The kids worked very, very hard.

Meanwhile, parents, students and teachers all report higher satisfaction with charter schools. People like them. They cost less money. They raise the academic achievement of poor kids. Go ahead, get a little enthused.

Let me make this clear: I didn't want a fight. What I wanted from President Bush was a nominee about whom, win or lose, we could all be proud. Instead, turning to His Girl Harriet, President Bush for once thought small. And that means, on this one President Bush is already a loser.

Mothers are the people who love us for no good reason. And those of us who are mothers know it's the most exquisite love of all.

I'd like to take this opportunity to again apologize to my readers for an oversight in not disclosing that I had done a small amount of work for the government in my specialty.

But the real truth is that it never occurred to me,