You try so hard but you don't understand…

It has been 843 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Black October.

The total US casualty count in Iraq grew to 2026 in October, with an average of more than three deaths a day. That's the deadliest month since January, the fifth deadliest month of the war.

This isn't working.

Admit defeat.

Declare victory.

Whatever.

Just stop.

Heh.

AMERICAblog has a Café Press shop, too…

According to Preznit 30something%...

…Sam Alito is less qualified for the Court than Harriet Miers. Thanks to Holden for the reminder.

And by the way, what's you're local "moderate pro-choice Republican" got to say? And where, Atrios wonders, will Arlen lead them?

Steve M. is dismayed. Defeatist, even. I can't say he's wrong. I don't think Scalito can be stopped. So, how do we make it a strategically advantageous defeat?

AKA "Scalito"…

Ladies should consult their husbands before forming an opinion…

French fashion…

…from the General.



Maybe I need a Café Press wish list.

…and say "Who is that man?"

It has been 842 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

That Kerry fella…

“We’re living in a strange country — Saddam Hussein thinks he’s still in power and so does Tom DeLay.”

Yet another nod to the indefatigable Ms. Leavey.

More liberated Kristof…

…this time via Atrios.

The indictments of Lewis Libby are not for memory lapses or debatable offenses, but for repeatedly telling a fairy tale under oath.

When the Times decided to charge for op-ed content, I figured the good stuff would get out anyway. This time, happily, it did.

And now...

You see somebody naked...

It has been 841 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Quote of the Day…

…liberated from behind the NYT Select shield by Crooks and Liars...

"If Mr. Cheney can't address the questions about his conduct, if he can't be forthcoming about the activities in his office that gave rise to the investigation, then he should resign. And if he won't resign, Mr. Bush should demand his resignation."

Nicholas Kristof

Damn straight.

If I'm so smart...

I am 5% Idiot.

I am not annoying at all. In fact most people come to me for advice. Of course they annoy the hell out of me. But what can I do? I am smarter than most people.

Take the
Idiot Test
@ FualiDotCom

...why aren't I rich?

(Insert random headline here)

Another set of Saturday musical diversions...

Kelly Joe Phelps - River Rat Jimmy
The Beach Boys - Surf's Up
Richard & Mimi Farina - Pack Up Your Sorrows
John Hartford - Gentle On My Mind
Rod Stewart - Twisting The Night Away
The Roches - The Largest Elizabeth In The World
John Lennon - Imagine
Rickie Lee Jones - Night Train
Rufus w/Chaka Khan - Tell Me Something Good
Jimmy Buffett - Miss You So Badly

…with a pencil in your hand.

It has been 840 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

AKA "Official A"…

…triple sourced.

A public service reminder...

...from the lovely and talented Miss Audrey Hepcat. Whether the challenges of the day involve finding a warm spot or facing a federal indictment, remember...



...grooming counts!

Liar, aka "Scooter"...

But hey, don't take my word for it...



The whole thing is here.

George's amazing psychic powers...

"Americans are tired of investigations and scandal, and the best way to get rid of them is to elect a new president who will bring a new administration, who will restore honor and dignity to the White House."

(not yet) Preznit 30something%, 9/15/00

Wow. He was right all along...

You walk in the room...

It has been 839 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

What war looks like.

Billmon shows and the picture tells one of the essential stories...

Miers nomination withdrawn.

In other news, the Sun rose in the east...

Yes and no.

Comments on some of the latest fallout in the Brown/Hackett brouhaha in Ohio.

Check the yes box next to Kos' note on Jerome Armstrong's decision to suspend blogging while he's consulting for campaigns…

In fact, that Jerome works in campaigns would make him more qualified to write about campaigns. Nothing like doing to educate someone about the intricacies of any subject. So long as disclosure is made, people can decide how to gauge a particular bit of information. But this is politics, and it's a rough and tumble world, so perhaps it's inevitable.

It's a pity that the lefty blogosphere will lose one of it's brightest minds and leading voices for three years (Armstrong has clients signed through the '08 cycle). The potential for conflicts in a case like this are easily resolved through disclosure, and Jerome has been exemplary in that regard. Looks like we're dining on our young to me.

By the way, in case you weren't crystal clear (I, at least, wasn't) Kos leaves no doubt.

I don't consult. I don't want to consult. I hated consulting when I did it. Armstrong Zuniga, LLC, our joint consulting firm from last year, has been legally dissolved. It no longer exists.

