The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.

NOTE: James Taranto is travelling today. The excerpts below are from the 10/1/10 BOTW archives.

Bottom Stories of the Day

  • “Candice Bergen to Write Second Memoir, Out in 2012”–headline, Associated Press, Sept. 30
  • “Hamas Leader: Arafat Urged Attacks on Israel”–headline, Associated Press, Oct. 1

Getting the Axe
A change in personnel at the White House has caused a change in schedule for a Washington institution. Mark Hemingway of the Washington Examiner relays the announcement:

Washington National Cathedral announced today that David Axelrod, senior advisor to President Barack Obama, will replace Rahm Emanuel in its 2010 …Program, “Governing across the Divide,” scheduled for Tuesday, October 5, at 7:30 pm, with Joshua Bolten, chief of staff to former President George W. Bush. Emanuel, previously scheduled to participate, is unable to attend. Axelrod and Bolten will share their experiences of how and why Washington has become so divisive and how civility and cooperation might return to the discourse. CBS anchor Bob Schieffer will moderate.

No disrespect, but is Axe really an adequate substitute for Rahm … Emanuel [who is known to speak harshly to people using swear words] in a discussion of divisive rhetoric and restoring civility? Couldn’t they have gotten Rod Blagojevich instead? 

For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.