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Today's NY Sun editorial entitled "Nuts!" imagines the famous response of BGen. Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne surrounded and besieged in Bastogne in December 1944, to be what President Bush will say in response to bin Laden's truce offer. Forget for the moment that witnesses insist that Gen. McAuliffe's response was far more colorful (and less printable in family magazines) than a mere "nuts." But remember his role: besieged, only able to hang on bravely until relief arrived.

It would have been better for the Sun to put the president in the shoes of Grant at Vicksburg. When the Rebels sought terms, Grant demanded unconditional surrender. On his very worst day, Johnny Reb didn't come close to the level of evil OBL achieves at his most benign. If the troglodyte terrorist chief were in the president's shoes, he'd accept nothing less than America's utter destruction. He should -- and will -- get from G.W. Bush worse, much worse, than the Rebels got from U.S. Grant.