There's a saying along the lines that liberals will always oppose the use of US force - except where US security interests are not at stake.  The New York Times editorial of this morning, The Age of Impunity, provides a perfect case in point.

The central thesis is this:

"Bush has squandered so much of America’s moral authority — not to mention our military resources — that efforts to shame or bully the right behavior from adversaries (and allies) sound hollow."

Along the way, the Times recommends that Pres. Bush pander to the rogue regimes in Pyongyang and Tehran by making "a clear pledge — no caveats and no fingers crossed behind his back - that he would not try to overthrow" their governments.

But, after tacitly approving of Pres. Clinton's use of force in Kosovo, the Times flatly recommends force be considered in a place with no arguable US national security interests in play - Darfur.

The Gray Lady suggests that the president announce "that he was taking the lead on soliciting troops for a peacekeeping force while asking NATO to start drawing up plans for a possible forced entry should the United Nations fail to act."

Classic.

Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY. View webcasts of Mark's award-winning TV show 'Right Angle' here. Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net