I know that Al Gore has much to be pleased with by the fact that the world as he has seen it is fast becoming the world that nearly every responsible public figure understands is the one with which we now must deal. A few days ago, even George Bush came around to a generous and imaginative program against AIDS in Africa. Yes, I know there are those ideological ticks for fidelity and restraint (and what's really wrong with that anyway?) that seem to be permanent features of American work surrounding the disease which has ravished a continent. What does this have to do with Gore? I know that Bill and Hillary are now active in the field, and all credit to them for that. But it was Gore who pushed for international initiatives for AIDS when it was just he and Richard Holbrooke and Dr. Anthony Faucci at the top who had any real passion for fight. Now President Bush is on board. Somewhat more startling is what the Financial Times calls "Bush's Green U-Turn. The FT has four especially informative articles on the sanctimonious reversal of the administration's sanctimonious negligence of global warming. Bush is not--by a long shot--pushing Gore's deeper and sturdier agenda. But at least the president grasps that he no longer can lead the country--and his party--in smug denial of a reality that may make elections in Florida ... well, impossible. Do these mini-conversions by the usurper please Gore? I've not asked. But how can he not feel at least triumphant when Bush has had to stop mocking the issue and must now wear a grim face when discussing it?