IT ONLY TOOK IMMINENT DANGER TO HIS CHILDREN

Howard Fineman criticizes Bush, for being essentially AWOL on the sniper situation.

Dismiss this as special pleading if you want, but I have a question for the president as the sniper’s murder toll reaches 10 in our region and my kids are huddled indoors after school instead of being at Little League or tennis practice: Why in this crisis haven’t I heard more from you and seen more action from your crime-busting, terrorism-fighting White House? I know you addressed the topic, briefly, at a press conference with Robert Mueller of the FBI, but I thought providing “Homeland Security” is what your presidency is about.

Of course, as Newsweek points out, Karl Rove sees a political downside to Bush getting involved. Man of principle.