From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process, sausage-making and policy-making shouldn't be seen close-up. Don't let that panic you. Things may be going better than they look from the inside.

The dead-enders are still with us, those remnants of the defeated regimes who'll go on fighting long after their cause is lost.

Within a week, or a month, Saddam could give his WMD to al-Qaeda.

In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.

The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House.

First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If you run, you may lose. And, if you tie, you do not win.

Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive.