Suffice it to say, the Smithsonian Institution is not buying into the "global warming" hysteria being spread by Al Gore.

While in the District in recent days, professor Jeff Bennett of the Crawford School of Economics and Government at Australian National University toured the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, where he snapped photographs, since forwarded to Inside the Beltway, of two displays that caught his eye — both dealing with climate change and "the Future."

"Initiation of glacial conditions may be triggered by surprisingly rapid climate changes," reads one display. "Therefore, the minor global-cooling trend of recent decades ... is being carefully watched and studied."

Global-cooling trend?

Explains the next display: "the period 1890-1945 A.D. was abnormally warm, and there have been signs of cooling in the last few decades."

Mr. Bennett is the newest Julian Simon Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center, the nation's oldest and largest institute dedicated to free-market environmentalism.

Protecting troops

For safety's sake, the State Department recommends that Americans not travel to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia, among other nations. (Given that the Taliban is spreading its roots in Pakistan, you might think twice about a holiday there, too.)

Now we learn from Texas Rep. Ted Poe that the Texas Department of Public Safety this week issued its own travel warning: "Due to the increased rising level of violence in Mexico — which is attributed to drug cartels, violent criminal organizations, and increased presence of military personnel in some Mexican border communities — it is recommended that persons be discouraged from traveling to Mexican border towns ... Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Miguel Aleman, and Ciudad Juarez."

Meanwhile, U.S. Army officials at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, have actually declared travel to Juarez off-limits for U.S. military personnel.

"In other words," Mr. Poe, a Republican, points out, "Fort Bliss, the United States Army, they can go to Iraq, they can go to Afghanistan, but they can't go to Juarez right across the river because it is too dangerous."

Dorgan's question

The Trends Journal, if you haven't read, is forecasting the "Panic of '08."

The publication foresees "failing banks, busted brokerages, toppled corporate giants, bankrupt cities, states in default, foreign creditors cashing out of U.S. securities. Whatever the spark, the stage is set for panic in the streets. When the giant firms fall, they'll crush the man on the street."

That said, North Dakota Sen. Byron L. Dorgan makes this point this week: "We were told this morning that the president is going to ask for another $70 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. That is on top of the $196 billion he asked for last year in this fiscal year that we are in now. That is $16 billion a month, $4 billion a week. He wants another $70 billion. That will take us well over two-thirds of a trillion dollars.

"I ask the question: Is it not time we started investing some at home? It is not time we started taking care of things here at home?"

John McCanine

Good grief, who isn't conducting political polls in 2008?

For what it's worth, the Pet Supplies "Plus" chain reveals that a majority 47 percent of respondents would leave their pets in the care of Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, while 34 percent would trust their pooch with Republican Sen. John McCain.

Counting chickens?

After Tuesday's primary victory in Florida, Republican Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is so convinced — even before Super Tuesday voting next week — the candidate will go all the way it has headlined its latest news advisory: "On to the Nomination."

"John McCain's momentum is now unstoppable," it brags.