Baghdad Mike - In his

Baghdad Mike - In his book Baa Baa Black Sheep, Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington relates a story from his air battles over the Solomon Islands in 1943. He was jumped by a group of Japanese aircraft. He radioed his second-in-command, Captain George Ashmun.

"Come on help me out here", he said, "I've got five of 'em surrounded".

"Where are they?" Ashmun asked.

"Outside this cloud I'm in", Boyington responded.

That's what leapt to mind when I heard Minnesota DFL State Chair Mike Erlandson, commenting about President Bush's visit to Minneapolis next week - which will fall the day before the meeting of the Democrat National Committee and the gathering of the Nine Dwarves.

I just heard Erlandson on the radio, commenting about the timing of Bush's trip, and its suggestion - that Minnesota is in play, and could actually vote Republican in '04.

"I knew we had 'em on the run, but..."

I missed the rest. I was laughing too hard. It was a performance worthy of Baghdad Bob.

Yes, Mike. We're on the run. We got the governor, the "Wellstone Seat", another US House seat, the State House, and we're within a few votes of taking the Senate. We held the line on taxes, beat you squarely on concealed carry, and may very well put our electoral votes in the Red column next year. Five will get you ten one of us will be taking Mark Dayton's job in '06.

If we were any more on the run, we'd own Wisconsin, too.

I realize Erlandson has to keep his troops' morale up. But henceforth in this column, Erlandson shall be known as "Baghdad Mike", in honor of his ability to squeeze fictional victory from the jaws of real defeat.

Baghdad Mike.

Have a great weekend.