Spamming the Spammers

Go get this when it is available. Killer...

(Link via Kevin Drum)

Update: Damn... it's only available in some of the EU countries for now...

Sensible Conservative Legislators

This is obscene.

"When the courts make unconstitutional decisions, we should not enforce them. Federal courts have no army or navy... The court can opine, decide, talk about, sing, whatever it wants to do. We're not saying they can't do that. At the end of the day, we're saying the court can't enforce its opinions."

Why doesn't shit like this get more attention? This guy is an elected representative of the House, and he is saying that the federal courts shouldn't have any power and that the legislature should get into the business of determining constitutionality. I don't care if he is talking about the separation of church and state or tiddly-winks: this sort of thing should have a very bright light shown upon it... it is certainly a more important matter than the POTUS getting his Jimmy waxed by a pudgy intern.

NSF sees cuts

You knew stuff like this was coming (I certainly did)

Stuff like this is absolutely insane... among several other things, the innovation of tomorrow (and hence industry and jobs) depend on the research done today. That is affected in a big way by research dollars... with the ecomony like it is, you need to pay attention to the short term, but you also need a plan for the long term as well. This is like changing one flat tire and putting a slow leak in the other three.

Reneging on pension plans

Atrios had this post up a while ago, and I wanted to link to it here in order to express a little personal outrage.

You see, DHP's Pop is a United Airlines retiree, and there have been some rumors that the pension plan is going to be taken out as a part of its slimming down in order to compete int today's market. It is unclear how this is going to play out, but one of the stark realities is that when it comes to bread, the employees are way down the list.

That's bullshit. Employees should be the first in line, ahead of the creditors. The employees are in it to have a job and support their families whereas the creditors are in it to make money. As in any loan situation they assume a certain level of risk, and if they make poor business decisions, that's the way it goes. Employees, on the other hand, are given a contract stating they will get certain renumeration for their work, of which a pension might be a part. But they don't get interest or some other margin in case the board of directors makes some crappy decisions which put the company in hoc and puts that pension in jeopardy.

In short, those who did work and have some form of compensation pending should be first at the trough; those who are essentially gambling for profit should be last.

Diplomacy? What's that?

We aren't hearing much from the Bushies about this...

Not that I wonder why. It is part of human nature to fear what you don't understand.

Welcome to Bush Cabinet Retreat '05 (Nametags are MANDATORY)

Well, the heads keep on rollin' in the cabinet... Tom Ridge has stepped down, and it looks like Jon Snow might follow him.

Hmmm. It seems to me that Dubya is going to soon run out of WHite House loyalists to appoint... Agnus the Cleaning Lady might be next up for nomination.

And it's not like she could do any worse. Ridge was... what am I searching for here? Ah, yes, there it is: a joke. Jesse from Pandagon put it well:

I'll miss...that thing he did.

What are the job prospects for a guy like Ridge? With his coloring skillz, I'll bet several children's book publishers are lining up for him, as well as several TV news outlets (think of his natural proficiency with the Doppler Radar!)

Snow, on the other hand, served for quite a short time considering the growth of the economy... I mean, how many times on the campaign trail did we hear that the economy was "turning the corner?" And it seems to me that Snow did about everything the boss wanted... he was a loyal guy. That begs the question: how bad do you have to suck to be a Bush loyalist and still get canned?

Or perhaps that's the wrong question... maybe he was just too white. I'm not saying that Gutierrez isn't cut out for the job (nor am I saying he is... I don't know him); however, Bush and Rove are nothing if not political, and one thing they do very very well is pay their debts. The Cuban vote really helps in Florida, and the Republicans are taking an ever-larger chunk of the growing Hispanic vote. Call me cynical, but you do the math and see where it leads you...

Light posting...

Hey DHP Readers (both of you),

Posting is going to be a bit light... I am trying to get caught up after a Thanksgiving jaunt to CA, but I have some posts saved up that need a little polishing, plus a belated Friday Catblogging post, so check back Monday night or so.

The Texas Republicans are at it again...

