If the administration really is softening up on some of these issues, it's only because they feel they have to in order to get voter support. Still, the pragmatist in me will take it, if indeed that's what's happening.

The question is whether or not this will be maintained once Bush wins this year's election. After all, he and his team can do whatever the fuck they want once they don't have to give a shit about what voters think, and by then it will be too late for us to do anything about it. Not like we would if we could, though, seeing as how we'll have already fucked up the election at that point.