Having taken Kos to task in the past for being, I thought, less than exemplary in disclosure of his consulting interests, I'm please by that news.

On the other hand, I have to dissent from Lindsay Beyerstein's latest on the Ohio Senate primary...

Progressive bloggers love Hackett because he is our partner in a radical plan to reshape political power in America. Politics makes strange bedfellows. But, when you get down to brass tacks, Hackett is an invaluable ally: he loves the blogosphere, understands how to harness the power of the blogosphere, and perhaps most importantly, he owes the blogosphere. Hackett is also the perfect R&D project for people who want to use netroots to execute the 50 state strategy.

At first glance, it's pretty hard to see this as anything but insulting to Paul Hackett. He's our partner, huh? Right. A partner we can use as an 'R&D project' because he owes us.

Uh huh.

And the point of the project?

The reason to support Hackett over Brown is simple--if Hackett wins (and he can win), the progressive blogosphere makes history. A small, widely-dispered network of highly motivated amateurs and semi-pros will have delivered a US Senate seat. Hackett's election would mark a radical power shift in American politics, even if the candidate is less radical than some of us would like.

A chance to 'make history' by flexing our muscles. It's not so important that he agrees with us, as long as he remembers that he owes us, I suppose, but where's the radical change? Sounds to me like the goal is the creation of an old school political machine without the geographic constraints - big blog bosses replacing the big city bosses of old. Find a candidate, make him dependent and don't worry about what he believes as long as he does what he's told. Not exactly the way-new notion I was hoping for, I'm afraid.

In fact, blogs have the potential to influence the Ohio Senate race, and a lot of others, in a number of ways, including, of course, cash. If Hackett were to win the primary, though, victory in November will involve support from a wide array of sources - labor, teachers, trial lawyers, consultants of every kind, Party committees, etc., etc. - all with a potential claim on his loyalties. Maybe he'll love bloggers best. Don't bet on it.

Support Paul Hackett, if you will, because you think he'll be a great U.S. Senator. Not a project, not a plot. And if you want a revolt in American politics, start telling voters you can choose their representatives from your far-away computer screen.

They'll find it revolting, alright...

Liar.

"I will change the tone of Washington. I'll bring good people to our nation's Capitol, and surround myself with a strong team of capable leaders."

And oh yeah, the…



Hat tip to Digby.

…we're on the eve of destruction.

It has been 838 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

That Kerry fella...

"To undermine the insurgency, we must instead simultaneously pursue both a political settlement and the withdrawal of American combat forces linked to specific, responsible benchmarks. At the first benchmark, the completion of the December elections, we can start the process of reducing our forces by withdrawing 20,000 troops over the course of the holidays."

More.



Hat Tip to Pamela Leavey at The Democratic Daily.

How many deaths will it take 'til he knows...

2001

Damn.

Really.

God damn the people whose lies cause the loss of each life, on every side.

That you don't believe…

It has been 837 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

No good deed goes unpunished.

There's been some interesting reaction to Sherrod Brown's ad buy supporting the Act Blue general election fund in Ohio. Some find subliminal messaging in the poses and placement of the photos of Brown and primary opponent Paul Hackett. Others see a shrewd plot that rivals the brilliance sometimes imputed to Karl 'Subject of Interest' Rove to deny Hackett primary money by getting the netroots to drop all of their dollars into the Act Blue kitty. The machinations of the DLC have been suggested.

There might be a grain of truth or two in some of the reaction, but I'm still inclined to see it as a praiseworthy move by Brown. Don't misunderstand. That's not an endorsement of Brown. There's much to be said in favor of Hackett, as well, and reasonable grounds for criticism of each in their turn as well. They're human, after all.

If you want to give money to Paul Hackett, by all means do so. Or Sherrod Brown. Lots of us, though, would rather sit out the Ohio Democrats family feud, although many of us have an interest in a Democratic November victory. Some might want to say so early by investing in the race via Act Blue, and Sherrod Brown deserves a bit of online applause for promoting a vehicle to do just that.

Rosa Parks, American

1913-2005

"I am leaving this legacy to all of you ... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be."

R.I.P.

And you tell me over and over again my friend…

It has been 836 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Oh yeah…

Oh yeah…



…he's a liar, too…

In a January 2003 television interview, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said, "So as far as I know, I own no HCA stock." Referring to his trust, Frist said, "I have no control. It is illegal right now for me to know what the composition of those trusts are. So I have no idea."

