To Live and Die with 9/11 In the Boston Globe, Susan Milligan writes that Rudy Giuliani's addiction to wrapping himself in the shroud of 9/11 seems to be working, at least among Republican voters.

They have put the blunt-speaking former mayor at the top of a crowded GOP field in most polls, and his campaign said Tuesday that he raised more money in the second quarter than any other Republican candidate.

Political analysts say Giuliani's pitch is a powerful message to an electorate worried about another assault on US soil, especially after the recent attacks in Britain.

I think this is sloppy analysis. While Giuliani's 9/11 campaign may have given him name recognition that sometimes elevates him over other candidates, what's really going on here is that there's a weak GOP slate of candidates, and virtually all of them have taken a turn at the top of the polls. Giuliani beats Mitt the Mutt Romney and the imploding John McCain. Shocker. But Fred Thompson, a man who has spent more time as a lobbyist than he did as a senator, beats Giuliani in a bunch of polls. So Giuliani's appeal can't be that powerful, can it?

I also question the assumption that the electorate is particularly worried about another terrorist attacked, even after the recent incidents in Britain. Sure, there's always a low-grade anxiety. But I don't think anyone's living in fear, and I certainly don't get the impression that the British attacks had any major psychological impact here......  ¶ 6:36 AM