You gotta be kiddin' me...

Heflin's attorney, Andy Taylor, said the election results in state House District 149 in southwest Harris County were fraught with voting irregularities and potential fraud, most of which occurred in predominantly Democratic precincts.

"The true outcome of this election was stolen from the voters in House District 149," Taylor said Tuesday. "We will prove that Representative Talmadge Heflin was re-elected."

Heflin, a Republican member of the House since 1983 and chairman of its Appropriations Committee, lost to Democratic businessman Hubert Vo by 32 votes earlier this month. But Heflin's campaign alleges that those election results include at least 248 irregularities that could have altered the outcome.

Taylor said he will file notice today that the Heflin campaign intends to contest the election in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. That will require that House Speaker Tom Craddick order a House committee to investigate Heflin's allegations.

After the committee reports its findings, the full House will decide whether to seat Vo or Heflin or call for a new election. The House's decision will be binding, said a
spokesman for the Texas secretary of state's office.

Of course, the Texas legislature is controlled by the Republicans, and its Speaker, Tom Craddick, can appoint a committee, invested with subpoena power, to investigate the matter, and he has already stated that Vo will never be seated in "his" House. Even with that aside, look back to how the Republicans rammed through a second re-districting a couple years ago which gerrymandered 4 Democrats out of their seats in the House.

Look, there might be a couple irregularities here and there (there always are in every election). But do you really think that the Republican legislature is going to give this matter a fair shake? And do you really think that Heflin's people categorizes irregularities in Republican precincts (or even looked there)?

Unfortunately, they are already out ahead of the media on this one with their claims that the election was stolen and that the irregularities were all in left-leaning precincts. This is going to be a fun one to watch...

Wait, wait... I've heard this one!

I am waiting with baited breath to see which right-wing outlet starts harping about how we have found evidence of WMD as a result of this.

As a pre-emptive strike: Shut the hell up already!

Where'd the dollar go?

Happy Thanksgiving!

ugh...

Teens are bad drivers (and other astonishing news)

Here

Ok, so that gets the "No shit, Sherlock" award for the day... but the main aspect of the article that I wanted to comment on concerns doctors:

Long hours, especially for doctors in the training phase of their careers, may contribute to the higher accident rate for physicians, said a spokesperson for the American Medical Association. The AMA has not studied physician involvement in auto accidents.

No surprises here either... residents get the absolute shaft, even with the new work-hour guidelines which limit you to an 80-hour week and no more than 36 hours in a row... gee, thanks! I guess it is a lot better than in the not too distant past: I have a orthopod friend who had to work 120 hour weeks during his general surgery year because they were short-handed.

And it doesn't necessarily stop after residency either: certain specialties (e.g. Ob/Gyns) often work insane hours. This is a big reason why you see general surgery, once the holy grail for medical students, rarely fill their slots for new residents, while a previous joked-about specialty like Dermatology is turning into one of the most competitive (9-5 hours are attractive).

I would love to see a break-down by specialty... that would be a real news article. DHP's sister, who is sitting behind DHP as he writes this post, would also like to see a break-down of statistics before and after the new work hour guidelines... I agree (She's peds doc BTW).

Is it just me...

...or does it feel a little drafty in here?

Ara-who? Israel/Palestine what?

Well, that was quick, wasn’t it?

Arafat dies, everyone quietly hopes that the event will jump start talks, the world looks in our direction, and then…

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

And it’s not like Dubya didn’t have some opportunities. Powell wasn’t going to stay on, but Rice could have used her nomination to SecState to come out strong and make a statement of engagement… no dice. Blair crossed the pond to plead with Bush for renewed engagement (and a little pay-back for his support in Iraq), but all Bush said was “Awww… my precious little poodle is so cute when he begs!”

The word is that Dubya wants to see if the moderate leadership that is filling the vacuum is strong enough to stick around and fend off the influence of Hamas… why? When has Bush ever shown patience or prudence in anything that he has done? Since when has he needed information before acting? I mean, Bush went to war on data that makes a hobo’s tip on a penny stock look rock-solid, but here he has a great opportunity to re-insert the country into this effort and he balks!

