TWIN DISASTER. I'm glad to see that someone is willing to say out loud what we're all thinking: the Bush twins sucked. Frankly, I was wondering if they were drunk. Slate's Julia Turner writes:

Toward the end of the debacle, Jenna, who has slightly better timing than her sister, explained what they were doing on stage: "You know all those times when you're growing up and your parents embarrass you? Well, this is payback time, on LIVE TV." Was it ever.

Yes, they're just 22. But they're young for their age. It looks like they take after Dad, who by his own admission didn't grow up until he turned 40. I'd just as soon we all went back to "respecting their privacy" - if only they'll let us.

TRICKY DUBYA. Greater Boston's John Carroll is back writing his "Campaign Journal." He's got a good one today on Arnold Schwarzenegger's high praise for George W. Bush as a worthy heir to ... Richard Nixon. That was one of last night's weirder moments, and I'm surprised it didn't engender more comment.

Certainly Bill O'Reilly understands that the comparison isn't exactly welcome. On Monday, when former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld opined that John Kerry would probably defeat Bush "on points" in the presidential debates, but that Bush would come off as more human, O'Reilly immediately sought to cast Kerry as Nixon, and Bush as - yes! - John F. Kennedy.

Heavy sink the shoulders upon which the mantle of Richard Nixon rests.

ISN'T IT GREAT THAT WE'RE WEENIES? Altercation has already pointed to it, but you must see today's edition of ABC's "The Note," which congratulates Republican spinmeisters for the media's supine behavior in New York. The Note-sters gush that Karl Rove and company "[p]layed the press perfectly." Which could only happen if reporters were looking to be played.