Hat tip to pal 'o Upper Left, the Carpetbagger.

I don't really have a dog…

…in the Sherrod Brown/Paul Hackett Senate primary fight in Ohio, but if Brown keeps coming up with class acts like his latest blog ad campaign, it's going to be real hard not to choose up sides.

Loot at this…



…and give it a click if you want to reward good behavior and help secure a Democratic victory in Ohio.

That's right, Brown is paying for ads (this one's a comp) that feature photos of both candidates, to raise money for a fund that will support the primary winner, whoever it may be.

Sherrod Brown. Democrat.

Damn good Demcrat.

Pardon me…

…for a departure from the typically PG-13 tone around here, but goddamn.

1997

I mean, fuck...

…it's bound to scare ya, boy.

It has been 835 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

And now...

Take a look around ya boy...

It has been 834 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

If you're not among the Times 'Select'…

...Truthout has the complete Dowd takedown of Miller.


Hat tip to Talk Left.

Meow.

MoDo on Ms. Miller...

Judy told The Times that she plans to write a book and intends to return to the newsroom, hoping to cover "the same thing I've always covered -- threats to our country." If that were to happen, the institution most in danger would be the newspaper in your hands.

Hat tip to Roger, who liberates a few more quotes from behind the NYT op-ed subscription wall and serves up some excellent snark.

The playlist.

Obviously random...

Dan Seals - Bop
Joan Baez - Long Black Veil
Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - Tramp
James Gang - Funk #49
Robert Johnson - Hellhound On My Trail
Buddy Holly - Everyday
Cheap Trick - Southern Girls
Nellie Lutcher - Lake Charles Boogie
The Drifters - This Magic Moment
Thurston Harris - Little Bitty Pretty One

…when the whole world's in a grave.

It has been 833 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Online eugenics?

Ezra opines...

No one should ever date another human being who uses "lol". They must be weeded out of the gene pool. Sorry folks, I know you're all good people, but you simply can't be allowed to reproduce. A society of raving lol'ers is just too horrible to contemplate.

You know, he does have a point...


Heh.

Thanks to our ace photographer…

…the Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left, for this week's snap of the lovely and talented Miss Audrey Hepcat…

Some good news for NOLA…

Some good news for NOLA…

…maybe.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) has been around long enough to learn a trick or two, and he's putting his knowledge to work on behalf of Gulf Coast workers. From his press release, via Nathan Newman...

Miller today introduced a Joint Resolution under the 1976 National Emergencies Act, which provides for fast track action by Congress when the President unilaterally suspends a law, as he did with Davis-Bacon. Although the National Emergencies Act is nearly 30 years old, this is the first time that a lawmaker has ever invoked its fast track procedures. By law, Congress must act on Miller's Joint Resolution within 15 calendar days - in this case, by November 4.

Nathan counts 37 Republicans on record against the suspension of Davis-Bacon on paper. Now they'll get a chance to speak up on the record, objections of their leaders notwithstanding.

Kudos to Rep. Brown for his creative attempt to rescue local workers from the plague of cheap, out of state labor that's been swept in by the wind and rain.

There'll be no one left to save...

It has been 832 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action."

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

I suppose it's everywhere now…

…but I saw it first at Big Brass Blog.



I agree with Pam. It's a cheat without the little sign. Some colorful prison overalls would have been a nice touch, too.

Actually, it reminds me of some cracker from a half a century ago, grinning as he goes before an all-white jury on a civil rights rap, confident of acquittal on the basis of his red neck and lily white ass.

I'm not at all sure such arrogance is helpful in this case. The charges were brought by two grand juries of Texas citizens, via a local prosecutor. Taking down a crooked pol is as American as apple pie. On top of that, everyone may not take felony indictments seriously, but judges and prosecutors do, and any sign of flippancy or disregard for the process could lead to a bumpy road in court.

I mean, I can hope, can't I.

Of course, if he was so damn confident, why did he chase around the state looking for a low profile police station instead of facing the music at home?

Anyway, the arrogant little bug has to be in court tomorrow. If he brings that cocky grin with him, who knows, he could be in a contempt cell for the weekend.

Yeah, yeah. Hope springs eternal...

I-yi-yi…

"inadequate," "insufficient" and "insulting."

