Oops! My bad. Meant to post this great little piece of writing about "writing the eulogy" from the Detroit Free Press:

Published: December 29. 2006 3:00AM
Brian Dickerson
BRIAN DICKERSON: Ford eulogy challenges Bush's speechwriters

It was 7 a.m. when Tinker joined the other two-thirds of the president's speechwriting team in the conference room outside the office of Communications Director Kevin Sullivan.

Evers and Chance were already sprawled in front of their laptops at opposite ends of the oblong table. Tinker chose a point midway between them to set down his own MacBook.

"Eulogy for a dead president," he announced, foregoing post-holiday banter in favor of the task at hand. "Nice guy, remembered fondly by Americans of every race, color and creed. No skeletons or dark shadows. Most unpopular decision he ever made vindicated by history, and even Ted Kennedy ends up giving him an award."

"Piece o' cake," Tinker concluded grandly, taking his seat and a long sip of his grande latte.

"Fish in a barrel," Evers agreed, stifling a yawn. "This one writes itself."

Only Chance seemed troubled as he stared intently at his laptop screen.

"You seen this interview Ford gave to Bob Woodward before he died?" he asked his partners.

Houston, we have a problem

"No," Evers admitted. "Why? Does he mention the boss?"

"The boss, Cheney and Rumsfeld," Chance answered gloomily. "Basically calls them the Three Stooges, though not in so many words."

"I don't believe it," Tinker said defiantly. "&$%# Woodward! He's always making up deathbed stuff and publishing it after the source isn't around to dispute it."

"The interview with Ford was taped," Chance observed. "You can hear it on the Post's Web site."

"*&#$ Woodward!" Tinker repeated.

"So Ford didn't like the decision to invade Iraq," Evers said. "Who did? Now that you mention it, what sane person still thinks invading Iraq was a good idea?"

"Shhhhhhh!" Tinker hissed. "The vice president is in the building!"

"All I'm saying," Evers said, "is that it's hardly a news flash that a lot of smart people think Iraq was a big blunder. Ford's only the latest ex-president to chime in."

"Yeah, but we can hit back against Clinton and Carter," Tinker observed. "Tougher to call Ford a pantywaist, especially at his own funeral."

Bucking the tide

"So we acknowledge that the boss's decision to go to war has gone down poorly with voters," Chance said, pausing dramatically. "Just like Ford's decision to pardon Nixon!"

"Do what's right for the country!" Evers said, brightening. "Public opinion be damned!"

"Ford and W: Two peas in a pod!" Tinker chimed in.

"Now you're cooking with gas," Chance said approvingly. "The boss can acknowledge Ford's criticism of the invasion. But he also can insist that if Ford had been president in 2002, looking at the same intelligence the boss had, Ford would have made the same decision to go to war."

"Interesting," Tinker said. "But will anybody really believe that?"

"The boss might," Chance ventured. "Isn't that all that really matters?"