporting that "former head of the Defense Policy Board Richard Perle and former Bush speechwriter David Frum's book on what's next in the war on terrorism" will be published by Random House in January 2004.

OK, let me venture a guess: Just in time for the Iowa caucuses, just as the Democrats are naively hoping that they'll be able to run a presidential campaign on domestic issues, along will come this book announcing the Bushies' war agenda for '04. (Yes, I realize that Frum and Perle are ex-employees. I don't think that matters.) The media will, as usual, act as the GOP's echo chamber. A perfect product rollout will take place, and we will talk about nothing but Evil Antichrist Assad or Evil Antichrist Kim or the Evil Antichrist Iranian mullahs from January through election day. Any attempt to change the subject to Social Security or deficits will be met with snickers.

Just a hunch.

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And speaking of '04, tomorrow's New York Times is reporting this:

President Bush's advisers have drafted a re-election strategy built around staging the latest nominating convention in the party's history, allowing Mr. Bush to begin his formal campaign near the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks....

The convention, to be held in New York City, will be the latest since the Republican Party was founded in 1856, and Mr. Bush's advisers said they chose the date so the event would flow into the commemorations of the third anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.

...Mr. Bush's advisers said they were wary of being portrayed as exploiting the trauma of Sept. 11, a perception that might be particularly difficult to rebut as Mr. Bush shuttles between political events at Madison Square Garden and memorial services at ground zero....

ARE THESE PEOPLE UTTERLY INCAPABLE OF SHAME?