THE TERGIVERSATION OF BARACK OBAMA

PARIS -- A friend of mine, Don Singleton, a talented writer of impeccable liberal soul, sent me a note last Tuesday -- if e-mail can be called a "note" -- saying this:

"I got a mass e-mail from the Obama campaign today, thanking me for my support and offering to sell me, for $5, a chance to be backstage with him briefly before or during his acceptance speech. Instead of buying a ticket, I unsubscribed from the list. In the box asking for the reason for unsubscribing, I wrote, 'Tergiversation.' Not a word one gets to use every day."

I had a few thoughts about that:

Now I know why Barack Obama is planning on giving his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in a football stadium rather than the convention hall. Don won't be there, but I would guess about 30,000 people are going to accept that invitation. ...