Not the mugshot...

...but an important step on that path, which I found first at The Poor Man...



Makes a pretty picture, huh?

"…a heck of a job, Brownie."

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's lack of planning, not the failures of state and local officials, was to blame for much of what went wrong with the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told member of Congress today.

Sounds like the good ship Bushco™ is sinking as fast as NOLA, tossing surplus crew over the side and taking water through a crack in the cabinet...

If the button is pushed there's no running away...

It has been 831 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Who'll be first…

…to blog the mugshot?

Rude Quote of the Day

From (perhaps obviously) The Rude Pundit...

"Prison's gonna be rough for a man who voluntarily tells people to call him 'Scooter'..."

Quote of the Day.

Maru, via Rod.

"CIA leak probe moves from Karl Rove to Vice President Dick Cheney. If this keeps up, we're going to have Bush running the country."

Among the various distractions…

…that have slowed my blogging pace lately has been the inordinate amount of time I've spent pondering a response to a recent posts in various places that essentially echo one of the battle cries of my youth, 'Don't trust anyone over 30!', although the age range has been extended in view, I suppose, of extended longevity. Thirty-somethings appear to have slipped into the trustworthy class, but anyone old enough to have achieved political consciousness in the sixties or seventies is delegated to the dustbin of history.

I say inordinate, because though the kids may bruise my ego with their way-new ideas they have about why I'm pretty much useless now that I'm in my sixth decade of life, it's really an old story. Every generation, I suppose, needs their Port Huron Statement, but I haven't seen anything from the cool kids that tops the originalAmerican generational manifesto (Really. They were just kids then.). Still, I try to pay attention, because I remember well the frustrations of being on the other side of the eternal generational divide once upon a time, however long ago that time may have been.

I'll probably have one of my geezer rants ready soon enough, with a focus on the mythology about the Democratic conventions, candidates and campaigns of '68 and '72, but for now, res publica says a lot of what I have to say. Maybe now how I'd say it, but pretty much what I've been thinking. Check it out...

…can't ya feel the fear I'm feeling today?

It has been 830 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

So, how's that whole Iraq deal working out?

1979

Damn.

Well, at least there's the election…oh...

ABC News has videotape of an Iraqi voter voting YES on seven separate ballots. (ABC)

Hat tip to Terry Turner.

Don't ya understand what I'm trying to say…

It has been 829 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

In NOLA…

…as it is in Baghdad. Via Jeanne d'Arc (my emphasis)...

Shades of Iraq, the reconstruction money Congress approved for reconstruction in the Gulf isn't even being spent. As of last Wednesday, FEMA had received $60 billion, and assigned $15.6 billion.

How badly is the Bushco™ recovery going? The LA Times has Jack-freaking-Kemp, perhaps the quintessential Reaganite, saying…

"Laissez-faire, Darwinian capitalism is not going to work here."

Jeebus.

While I was away…

…the Presidential concubine Secretary of State spoke up...

The fact of the matter is that when we were attacked on September 11, we had a choice to make. We could decide that the proximate cause was al Qaeda and the people who flew those planes into buildings and, therefore, we would go after al Qaeda…or we could take a bolder approach.

A war of choice.

Me, I'm with that Kerry fella on this one…

"You don't go to war because you want to. You go to war because you have to."

Hat tip to Think Progress.

…we're on the eve of destruction.

It has been 828 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

As a pro…

…I can confirm that the folks at Slightly Drunk are right...

The hard part about being a bartender is figuring out who is drunk and who is just stupid.

...and I'm off to do just that for a few hours.

And now...

That you don't believe…

It has been 827 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Quote of the Day...

...and as so often lately, a blogger says smarter stuff than most anybody else. Oliver, this time...

"Democrats get credibility on national security by doing what we’ve always done: kill the bad people who threaten America."

As always.

And isn't it a bit curious that the smart stuff is so often such simple stuff?

Better late than never...

...better random than planned.

Nanci Griffith - Outbound Plane
Shirley Ellis - The Name Game
Peter, Paul & Mary - Wasn't That A Time
Sly & The Family Stone - Sing A Simple Song
The Beach Boys - Fun, Fun, Fun
New Orleans Jazz Vipers - Digga-Digga-Do
Mary Chapin Carpenter - This Shirt
Dolly Parton - Silver Dagger
Lucinda Williams - Lafayette
Peter Tosh - Equal Rights

Reasonably eclectic, if you like that kind of thing, which I do...

