Are the latest warnings just diversions from the latest Iraq news?  What's really new about terrorists targeting high profile events within the USA?  

And the point of the conventions -- besides being lightning rods?  No "news," delegates in stars and stripes stovepipe hats and photo ops of blacks and hispanics with "famous" white folk.  Tourist income for Boston and NYC negated by security costs.  No one watches unless they are political junkies or partisans.

Put the nominees and other party hoo-hahs in a studio and let them pontificate for ah hour or two on prime time, preaching to the converted.  If the conventions truly were a vital part of the process, they might be worth it. But it's all window dressing now.  And targets for both terrorists and our homegrown political operatives.

The BBC tonight presented a sobering story about the casualities arriving in Germany -- the faces and numbers of which are not available -- or newsworthy -- here at home.  And these kids want to go back -- mindswapping as part of basic training?