Some 'Cone of Silence'

Presidential politics took a back seat to the Olympics Saturday night when the Rev. Rick Warren interviewed both candidates, back to back, at a forum broadcast on three cable networks.

Still, the so-called Saddleback Civil Forum was hyped as the opening shot of the fall campaign. It was billed as an opportunity for voters to watch the candidates answer identical questions. And it was analyzed in dozens of columns by political writers who by and large gave high marks to the performance of Sen. John McCain. In other words, it was an event with significance beyond its viewership.