Morning Report -- baseball, poetry, polls, etc.

Let's start with the World Series first.

Here's my poem of the day -- dedicated to the Cardinals and their fans. [I had been keeping this one in reserve to offer in homage to the Red Sox , upon whose demise I had relied]

Success is Counted Sweetest

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag to-day
Can tell the definition
So clear, of Victory

As he defeated —dying —
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!

- Emily Dickinson

As for the Red Sox, I'm conflicted. Yes, I'm still bitter because they demolished my beloved Angels and I wanted those freaks to lose, but here's my dilemma. It bothers me that they won because I wanted them to lose and feel pain after inflicting pain upon me and my team. Yet, there's some part of me that is happy to see them finally win because, while the Sox and their fans must be very happy today, it must hurt to realize that all this time there was no curse and that their team just really sucked for the last 86 years.

Moving on...

Hugh Hewitt weighs in today on the Qaqaagate missing weapons nonsense:

If Kerry had a shred of decency, he would apologize to the troops that passed through and searched the munitions complex. He doesn't, so he won't. But the American electorate will know. He could lose 45 states. Try spinning a savage and unmerited assault on the competence of the much beloved American military. Someone forgot to tell John Kerry that it isn't 1971, and the Genghis Khan stuff doesn't fly anymore.

Uh...that's "Jenjis", Hugh. Let's not forget. In a maaaaanner reminiiiiisccccent of Jjjjjjjjjenjjjis Khaaaaaaaannnn...ooooaaaaam...oaaaaam...attaching wiiiires from portable telephooones to hummmman ssssjjjjenitals....oaaaaam...oaaaaaam...

Sorry, I inadvertently slipped into my 1971 Jenjis John mantra...ahhh...I'm so calm and at peace now.

What else? Check out Realclearpolitics for the latest polls roundup. It just seems like Bush is always a little bit ahead in all the polls. It doesn't seem to change. I'm encouraged yet still only cautiously optimistic. Kerry seems to be really stumbling toward the finish line with his Al Qaqaa gaffe, his Mary Cheney gaffe and his wife's mom-bomb gaffe.

I think America will ante-up and kick-in on November 2 to support our president and our troops in the face of envious world scorn.

And God is in his heaven, all is right with the world.