And you tell me over and over again my friend…

It has been 826 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Oh yeah...

...pet blogging.

Once again, no time to chase and cajole the lovely and talented Miss Audrey Hepcat for an appropriate shot. Luckily, the eldest daughter of Upper Left has provided some snaps of Molly and Dakota, who the E.D.U.L. shares with her perfectly wonderful partner. Here they are in a moment of repose...



Your kid's dogs may not technically be your 'granddogs,' but these are grand dogs.

Quote of the Day

Kevin at Lean Left gets a turn...

"Democracies don’t die with a whimper. They die surrounded by the voices of thousands of shallow idiots pretending that vileness is admirable and gossip is politics."

J'accuse!

John M. Barry, who knows about such things (he's a visiting scholar at the Tulane-Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research), plays the NOLA blame game in a NYT op-ed, and he's not letting the cosmic muffin take the rap...

"As it turns out, much of the destruction resulted not from an act of god but from human error. "

Nope, Barry makes it very clear. It's the fed's fault.

"...if the levees had performed as they were supposed to, the deaths in New Orleans proper, the scenes in the Superdome and the city's devastation would never have taken place.

Who is responsible? Many accusations, some of them valid, have been hurled at the Orleans Levee Board, a local body. But these accusations are irrelevant. The levee board did not design or build these levees. That was entirely the responsibility of the federal government, through the Corps of Engineers.

Just as a surgeon who improperly sutures an artery is responsible if the suture ruptures and the patient bleeds to death, the federal government is directly responsible for the loss of life and property in most of the city."

(my emphasis)

There it is. We, the people, have assumed the liability of as yet unknown billions of dollars because of the malpractice of the Republican government. There may be a morsel of merit to the argument that at least some of the responsibility should be shared by previous administrations that might have done more. It's inevitable, though, that the greater burden falls upon the party in power, the last with the opportunity to act. It's fitting, too, in this case, since Bushco™ responded to urgent warnings with reckless cuts.

The whole piece is well worth your while.

…but don't forget to say grace.

It has been 825 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Hammer, nail…

Steve M. @ No More Mr. Nice Blog...

"These days, Bush seems more like the owner of a mob-controlled pizzeria whose payments are late."

BANG!

Insane?

Or just hopelessly out of touch?

I'm going to assure you of this: that so long as I'm the president, we're never going to back down, we're never going to give in, we'll never accept anything less than total victory. ....We got a strategy and it's a clear strategy. On the one hand, we will hunt down these killers and terrorists and bring them to justice and train the Iraqi forces to join us in that effort."

Preznit 30something%, today.

It's probably just a symptom of some kind of political variant of Stockholm syndrome, but I'm starting to think that he really doesn't know, that he actually believes the stuff they write for him.

But, hey, where's the fun in that?

This I know for sure…




Pasted from

Another one...

…from behind the Hotline subscription wall (my sample sub runs out soon. Donations to keep it alive are welcome, of course…)

While Preznit 30something% has often used troops as a theatrical backdrop, sounds like he's hired on a few for speaking roles, too...

Pres. Bush's visit via satellite with soldiers in Tikrit this morning was scripted, according to a WH aide who was, in her own words, "scripting" the soldiers shortly before their "conversation" with Bush. The following is a transcript from pool footage, obtained by The Hotline:

WH aide: "Capt. Kennedy are you ready?"

Kennedy: "I am ready, ma'am."

WH aide: "Okay this is for the money. We are going to time this and remember that if the President cut's it short, if he asks more questions, if you have the microphone and he follows up with a question to you, no matter who has it, Captain Pratt if you have the microphone and the President hears something and he wants more information, you just keep that microphone and talk to the President."

Kennedy: "Okay."

WH aide: "But if he gives us a question that is not something that we have scripted Captain Kennedy you are going to have the mic and that's your chance to impress us all."

Kennedy: "Okay."

WH aide: "Which won't be a problem for you" (Hotline sources, 10/13).

(emphasis mine)

One for the money, two for the show. Jeebus.

Hate your next door neighbor...

It has been 824 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Love her…

…or loathe her, there's no question that Ezra's right about Hillary…

...the mere fact that Republicans despise her is not the best way to understand her political views.

His unhealthy fascination with a certain former Vice President is another question altogether...

