Whither USA Next?

Has anybody seen USA Next lately? Anybody other than FOX viewers, I mean.

The conservative group's jihad to destroy AARP and "save" Social Security has, rather conspicuously, failed to live up to its promise. And, as the New York Times reported, what a promise it was!

"We are going to take them on in hand-to-hand combat," said Mr. Jarvis, who is biting in his remarks about AARP, calling the group "stodgy, overweight, bureaucratic and out of touch."

*****To USA Next, the battle lines have already been drawn, and it does not shy away from comparisons to the veterans' campaign against Senator Kerry. "It's an honor to be equated with the Swift boat guys," Mr. Jarvis said.

The rollout of this earth-scorching mother of all public policy battles was, of course, a joke. Literally.

Today, several weeks and one soldier-hating, man-kissing blog ad later, USA Next appears to have played its only hand. On the group's website, the only affirmative statement of support for Social Security privatization is one from July, 2004 bearing the names of Charlie Jarvis and Art Linkletter.

Otherwise, most of the "News & Information" space is devoted to touting Mr. Jarvis' and Mr. Linkletter's appearances on FOX Newschannel programs, links to Al Neuharth editorials and calling AARP a bunch liberals.

"Hand-to-hand combat" just isn't what it used to be.