Inside Washington: Biden says bombing must stop soon

THE TOP DEMOCRATIC lawmaker on foreign policy said Monday that unless the bombing of Afghanistan ends “sooner rather than later,” America risks looking like a “high-tech bully,” the Wilmington News Journal reports.

“Every moment it goes on, it makes the aftermath problems more severe,” said Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan group of foreign policy experts, Biden said he understands the bombing is required to help safeguard US special forces operations, and that requirement creates a difficult balance.

Biden stressed that, like most Democrats, he has supported President Bush — but the “honeymoon’ might get rockier soon.”

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Blame Hollywood

“THE WIDESPREAD booing of Sen. Hillary Clinton at Saturday night’s Madison Square Garden mega-benefit for the World Trade Center victims was regrettable — well, sort of — but hardly surprising,” the New York Post says.

“After all, New York police and firefighters were given prime seats for the all-star concert, and they remember all too well what the state’s junior senator has had to say about New York’s finest — pre-Sept. 11, that is.

“Her husband, the former president, also took his share of jeers from the crowd, which apparently considered him an inappropriate choice to deliver a tribute to heroism (or even speak of it).

“Once again, the booing was a little tacky — yet entirely understandable,” the newspaper said in an editorial.

“Besides which, we have to wonder: Why do the Hollywood types have to turn an event like this one into a celebration of Bill and Hillary?

“Miramax Films honcho Harvey Weinstein, who organized the concert with Paul McCartney, is one of the Clintons’ closest friends and was perhaps their biggest Hollywood benefactor — and his devotion to the former First Couple is legendary, as is his role as one of Tinseltown’s top Democrats.

“Which may also explain why Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle were featured — while not a single member of the Bush administration appeared, even by remote video.

“Even on a fabulous night like this one, the Hollywood types couldn’t leave their partisanship at home.

“How sad,” notes the Post.

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One tough month

ALMOST EVERY DAY on Capitol Hill, by unanimous consent, leave of absence is granted to one or more congressmen who, for whatever reason, feel they must be excused from conducting the business of the nation.

Some lawmakers have appointments to keep; others, speeches to give; some catch the flu, while many experience airline flight delays. But the most legitimate excuse for a sudden leave of absence thus far this congressional session has to go to Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama, who — as was announced on the House floor — high-tailed it out of Washington “on account of his house catching on fire.”

“Everything is fine,” a spokesman for Rep. Aderholt told us Wednesday.