Doug Ross @ Journal

Oh, that  nutjob with nuclear missiles

The arithmetic is simple, yet terrifying. A madman preparing for the apocalypse + nuclear weapons + a blinding hatred for the United States, the U.K., and Israel. That equals the situation with Iran as it stands today. Michelle Malkin points to Clayton Cramer's net net:

I do wish that the left would get over their hatred of Bush, the Republican Party, and the United States long enough to notice that there is something a lot worse out there to be concerned about -- people and ideas that make Jerry Falwell look like an ACLU member, and Pat Robertson look sensible.

On the Hugh Hewitt program, Fred Barnes weighed in with his usual Beltway-insider-but-playing-it-close-to-the-vest take:

HH: When the cone of silence comes down around Bushies, are they talking about dealing unilaterally with Iran? Can they do so after the Democratic attack on their credibility? FB: I think at the end of the day, they're relying on Israel to attack the nuclear facilities of the Iranians, and do enough damage to set back the nuclear program of the Iranians for five to ten years. And I think that's wrong. This is something that the big powers, namely the U.S., have to deal with. But it may be up to Israel at the end of the day.

Just like clockwork, AFP chimed in today with this somewhat chilling report:

MADRID (AFP) - Israel will not allow "a totalitarian" Iran which exports international terrorism to have a nuclear capability, Israeli President Moshe Katsav said in a newspaper interview. "It would be the first step for atomic bombs to fall into the hands of terrorists of the (Shiite fundamentalist movement) Hezbollah, the (Islamist) Hamas or Al-Qaeda for example... We don't have a conflict of interest with Iran, we don't have a common border but we cannot allow a totalitarian country which exports international terrorism to have a nuclear capability..."

Recall, if you will, last year's news reports that the US sold Israel 100 of its GBU-28 "Bunker Busters". These 4,400 pounders can rip through twenty feet of reinforced concrete or about 100 feet of earth.

Ruh roh. Repeat after me. Oil. Futures.