Bush Bashing Corporation

These were the top two stories on Radio Four news yesterday morning.

A US court ruled that a US citizen held at Guantanamo comes under their jurisdiction.

A former US treasury secretary has given an unflattering account of his time under President George W Bush, including the money quote that "at cabinet meetings the president was like a blind man in a room full of deaf people".

In fact a reading of O'Neill's complaint increases my respect for Bush.

"I went in with a long list of things to talk about and, I thought, to engage [him] on," said Mr O'Neill recalling the first meeting.

"I was surprised it turned out me talking and the president just listening... It was mostly a monologue."

Can't win, can he ? He was 'just listening'. How awful.

And then, way down the news items, Bush's plan to establish a space station on the Moon and for a manned mission to Mars.

If this is a serious proposal (and if, as Howard Dean asked, they can afford it), this was the biggest story by far. It's thirty years since we left the Moon. When students in 2500 think of 1969, they won't think of Vietnam or Man City beating Leicester 1-0. They'll say 'Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins'.

I suppose it was ever thus.

Here is the news in Castilian for 1492. Your headlines tonight.

DONGG !

The Moors have been kicked out of Spain.

DONGG !!

So have the Jews.

and finally - some Genoese sailor has returned with a fantastic story about a New World.