The redistribution of anti-terrorism funds creates a twisted spectacle: cities falling over themselves with quasi-boosterish language of “pick me, pick me, I’m a good target for the next attack!” Quotes from local officials, collected in a story in today’s NYT:

New York: “We’ve been protecting the nation’s financial and communications center on our own dime. It’s a national responsibility.”
Washington: “We are the face of the United States, one of the most visible centers of government power and strength.”
Memphis: “We are at the crossroads of America, for cars, for trains, for river traffic. We are a prime location, a prime target, any way you look at it.”