I was in the doctor's waiting room with my mother yesterday morning, and I was reading a Newsweek magazine that had profiles of the new members of Bush's cabinet.

I get to a page that has a big picture of John Ashcroft on it, and I hear my mother, who is sitting right next to me, say, "I like him."

I think to myself, "Okaaaaaay," and just ignore her. My mother and I don't agree on all things political, but Ashcroft? Whatever.

As I turn the page, she says, "If he were to ever run for President he would win easily."

Okay, whoa. I turn to her and say, "What?? John Ashcroft??"

She turns the page back and says, "Oh, I thought that was Colin Powell."

I said, "Mommy, Colin Powell wears glasses, and he's black!!"

Once I stopped laughing, it was comforting to realize that she is just blind, not insane. Well, not completely.