The Silver Lining

In a departure from his track record with natural resources -- which has been mostly "cut it down, suck it up or kill it" -- White House Resident Bush is designating a bunch of US-controlled territory in the Pacific Ocean as marine national monuments. While the move will protect the collection of  islands, reefs, surface waters and the sea floor itself from fishing, mining, oil exploration and other commercial activity, Bush is no doubt expecting to somehow also protect his legacy. With any luck at all, he will emerge as the next-to-worst President in history.