LET'S ROLL!

With those words, George W. Bush concluded his address to the nation tonight, adopting the rallying cry of Todd Beamer, one of the heroes of Flight 93.

Whether it was his handlers and speechwriters who thought of it, or possibly even Bush's own instinct, it was a brilliant, Reaganesque moment of Great Communicating. A crowd-pleasing memorable moment. The man sure can read a teleprompter, I'll give him that.

But didn't that Gipperesque turn also make you cringe just a little bit? I mean -- honestly -- can anyone imagine for a moment that Bush himself, had he been aboard that doomed plane, would have been the one to lead the charge against the hijackers as bravely and selflessly as Todd Beamer?