Cheney '94: Invading Baghdad would create quagmire

So what happened?

Phil Rizzuto, Yankees Shortstop, Dies at 89

Phil Rizzuto, the sure-handed Hall of Fame Yankees shortstop nicknamed the Scooter who extended his Yankee life as a popular, even beloved, broadcaster, punctuating his game calls with birthday wishes to fans and exclamations of “Holy cow!” died Monday night. He was 89.

Casey Stengel called it "the greatest play I ever saw"—

In the first, Rizzuto, a right-handed batter, was at the plate facing Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians. It was the bottom of the ninth inning, in the middle of a pennant chase, the score tied at 1-1. DiMaggio was on third base. Rizzuto took Lemon’s first pitch, a strike, and argued the call with the umpire. That gave Rizzuto time to grab his bat from both ends, the sign to DiMaggio that a squeeze play was on for the next pitch. But DiMaggio broke early, surprising Rizzuto. Lemon, seeing what was happening, threw high and behind Rizzuto, to avoid a bunt. But with Joltin’ Joe bearing down on him, Rizzuto got his bat up in time to lay down a bunt.

“If I didn’t bunt, the pitch would’ve hit me right in the head,” Rizzuto said. “I bunted it with both feet off the ground, but I got it off toward first base.”

—By RICHARD SANDOMIR, The New York Times

The world’s most powerful economy should be able to provide a health care system that really is the best

Many Americans are under the delusion that we have “the best health care system in the world,” as President Bush sees it, or provide the “best medical care in the world,” as Rudolph Giuliani declared last week. That may be true at many top medical centers. But the disturbing truth is that this country lags well behind other advanced nations in delivering timely and effective care.—Editorial, The New York Times

Karl Rove leaves the White House anything but victorious

“The Rove model was so impressive that the front-runner for the nomination is following the blueprint,” said Mark McKinnon, who worked with Mr. Rove in 2004 and is now advising Mr. McCain’s presidential campaign. “It is almost the Powell doctrine of politics: you just hit them with everything you got, everywhere and at the same time.” The front-runner he was referring to, Mr. McKinnon said, is a Democrat, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.—by Adam Nagourney, The New York Times