Supporting the troops…

…means hanging in long after leaving the battlefield. I've heard forever, though I can't cite a reliable source off the top of my head, that more Vietnam vets have committed suicide since their return than died in country. Maybe it's not so, but it certainly sounds credible, and no one has ever challenged in over my years of barroom punditry.

It's even more credible in light of this…

The Army says its overall suicide rate in 2003 was 12.8 per 100,000 active-duty soldiers, while the rate in the general U.S. population was 10.5 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With rotation, how many hundred thousands of troopers have cycled through the Bush war? How many extra dozens of deaths?

Damn.


Hat tip to Holden at First Draft.

Hillary notwithstanding…

…Ted offers an early endorsement for '08. Discussing the junior Senator from Massachusetts (you know, that Kerry fella…), the senior sez…

"If he runs, I would support him.”

Hat tip to Pamela Leavey at The Democratic Daily.

Not like that, Paul.

A trial peek behind the Hotline subscription wall yields this from Ohio hopeful Paul Hackett, on the Party he would represent on the ballot…

"They're addicted to failure," he said. "I want to help the party. The question is, how do you help someone that doesn't want help?"

Couple tips, Paul. First, since you've been a Democratic candidate, and you hope to be again, it may be time to start referring to our Party in the first person.

Second, if you really want to help, bashing the Party in the press isn't really helpful.

Yeah, yeah. I'm sure it's just the evil beltway D's he's talking about, but it's just the kind of fuel the GOP spin machine operates on.

Kinda makes you wonder about his suitability for a high profile Senate race...

Yes, Virginia…

Matthew Gross spots early Santa sign...

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are working on stories that point to Vice President Dick Cheney as the target of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name.

Off to find a photoshopped frog march...

You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace.

It has been 823 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Heh.

rod finds some good stuff at Proof Through The Night...

Theodore Roosevelt Heller, 88, loving father of Charles (Joann) Heller; dear brother of the late Sonya (the late Jack) Steinberg. Ted was discharged from the U.S. Army during WWII due to service related injuries, and then forced his way back into the Illinois National Guard insisting no one tells him when to serve his country. Graveside services Tuesday 11 a.m. at Waldheim Jewish Cemetery (Ziditshover section), 1700 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago. In lieu of flowers, please send acerbic letters to Republicans.

(emphasis as I found it)

The pounding of the drums, the pride, the disgrace...

It has been 822 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Just a few words…

…from Taegan Goddard tell me pretty much all I need to know about Hillary...

Variety says two old friends of Hillary Clinton -- Dick Morris and Susan Estrich...

I mean, with friends like those…ever…even for a minute...

Crazy hours at the pub again…

…but time for a couple short ones. These bits caught my eye.

Steve M. takes note of some creeping Stalinism in the GOP...

What's happening to Bush is not exactly analogous to falling out of favor with the Party during the Soviet era, but any resemblance you may detect is real.

…and Holden wonders…

Will we soon see Karl Rove's image removed from official White House photographs?

Hmmm. A return to traditional Soviet values? They may be on to something...

…but when you return it's the same old place.

It has been 821 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Two hundred years too late...

You Are A Pirate!


What Type Of Swashbuckler Are You?
brought to you by Maddog Varuka & Dawg Brown

And now...

You can leave here for four days in space...

It has been 820 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

I'm with rod…

…at Proof Through The Night.

Q Is anyone in charge [of the Katrina response]?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Yesiree...

Quote of the Day

Bloggers seem to be scoring this more often than not, lately. Here's Oliver's entry (with my emphasis)...

John Kerry was the left of me, the next candidate might be to my right - I really don’t care about pushing the party any direction besides forward.

Amen.

Of course, there's a chance the next candidate might be that Kerry fella…who's not actually to the left of me.

"Everyone should listen...

...to James Brown first thing in the morning, for medicinal purposes."

Van Morrison.

Beyond that, it's all random.

James Brown - I Got You (I Feel Good)
Madonna - Lucky Star
Patty Larkin - Do Not Disturb
Blondie - The Tide Is High
Norah Jones - Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want To Get Over You)
Townes Van Zandt - Colorado Girl
Billy Bragg & The Blokes - All You Fascists Bound To Lose
Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is
Steely Dan - Bodhisattva
Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression I Get

…then take a look around to Selma, Alabama.

It has been 819 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

It just happens...

...to be the number of the year of my birth, but that's not why it matters today.

1951

Damn.

