WASHINGTON ON EDGE

War is the No. 1 subject – and almost the only subject – these days in the nation’s capital. The atmosphere is tense. As the war against Iraq draws closer and seems almost inevitable, Washingtonians know that their city is the prime target for any terrorist response.

Tension was obvious recently, overshadowing the fun and humor at the Gridiron Dinner, an annual roast of top political figures by top newspaper men and women. President Bush, Vice President Cheney, top military brass and braid, and about half the Cabinet lined the head table.

It must have crossed everyone’s mind that the Capital Hilton that night was a terrorist’s dream. Of course, streets in the area had been blocked off, all guests passed through metal detectors and underwent body search, and a trained dog nosed about, sniffing for explosives.

The president, traditionally the final speaker at the end of four hours of eating, drinking, speaking, songs and skits, avoided the usual string of jokes and spoke seriously, but for only a minute or two. He praised the servicemen and women poised for likely combat near Iraq’s borders and led a solemn toast to their success and safety. Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney sat quietly through most of the show, cracking up only when Senate Majority leader Bill Frist, the Republican speaker, dressed in a physician’s white coat, likened the legislative process to the digestive process.

He said a bill passes down the esophagus to the stomach, where enzymes and acids turn it to unrecognizable mush then through the small intestine (the House of Representatives), where all the nutrients are removed, and the large intestine (the Senate) and finally is discharged or eliminated. The appendix, he said, is a small, unimportant entity that comes to notice only when inflamed – “like France.” And he dismissed Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., as a kidney stone.

Aside from such diversions, Washington these days is a city of earnest defenders of the Bush administration’s war plan, frequent peace marches and vigils, and a constant flow of rumor and speculation. A favorite subject of guess and supposition is the president’s own motivation and whether he is guided most by his conservative religious faith, his background in the oil business, his support for Israel in the Arab-Israeli conflict, or the fact that Saddam tried to assassinate his father, former President George H.W. Bush. (Twice, in asides during televised speeches, the president has said, “And, besides, he tried to kill my dad.”)

If the fighting soon begins, it seems likely that such talk will largely end and most of Washington, like the rest of the country, will pull together to support the troops and hope for a quick victory with few casualties. But in the meantime the capital is a nervous, anxious, contentious place.