London bawling: conservative reactions to the bombings offer a case study in wing-nuttery: protect Bush and emphasize state terrorism (so we can invade someone new!).

IF IT'S TRUE THAT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, LIKE QUICK-dry cement, usually hardens within 48 hours of an event--think of the January 1998 Lewinsky revelations and the immediate pronouncements that the matter would lead to impeachment--the reactions to the July 7 London terrorist bombings provide a case study in how the right seeks to use an incident, even a tragic one, to advance an agenda that events have already proven wrong, if not disastrous.

The intersection of the ever-faster news cycle, unprecedented partisan polarization, summer-vacation schedules, and national-security ...

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