If two people do it…

…together, in harmony…

"...at least two Republican House members — Reps. Jeb Bradley of New Hampshire and Heather Wilson of New Mexico — have decided to return campaign contributions received from DeLay's [PAC]."

And if three more did it, can you imagine three more? Maybe these three?

Dave Reichert, WA-8 $20,000
Doc Hastings, WA-6 $5,930
Cathy McMorris, WA-5 $5,000

That's the ARMPAC money that's infected the Washington body politic. Seems like returning it would be a small price to pay for a measure of public integrity, let alone self respect. Which of our home grown Republican Congresscritters has got the smallest degree of either?

None, so far...

Look at all the hate there is in Red China...

It has been 818 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Preznit 37%

CBS sez...

President George W. Bush’s overall job approval rating has reached the lowest ever measured in this poll, and evaluations of his handling of Iraq, the economy and even his signature issue, terrorism, are also at all-time lows. More Americans than at any time since he took office think he does not share their priorities.

Hat tip to Oliver.

Just in case…

...you thought the GOP's Senate Torture Caucus was a bunch of isolated nutjobs, Mr. Natural, via a comment from a friend, sets the record straight…

"Look at who these people are! Chairmen of Intelligence, Defense Approps, Environment and Public Works committees. The Chairman of two major Judiciary subcommittees and the transport subcommittee of EPW. These are senior ...people."

In other words, the Torture Caucus is made up mostly of well connected, highly influential nutjobs.

Of course, there are no isolated nutjobs in the GOP. They're quite concentrated, actually...

Quote of the Day

"Is she the most qualified person? Clearly the answer to that is no."

Senator Trent Lott, R-MS

Hat tip to Political Wire.

Of course, I'm agin' it…

…but Andrew and the Northwest Progressive Institute crew are doing the real heavy lifting in the blogosphere campaign to defeat Initiative 912, the incredibly destructive effort by anti-tax radicals to undermine the comprehensive package that Governor Gregoire and the Democratic Legislature put together to repair our state's crumbling transportation infrastructure.

I'll have more to say about the initiative as election day draws closer, I'm sure, but you can always find the latest by clicking this link, soon to appear in the Upper Left sidebar.



Check it out. Check it often. Do what you can to Help Defeat 912.

Who would Jesus hurt?

Steve M. has a perversely interesting compare and contrast at No More Mr. Nice Blog between the pro-torture wing of the Senate GOP and their Christian Coalition ratings.

Kind of leaves you yearning for the good old days when religious zealots were self-flagellants…

…we're on the eve of destruction.

It has been 817 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Quote of the Day

"Failure to plan, and train properly has plagued US efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and now that failure has come home to roost in the United States."

Former Army War College Prof and Pentagon advisor Stephen Henthorne, in a DoD report.

Shrill Will

George is displeased with his namesake…

The president's "argument" for her amounts to: Trust me. There is no reason to...

****

...the president has forfeited his right to be trusted as a custodian of the Constitution...

In other words, Preznit 40% can be reliably expected to violate his oath of office.

Of course, many of us have long known he doesn't care about the Constitution any more than he cares about you. Which is to say, not at all.

The General...

accentuates the positive.

That you don't believe...

It has been 816 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

L'Shana Tovah...

...to all y'all who know what Shana Tovah means. Happy new year to everyone else.

From the 'Good Question' file…

...via Jeff Huber at Main And Central.

The WaPo reports that the FBI's criminal caseload has decreased by half since 2001 as a result of its shift in focusing to counterterrorism.

One has to wonder: does that mean twice as much federal crime is going uninvestigated now, or was the FBI previously wasting twice as much time investigating it?

Hammer, nail…

BANG!

Digby nails the GOP's mangy hide to the wall…

Many movement conservatives, whether from the Christian conservative base or the neocon cosmopolitans, really bought into the idea that Bush believes in something deeper than corporate power, cutting taxes for high earners and kicking ass. Yet, there is absolutely nothing in his performance in office that suggests he cares about anything else.

Rove, on the other hand, has the very public agenda of building a "permanent" Republican majority. That is what he's trying to do. Period. Whatever it takes to get there is what they will do -- neocons and Christian alike are just cogs in the machine…

...The modern Republican party, at its core, is not about ideology or values or anything else that high minded mediocre intellectuals and religious zealots pretend motivates their "movement" It's about money and power. Same as it ever was. Ask Grover.

