As the obvious makes itself manifest even to the dimwits at the NY Times, can we help marvelling at the seductive power of the whisper heard in every presidential ear "You are the most powerful man in the world--rulers that don't kiss your ass may not be rulers for long, if you feel twitchy..."

Apparently, as soon as a President of the United States hears himself say "he's gotta go" about some other head of state, he begins to feel disrespected if the guy wakes up tomorrow still in charge of anything bigger than a closet.

I will confess to a momentary failure to associate a "regime change" with Carter, (that's why they hate him at Free Republic.) but otherwise, every president has at least one scalp going back maybe to Grover Cleveland.

I bet they start laughing at the ex presidents' reunion when you go too long before your first regiime change.

I will confess that growing up (here I may date myself...) I assumed that it was given that any regime sufficiently odious to U.S. interests in general, and the US President, in particular was about to experience change.

Anyway,  Prez is about to get his first kill.