The power of a phrase
by Alistair Cooke

Listening the other evening to the President of the United States telling us with his roguish smile: "There's no need to doubt the authenticity of the 'uranium from Africa' phrase - it was authenticated by British intelligence, wasn't it?"

The head of the CIA believed it, George W Bush believed in it and believes in the CIA. No problem, huh?

I yearned for Mr Bush to recall and emulate one Fiorella La Guardia, who for 10 years before and into the Second World War was Mayor of New York city.

A cocky, militant, deadly honest reform mayor, who called corrupt politicians by name and jailed the most untouchable gangsters in the country.

He was a hurricane of a clean sweep and those of us who lived through him will never forget him.

But in his headlong style he made mistakes - he never covered them up or explained them away.

So I yearned for Mr Bush to recall and repeat a famous line of Mayor La Guardia. It was this. "I seldom make a mistake but when I do, it's a beaut."
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