FOR HOMELAND SECURITY-A PROOFREADER

The tragedy in Mumbai, India is still fresh, but we wonder if the lessons are. As president-elect Barack Obama said on "This Week," the first thing on his agenda when he wakes up every day is to "keep the American people safe." He's assembled a superb team, which we all do and by G-d should wish well, but that said, we've got the temerity to make a suggestion. And that is that there be a common sense proofreader much like the NYT has their Sunday "The Public Editor" section to review it's own performance. For example, had we had such a of group of "proofers" no doubt one would have said in August of 2001, "yeah, just why is it people are interested in learning how to steer planes but not how to land them?" The answer tragically was that they never intended to, but this is why you need self review. This is an approach the Bush folks resisted as much as they needed it, and if these proofers just catch one intelligence or governmental miss just one time, those that deserve it will get their just desserts. The proof will of course then be in the pudding.