Actually, he never went away. It just took awhile for the press to notice. Once power is given, it is seldom given back.

I'm talking, of course, about Javier Solana. You see, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union isn't just an Office -- it's a man. Without Dr. Javier Solana, the Office would fade away like a shadow that lost its light.

Keep in mind, it was in December of 1998, while Solana was busy carving away at NATO, that the EU heads met in Vienna to create his new Office. And, as I've been reporting, their decision was given a number. It was 666. This Office was then held open for Solana until his term as head of NATO was over in October of 1999.

Later, in June of 2000, the 10 nation military alliance that Solana had carved out of NATO decided to give the EU's High Representative --- Javier Solana -- emergency powers over them. That recommendation was also given a number. It too was 666.

Now, members of the press are surprised to find that, although the voters turned down the EU's new constitution, it's most important components are being implemented away. According to this report Read about it here, these components are:

• The European Space Program 

• The EU criminal code 

• The European Defense Agency 

• The common asylum policy 

• The mutual defense clause, which replicates Nato's Article Five 

• The External Border Agency 

• The Fundamental Rights Agency (née Monitoring Center for Racism and Xenophobia)

• Autonomous politico-military command structures 

• The European External Action Service (that is, the EU diplomatic corps)

• The EU prosecuting magistracy 

• The Union Foreign Minister - that silky socialist, Javier Solana 

• The Charter of Fundamental Rights 

You see, leaders don't always require the approval of their voters. All they need are emergency powers -- whether these powers are used or not. 

That explains why it really doesn't matter to the EU heads in Brussels that voters didn't ratify their new constitution. They know what they want. They have the power. And, thanks to the war against terror, they have their excuse.

And, the beat goes on.