The Bush administration’s legacy when it comes to many topics (especially those in any way related to the Middle East), can best be described as: Bad ideas, poorly executed.

Need yet another example? Take a look at the output of Alhurra – America’s Troubled Effort to Win Middle East Hearts and Minds .

This project has is all. Flawed thinking. Poor planning. Lack of expertise. Terrible performance. Tons of dough down the tubes. Embarrassing and damaging outcomes. General suckage.

Here’s one thing I don’t understand about the Yahoo story and the way its being covered.

The storyline, for past two years or more, has been that Yahoo supposedly sucked because the executives and high profile employees at Yahoo just couldn’t get it together and kept getting beat (often badly) by Google.

In the past couple of weeks, the storyline has been that Yahoo sucks because so many of these executives and high-profile employees are leaving the company.

How can both of these storylines be true?

Fifty years ago, a couple dudes named Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melin came out with a product called the Hula Hoop. Two months later, they had sold about twenty five million of them and that was just the beginning. As the fad began to slow, Knerr followed up the Hula Hoop with the discovery of the Frisbee. Knerr and Melin’s company, Wham-o, also marketed such hits at Silly String, the Slip N’ Slide, Hacky Sacks, and the Super Ball.

So imagine one of these guys at a dinner party. Someone comes up and starts a conversation.

“So, you’re in the toy business. Come up with any products I might have heard of?”

Am I addicted to the coverage of every (positive) detail about Tim Russert’s life because his death hit me hard or because there is so much coverage of his death that the coverage itself (a five day, almost nonstop funeral so far) is what’s hitting me hard?

I think I know the answer to that question. But I’m not sure whether that answer is coming from my brain or my brain after several days of coverage.

All that said, I am getting back to the Russert story.

About how many innocent people have been held at Guantanamo for several years?

Wait, don’t answer. First, think of what number would get you to think that yes, the Supreme Court is right, we need to give these detainees the right to hear the charges against them, etc.

100?

50?

2?

Could be dozens. Could be hundreds.

What’s the magic number that would mean America should act like America?