Three short subjects

A slow news day inevitably leads to a slow opinion day. Today, no one can agree on what the big opinion is.

The Wall Street Journal can barely contain its glee about the dissension within the labor movement. The split within the AFL-CIO will only exacerbate “Big Labor’s” slide, it asserts hopefully, adding that new federal rules will force unions to disclose “just how much labor money is being wasted on political activities that have little to do with improving workers’ lives.”

The Washington Post, meanwhile, joins the growing chorus of editorial boards -- now numbering at least two, including this newspaper’s -- calling the Bush administration to task for its feckless leadership on immigration policy. Two administration officials were scheduled to testify at hearings today, the Post notes, but they were abruptly withdrawn by an administration so divided about immigration “that its leading members aren’t even allowed to talk about the subject in public.”

The most pressing concern for the New York Times is random bag searches on the subway. New York’s finest began conducting them last week in the wake of the London bombings, at the cost of $1.9 million a week in overtime, and the Times urges the federal government to help foot the bill. Of course, the editorial notes in a valiant attempt not to seem provincial, there are subways in “Washington, Atlanta and other cities.” They should get money too.

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Michael Newman