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January 18, 2006
Andrew Sullivan reviews two books and starts to piece together how “a noble and necessary decision to remove the Saddam Hussein regime result[ed] in such a chaotic occupation.” I find it a plausible explanation. No big surprises in the piece except that the sources are Paul Bremer and Bush pal Fred Barnes. [Tags: iraq georgeBush andrewSullivan politics paulBremer]
You can get your Senators’ phone numbers here if you’re inclined to urge them to filibuster Alito.
I’ve been trying to call Kennedy and Kerry, and I’m happy to report that their lines are busy. [Tags: politics alito filibuster]
January 17, 2006
Salon is running a transcript of Al Gore’s fierce speech yesterday about the danger to democracy posed by an executive branch that recognizes no limits on its authority. Salon’s titles it with this quote: “America’s Constitution is in grave danger.”
I admire Gore, and not just for speaking out so forcefully. He has learned from his defeat in a way that Kerry has not.
I hope Gore runs for president.
PS: You can read the transcript in Salon by agreeing to watch an ad. I wish Salon would make an exception in this case and just openly post it. [Tags: politics alGore]
January 15, 2006
| Pakistan bombs Baltimore house — 17 killed
Pakistan today bombed three houses in Baltimore based on information that the #2 person in Al Qaeda was staying in one of them. Seventeen people were killed, including children, but the Al Qaeda chief escaped. US officials registered a vigorous protest with the Pakistani government. |
| US bombs Tokyo house — 17 killed
The US today bombed three houses in Tokyo based on information that the #2 person in Al Qaeda was staying in one of them. Seventeen people were killed, including children, but the Al Qaeda chief escaped. Japanese officials registered a vigorous protest with the US government. |
| US bombs Baltimore house — 17 killed
The US today bombed three houses in Baltimore based on information that the #2 person in Al Qaeda was staying in one of them. Seventeen people were killed, including children, but the Al Qaeda chief escaped. US officials registered a vigorous protest with the US government. |
[Tags: terrorism politics morality]
January 13, 2006
= Bush looks at his wristwatch, wondering what’s keeping the Israelis. [Tags: iran israel georgeBush politics]
January 9, 2006
Planned Parenthood is blogging the Alito hearings, although it’s almost 3 pm, the hearings started at noon, and so far they haven’t posted anything. I want my instant blogratification! Plus they’re moderating comments.
Loosen up Planned Parenthood! [Tags: alito blogs plannedParenthood]
January 7, 2006
Dick Cheney is having problems with his left foot. He’s walking with a cane, and is showing up for work wearing a comfie moccasin on it.
According to Reuters:
Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride would not give specifics of the vice president’s ailing left foot but said it was a recurrence of a condition that was being treated with rest and anti-inflammatory medicine.
Is secrecy such a reflex that even this information is being withheld from us? It is a little thing, but that’s exactly the point.
Of course I wish his left foot a speedy recovery. Without DeLay.
January 5, 2006
A scenario:
In August of 2006, an enterprising journalist (lord bless her!) unearths the fact that the Bush administration has continued to torture people after Bush signed the anti-torture bill. Remember that when Bush reluctantly signed it into law, he signalled that a president can waive it when he deems necessary.
The evidence of continuing torture so outrages enough Republicans that an investigation begins. More cases emerge, some particularly reckless. It becomes clear that Bush didn’t change his policy one iota. Furious at Bush’s contempt for the Legislature’s authority, the House draws up the Articles of Impeachment. Also, doing so helps deflect attention from the never-ending Abramoff corruption (and murder?) scandal.
In the Senate, McCain leads the posse. VP Cheney resigns before he is made president. The McCain-Biden ticket easily wins the ’08 presidential election.
Ok, so maybe I should postpone all this by a year so I can make it more plausible by including major gains by the Dems in the House. But my daydream can’t wait that long. [Tags: impeachment georgeBush politics]
January 4, 2006
As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself — not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch.” — After visiting with wounded veterans from the Amputee Care Center of Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 1, 2006
Yes, Bush was just making a little joke and trying to connect with wounded veterans, but it reveals a casual blindness to the lived experience of others that is the opposite of compassion.
Video here; Bush’s cedar comments come 47 seconds in. (From Slate’s Bushism of the Day, by Jacob Weisberg. ) [Tags: GeorgeBush slate]
The Bush administration has won a silver Falsies award from the Center for Media and Democracy for not counting civilian deaths in Iraq.
The gold went to “the video news release industry (with a nod to their accomplices in television newsrooms,” that is, the government agencies and businesses who create propaganda news clips that look like news segments and which get played as such by television news programs. (Thanks to Rose for the link.) [Tags: georgeBush iraq pr publicRelations]
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