Olympic run-up? More like a run-down.

The Communist regime spent years looking forward to these weeks before the Olympics, what with the reports highlights the China it wants the world to see in the build-up to the propaganda bonanza - at least, that was their fervent hope. As it turns out, though, August 8 can't come fast enough.

The pre-Olympic problems are getting so bad they're even staining people and institutions outside the CCP. The cadres' determination to block the "wrong" internet sites - even from foreign journalists - has thoroughly discredited the weak-kneed International Olympic Committee (Boycott 2008, CTV, NRO - The Corner, and the Washington Post). Meanwhile, President Bush is trying to make the Communists and the anti-Communists happy (Epoch Times and the Washington Post). Then there are the usual problems: pollution (CNN and the Washington Post) and human rights (BBC, Boycott 2008, and CNN).

On the plus side for the Communists (and the minus side for the rest of us), the Olympic brouhaha has shoved the turn-off of NTDTV (Epoch Times), Beijing's increasing role in Africa (BBC), and the starving of northern Korea (London Telegraph and the Washington Post) off the front page, just like it was supposed to do.

When the Games actually start, they will likely move all of the bad news off the front page; but the post-Olympic hangover is something else again.