I watched a speech by John Kerry this past week in Manchester, N.H., in which the tall and handsome senator and presidential candidate blasted President Bush for his use of "preemption." This has been a consistent drumbeat for democratic presidential candidates throughout the campaign, namely that Bush strikes or seeks to invade nations, without America having been attacked, without consulting international opinion and without the United Nation's prior permissions. The left invariably characterizes preemption as part of the Bush "swagger," and something they would never consider using themselves.

 Wrong. When it comes to their domestic agenda, the party of the left is lying to you if they tell you they do not believe in preemption. As far as the culture wars go, liberals invented preemption and have used it with relish for years. In fact, preemption has been the democrats primary modus operandi for achieving victory at home. Without passing their agenda in state legislatures and in the US Congress, and with polls consistently recording opposite views among most Americans, liberals have consistently foisted their views on an unwilling majority by engaging in a "first strike" policy. For instance, in Roe v. Wade, they created a phony crisis, lied about statistics, propped up a willing victim (now repentant) and viola!, "A woman's right to choose" was born. Without "population control" the world would soon run out of food, right? Whoops, we just learned this week that the world's population is now going to fall by mid-century. But you get the strategy.

 But how has the left been able to aggressively pursue cultural change without facing many legislative votes on such issues as abortion rights, affirmative action, gay rights, "diversity" or environmental policy? Simple. They have done it by saturating the American public with the notion that the liberal viewpoint on these issues is popular, right, and most importantly, inevitable. And if you don't believe the way they do, then you are not a member of "the church of what's happenin' now." Time and again, liberals have gotten there first with their list of experts to spin the issue with willing media accomplices. Whether it was Paul Erlich's Population Bomb in the 70's or blaming Ronald Reagan for AIDS in the 80's, the left's propaganda machine got there early and often, creating an aura of inevitability about their points of view. Using media outlets, the court system, college campuses and the Hollywood elite, created just the right air of trendiness to carry the day. Let's face it. One episode of" Will and Grace" will do more to make homosexuality seem harmless than 50 seminars that make the argument.

 This cultural assault by the American left over the last 40 years has been shockingly successful because it has dismissed 1)historical precedence 2) its opponents objections and 3) the need to wait for a consensus which may never come, all things the anti-preemption foreign policy crowd have accused Bush of violating internationally. Liberalism's preemptive strike on America has been so successful because it has ignored everything, except the push for victory, and the table-top shoe pounding of the cultural elites necessary for it to happen.

 So the next time a liberal tells you he is against the doctrine of preemption, go ahead and laugh in his face. He may be against the man whom he accuses of wielding it, (Bush) and the arena in which he wields it. (foreign policy) But it is the left in this country who invented preemption and have used it shamelessly for decades. Conservatism is just now regrouping to fight back. Lets hope it is not too late to win the day.

  John Pendleton