Internal Monologue

OK, I was disappointed that the barely Democratic Congress didn't have the guts to end the occupation of Iraq. But still, we have to realize that things are much better than when Republicans were in control. For example, Republican lobbyists are now reduced to the extremity of actually making a convincing argument when trying to get a lawmaker to do something. Here's C&L quoting Roll Call : Several Democratic and Republican lobbyists agreed GOP consultants often get it wrong with Democrats because their corporate pitch is such an easy sell in Republican offices, which already are ideologically sympathetic to businesses’ concerns. Meeting with Democrats, some Republicans neglect to factor in a much wider array of constituencies that hold sway with the new majority, including labor, environmental and consumer groups. “Republican lobbyists are used to walking into an office and just saying, ‘ I’d like you to do this ,’” said one Republican operative who regularly lobbies ac

A bunch of Scooter Libby's supporters filed a brief on his behalf with the judge in the case, one Reggie B. Walton. Apparently, Judge Walton was not impressed with this show of support, and appended this footnote to his order allowing the submission of the brief: It is an impressive show of public service when twelve prominent and distinguished current and former law professors of well-respected schools are able to amass their collective wisdom in the course of only several days to provide their legal expertise to the Court on behalf of a criminal defendant. The Court trusts that this is a reflection of these eminent academics' willingness in the future to step to the plate and provide like assistance in cases involving any of the numerous litigants, both in this Court and throughout the courts of our nation, who lack the financial means to fully and properly articulate the merits of their legal positions even in instances where failure to do so could result in monetary penal

This is the Republican party : Robert Bork, "a leading advocate of restricting plaintiffs’ ability to recover through tort law", "is seeking $1,000,000 in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages , after he slipped and fell at the Yale Club of New York City." Bwahwahwahwa. Republicans: "I can sue. You can't." Why do people listen to this joke of a party? Sigh... Sometimes I wonder if humanity deserves to be saved from itself.

UPDATED BELOW Is Bush purging military leaders who have opposed war in Iran? leveymg on DailyKos thinks so: George W. Bush, in effect, just fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, USMC. This is unprecedented, as it is the first time the JCS Chair has not been reappointed. Pace's replacement will be Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen, if the Senate approves his nomination. The Admiral appears to be a much more convinced true-believer than Pace. Mullen was quoted in an address earlier this month to naval personnel: http://starbulletin.com/... "The enemy now is basically evil and fundamentally hates everything we are -- the democratic principles for which we stand ... This war is going to go on for a long time. It's a generational war." Read that again. Mullen says he thinks we're in a Long War with Evil. Who does that sound like? Click the link above and take a look at Admiral Mullen. That man, if confirmed by

I'd prefer something with a little more teeth, but a no-confidence vote in the Senate Monday on Ultimate Stooge of the Universe Alberto Gonzales is better than nothing. (HT: mcjoan on DailyKos )

The insular nature of the Bush administration is such that we've become amazed when they are forced to concede that the sky is blue (for now). We all live with such lowered expectations, that an agreement to talk, with no real concessions at all, is "a big success." - Devilstower on DailyKos , about the Bush administration and climate change. Impeach Bush and Cheney.

It has been an opinion of mine for some time that the modern anti-choice movement is really the anti-sex movement in new clothes. They kinda lost the anti-sex battle, mainly to commercialism, but also to a realization that sex, although scary and fraught with enormous consequences, is not teh ultimate evil that the puritans have been insisting that it is. So the prudes are now fighting a new battle: you may be able to have sex you slut, but you will suffer the consequences! But they claim they are protecting unborn children! In fact, many anti-choice activists equate abortion with child murder. I think this is absurd, and moreover, I don't think anti-choice activists actually believe this. Certainly, their actual policy positions don't seem to support this view. Here is a table from Ampersand on Alas, a blog , that analyzes specific anti-abortion policies, and shows how they are aimed not at protecting "unborn children", but at punishing women (click to enlarge): Am