London Calling Ahead

Fellow New Yorker Julia hits it out of the park with this observation (and remembrance of things past) about the (shall we say) propitious timing of the recent announcement of the thwarting of the purported terror plot involving U.S. bound airliners from Britain.
It seems that British and American officials were in a most heated debate about when and whether to “pull the trigger” and announce the interception and thwarting of the current plot. The British officials noted that many of the perpetrators weren’t ready; passports hadn’t been obtained, for example, among numerous other logistical issues. Further, the British believed that the highjackers “dry run” would provide valuable (and critical) additional evidence of their activities.
The American government, it seems, was more interested in having something major to announce, regardless of the consequences to, well, anything. It’s not like we haven’t seen this sort of thing before; we appear to have seen it, without exception, every single time the legendary threat level color coding system was changed from yellow to orange (and back again, usually safely after key Republicans have prevailed in an election) and now, for the first time, the use of the vaunted threat level “Red” (albeit, a very limited use thereof.) Needless to say, the Bush Administration takes the war on terror very seriously: it has extraordinary propaganda value.
While Julia intimates that the timing of this announcement may have something to do with the Lamont-Lieberman primary, I tend to think that these things are better thought out than that. Besides, Lieberman doesn’t need Karl’s help (though he has been offered it.)
No, my feeling is that it’s simply August– not the month you roll out new products (as Andy Card once said), but the month of re-runs and promos and “kick-off classics” and so forth. A brief consultation of these items pulled at random from “the planning page” of Karl Rove’s daytimer will establish this:
August 2006
Announce thwarting of major terrorist plot in Europe
Renew warranty on President’s chain-saw equipment in Crawford
Prepare for major Presidential announcement on Middle East peace
September 2006
9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11
Prepare drafts of latest talking points re: Democrats weak on terror
Release of videotape from Al-Zawahiri promising jihad against West
October 2006
9-11 9-11 9-11
Release of videotape from bin Laden promising jihad against West
Buy Halloween costumes for Jenna and Not-Jenna
Call Diebold, to make sure “everything’s working”
November 2006
Call, visit Diebold (to make sure “everything’s working”)
December 2006
Buy CHRISTmas presents for Bob Luskin, Bill O’Reilly, Barb Bush
Rest assured, most of this stuff will happen regardless of other events and how they play out.