9/11 panel reforms appear to be sunk, according to today's Chicago Tribune.

"A sweeping overhaul of the nation's intelligence apparatus, one of the chief recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission, appeared headed for collapse as House and Senate negotiators acknowledged they could not agree on a bill before next week's elections.

Negotiators on Friday were unable to overcome opposition from the Pentagon and its supporters to creating a powerful new intelligence director, fearing that too much authority over the budgets and personnel of the intelligence agencies would be shifted away from the secretary of defense."

Kerry, Edwards and other leading Dems should hit Bush hard on this. The Republicans control the White House and Congress and they won't act to make our country safer. It's time to hire a new team to do the job.