Tim Russert used his Today show appearance this morning to paint a bleak tour d'horizon of Bush foreign policy, expressing the fond wish - in guise of a question - that the American people might come to their senses and throw the bums out at the mid-term elections.

Interviewed by co-host Campbell Brown, Russert first asked: "What's the end game? The concern among Republicans I've talked to is how are the American people viewing this? Is this blind allegiance to Israel or is this standing by the only ally we have in the region? They don't know how much longer there will be patience with the American people."

Russert later made the electoral connection, after casting matters in their darkest light. Rather than speaking of nascent democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the current opportunity to defang Hezbollah, Russert portrayed things this way:

"In Palestine it was Hamas who won the election. In Iraq, we have a Shi'ite regime in Iraq right now that refuses to say the Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. This is a regime that is in power because of us toppling Saddam Hussein. What will we get in Lebanon? Will the new government be more extreme than the old government?"

He then put in his not-so-subtle boost for the blue team at the ballot box: "And what does that mean to the American people when they look at the world? Does that mean they say, 'this is George Bush taking on the war on terror', or do they say 'this is a chaotic world we need to change something, we need to send a message'? The mid-term elections could really be quite interesting, based on this."

We get it, Tim. Send a message - Vote Democrat!

—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.