The likes of Rove, Norquist, DeLay and Cheney, exemplars of the destructionist cabal at the heart of the contemporary Republican Party, are all about, and only about, strip mining our democracy for the power and profit of their friends and themselves. Every damn thing they do has to be judged in that light.(Preznit 40% is deliberately omitted. I'm increasingly coming to view him as simply a tool, likely to go down in history as the befuddled, pathetic victim of circumstances beyond his abilities and the betrayal of those he counted as friends),

That includes the Miers nomination, about which the Hullabalooer waxes eloquently and at length. Go see.

They say bad news comes in threes…

…so Tom DeLay may be at the end of his grand jury troubles in Texas. Yet another grand jury, on it's very first day of deliberations, returned counts two and three against the Bugman...

One count of the new indictment accuses DeLay of conspiracy to commit money laundering. It says he agreed with one or more associates to launder $190,000 in corporate contributions through an arm of the Republican National Committee in Washington, allowing the funds to be passed illegally into the election campaigns of Republican candidates in Texas.

****

The other new count alleges that DeLay and the two associates "did knowingly, conduct, supervise, and facilitate" the transfer of the $190,000 to Washington and back to Texas in violation of the state's money-laundering statutes.

The new money laundering charge, btw, carries the potential of life in prison. It's hard to imagine that being the actual outcome, but damn, it's fun to try…

And you tell me over and over again my friend...

It has been 815 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Speaking of Democratic principles…

…I don't think our problem is lack of them. Every wing, branch, caucus and club in our Party has a list, and where those lists most frequently overlap, you'll find the core principles of the Democratic Party.

We do have a problem, though, with presentation. It's not principles we lack, really, but an overarching theme that references those principles for folks who are disinclined to study platforms and position papers. Hunter has a suggestion over at DailyKos...

Strong Families. Strong Communities. Strong Nation.

Works for me. He fleshes out his notion in an excellent post, which I you to read for yourself. His capsule version merits memorization and frequent repetition...

Do Democrats stand for something? Of course we do. We stand for strengthening America from within. Every family, encouraged and protected. Every community, made economically stable and prosperous. The entire nation, made strong through policies that encourage economic strength, dismantle corruption, bribery and cronyism, and produce a tiered homeland security framework both within and outside our borders.

Strong families. Strong communities. Strong nation.

Now to strengthen our Party and make it so…

I'm biased, of course…

…and proudly so, but I really don't think there's any reason for any Democrat to vote for any Republican nominee for anything. As always, I think the basic criteria for examining a nominee is to first ask 'Is this someone a Democratic President might nominate?', and there's simply no reason to believe that any of Preznit 40%'s nominees could pass that test. I know there are some who fear the appearance of excessive partisanship in that approach, but frankly, many of the problems confronting the Democratic Party today are the result of insufficient partisanship. When people say that they don't know what the Democrats stand for, it's not because Democrats haven't published reams of material outlining basic Democratic principles, but because we too often compromise those principles unnecessarily in an effort to appear 'reasonably' bi-partisan in an arena that requires agressive partisanship.

Still, there will be those for whom partisanship alone is not enough to oppose Harriet Miers elevation to the Supreme Court. For those, I commend this, from conservative columnist David Frum...

In the White House that hero worshipped the president, Miers was distinguished by the intensity of her zeal: She once told me that the president was the most brilliant man she had ever met. (emphasis mine)

Sheltered? Foolish? Insane?

Hey, I report, you decide.

An acceptable nominee to the Supreme Court?

Clearly, she's not acceptable to this Democrat, and shouldn't be to any Democrat.

Hat tip to Ezra.

And even the Jordan River's got bodies afloatin'...

It has been 814 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

And now...

So what's that gun you're totin'?

It has been 813 days since Karl Rove violated his obligations under Standard Form 312 without the White House taking “corrective action.”

Rove. Treason. Betrayal.

Another trip to the randomizer...

Mississippi John Hurt - Frankie
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels - Devil With A Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly
Kinks - Tired Of Waiting
Randy Newman - I Love LA
Mel & Tim - Backfield In Motion
Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
Heather Myles - Big Cars
Flying Burrito Brothers - Hot Burrito #2
Tom Paxton - Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues
Joan Baez - There But For Fortune

Sheesh. Return of the Great Folk Scare! I'm not really that old, am I?

Rhetorical question, of course...