When Presidents Attack

By Melissa August, Harriet Barovick, Tim Blair, Tam Gray, Lina Lofaro, Eric Silver, David Spitz, Joel Stein, Flora Tartakovsky and Chris Taylor

President Clinton's speech last week about the bombing raids he had ordered on Serbia followed in a long tradition of such pronouncements from the Oval Office. Apart from the cut of their suits, not all that much has changed over the decades: the desks are clearer, the future just as cloudy.

PRESIDENT Roosevelt 1941

CALLED US righteous

CALLED THEM dastardly (Japanese)

RESONANT PHRASE a date which will live in infamy

DESK ACCESSORIES donkey ornaments

[PRESIDENT] Kennedy 1962

[CALLED US] peaceful and powerful

[CALLED THEM] reckless and provocative (Cubans)

[RESONANT PHRASE] The cost of freedom is always high--but Americans have always paid it.

[DESK ACCESSORIES] scrimshaw

[PRESIDENT] Reagan 1983

[CALLED US] blessed land

[CALLED THEM] thugs (Soviets in Grenada)

[RESONANT PHRASE] semper fidelis

[DESK ACCESSORIES] none

[PRESIDENT] Bush 1991

[CALLED US] reasonable

[CALLED THEM] cruel and intransigent (Iraqis)

[RESONANT PHRASE] While the world prayed for peace, Saddam prepared for war.

[DESK ACCESSORIES] numerous photos of the family

[PRESIDENT] Clinton 1999

[CALLED US] we care about saving innocent lives

[CALLED THEM] self-destructive (Serbs)

[RESONANT PHRASE] Ending this tragedy is a moral imperative.

[DESK ACCESSORIES] presidential busts, photo of Chelsea, campaign buttons