Is Dick Morris smoking crack?

Or is he chugging rubbing-alcohol Appletinis?

Either way, he should be arrested for opining under the influence.

Without citing any empirical evidence whatsoever, Morris, blogging for The Hill, insists that a Bush Bounce is right around the corner.

Apparently, he thinks the president is having a great week.

A combination of the charismatic presentation by Gen. David Petraeus, the Sept. 11 anniversary and the revelation of the effectiveness of U.S. homeland security efforts may finally lift Bush off the floor in his job approval ratings. With neither the economy nor Iraq on which to base an attack on the president, the Democrats and the left are running off past vitriol and remembered anger. Ultimately, their lack of issues may begin to catch up with them.

By "charismatic presentation," I wonder if Morris means Petraeus' admission that the Iraq occupation is not making America safer.

And with Osama bin Laden alive and well and releasing videotapes, does Morris really think the 9/11 anniversary is a boost for Bush?

And what "revelation of the effectiveness" of homeland security is he talking about? Does he mean this?

Hobbled by inadequate funding, unclear priorities, continuing reorganizations and the absence of an overarching strategy, the Department of Homeland Security is failing to achieve its mission of preventing and responding to terrorist attacks or natural disasters, according to a comprehensive report by the Government Accountability Office.

The highly critical report disputes recent upbeat assessments by the Bush administration by concluding that the DHS has failed to make even moderate progress toward eight of 14 internal government benchmarks more than four years after its creation.

And with regard to the economy, can Morris really think that a looming recession is the turnaround Bush has been waiting for?

The U.S. economy will hover near recession for at least half of 2008 and could easily fall into it with a major hiccup, a university forecast said Wednesday.

[...]

Tightening credit and further home-construction declines will send the economy into a "near-recession," with growth hovering at just above 1 percent through 2008's first three months, said the forecast, titled "Turbulence."

The nation's unemployment rate will rise to 5.2 percent by mid-2008, up from the current 4.6 percent, the forecast said.

Home values will continue to fall by 10 percent to 15 percent, it said.

"This is very touch-and-go," Senior Economist David Shulman said in the report. "When the economy slows to a very low rate of growth, it doesn't take much to tip you into recession."

Seriously, Dick, if you don't get help at Charter, please get help somewhere.