STEPHEN COHEN: Short term, we should make a special effort, send the vice president, send another senior official to meet with Pakistani politicians, not just with Musharraf, but the politicians, and tell the army that, this time, there should be a reasonably free election.

right’o. geezus…

Oddly, Cohen’s suggestion of Cheney as emissary demanding “reasonably free elections” is a skill, the implementing of which, deadeye has experience with.

To prevent the violence from spreading, the government ordered an almost complete shutdown of services. Officials suspended much train service, and most domestic flights. Gas stations across the country were closed, making it virtually impossible to make long journeys by car. Roads were closed around city centers, and television and Internet services were shut down or operated only sporadically in most cities.

CNN national security analyst Ken Robinson, who worked in U.S. intelligence in Pakistan during the Clinton administration, said he suspects Bhutto’s enemies are attempting to control her legacy by minimizing the attack’s role in her demise.

“They’re trying to deny her a martyr’s death, and in Islam, that’s pretty important,” Robinson said.

We are so out of our depth here, culturally speaking.

Now that the Big Tuna will be swimming with the ‘Fins, it will be more interesting. We can start with a compare and contraste quiz of Pat’s coaches, Mr. P and Mr. B.

and, as for OT, Friday is Football talk day, ain’t it.
I have to go as well.