Back in June, The New York Times reported that the GOP was hoping the cornerstone of the new World Trade Center could be laid during the Republican convention. I thought maybe I was being a tad hyperbolic when I said at the time, "I put nothing past these people. A Bush acceptance speech at Ground Zero, delivered via bullhorn?" Then in December a New York Times story about the Republicans' plans to have a lot of razzle-dazzle at the convention referred to their "intention of not holding events at ground zero." So it seemed that even the GOP has limits.

Or do they? Today The Hill quotes a source who's also talking about convention razzle-dazzle:

The source, a veteran official of past GOP conventions, said the 50,000 delegates, dignitaries and guests would watch off-site events on giant TV screens. "Now, we'll go to the deck of the USS Intrepid as the U.S. Marine Corps Band plays the national anthem," he said, pretending that he was playing the part of the convention chairman.

"Or, and this is a real possibility, we could see President Bush giving his acceptance speech at Ground Zero," he added. "It's clearly a venue they're considering."

So what do you think? Bullhorn or no bullhorn? Not for the whole speech, of course -- just for the inevitable climactic moment when he moves the crowd to paroxysms of ecstasy by declaring, "I can hear you."

(Hill link via Pandagon.)