So has Bush turned all yella’? Nope… at least, not by the standards the media has set. Instead, he is just playing his chosen role on this issue: Ariel Sharon’s little bitch. After his mistake at Camp David, Arafat was a barrier to peace… but Sharon is damn near as bad. I am not saying that Sharon has to go, but I think if we apply appropriate pressure we can get him to engage in a meaningful way.

Unfortunately, Dubya doesn’t have the balls or, perhaps more accurately, Rove sees it as a losing political issue… what a terrible, terrible failing for someone who claims moral clarity.

The Myth of Southern Hospitality

I did some shopping for the folks for our Turkey Day celebrations, and during the trip I experienced a reaffirmation of something I noticed when I first got to North Carolina: the average person in California is much, much nicer.

To get what I mean, go and shop at Safeway or Nugget in California and then shop at Kroger or Harris Teeter in NC… there is no comparison. Nobody begrudges you asking for directions to a product in CA; in fact, they drop what they are doing and walk you to where you need to go. They ask how you are doing and/or if you if you need anything when they make eye contact. They have great efficiency at the checkout lanes, but it doesn’t hinder their personal interactions there either.

In NC, on the other hand, stock boys sigh when you ask them to direct you to some hard-to-find item. The deli workers get mad at you when you point out that they pulled the wrong brand of salami out of the case. Checkout attendants ask you inane questions about paper towels you are buying, or make little annoying comments like “Geez, getting enough beer today?” Yeah, I’m an alcoholic… now STFU and bag my groceries already!

You would think that with all this righteous red state crap going on, they would revel in their role as the supposed defenders of “Regular Folk with Moral Values and Good Manners in General.”

P.S. Sure, I realize the comparison I made here is quite David-Brooksian in nature… so sue me (at least I acknowledge it).

Burnin' in Hell (and other easy topics for dinner conversation this Thanksgiving)

Nicky! I knew you had it in you... I only hammer on you so much because I expect a lot out of you.

Mr. Kristof hits on the Left Behind series in his latest column. The Left Behind series is one of those huge phenomenons on the far right that they all know about like the back of their hand but the rest of us know virtually nothing about... kinda like the code phrase of "Dred Scott" meaning "Roe v. Wade."

Anyway, as Kristof informs us, this series is hugely popular with the evangelicals because, well, they get a "Get out of Hell FREE" card:

The "Left Behind" series, the best-selling novels for adults in the U.S., enthusiastically depict Jesus returning to slaughter everyone who is not a born-again Christian. The world's Hindus, Muslims, Jews and agnostics, along with many Catholics and Unitarians, are heaved into everlasting fire: "Jesus merely raised one hand a few inches and . . . they tumbled in, howling and screeching."

Nicky appropriately points out the inherent zealotry of this view point and how it is rather hypocritical to denounce similar beliefs of Muslim zealots, etc. Of course, the evangelicals howl at such comparisons and delicious irony because... well... they are right and the Muslims are wrong... don't you see!?!

No, I don't.

Look, I am a Christian... I believe that the way to salvation is through my belief in Jesus Christ as savior (although I also share some traditional Catholic beliefs in that good works are important as well). But I don't necessarily think that someone who doesn't hold those beliefs is definitely going to hell... it just isn't my place to say, and quite frankly I don't understand why so many people are so quick to judge.

I do believe that I should profess my beliefs and witness, but that I should mainly do so via my actions and by being open to discussion of the topic. But when you start blatently telling people that they are simply wrong in matters of faith and belief and that they are riding the Hell Express, you simple defeat your purpose. Very few people are going to listen to you, and many more are going to get turned off to the idea of Christianity as a whole.

I know what is right for me, and I think it is possible to share that with people without telling them that they are wrong... it is not a binary situation. Why can't evangelicals accept that? I think ministry would be a lot more effective that way...

P.S. Getting back to part of the original topic, it appears that the publisher of the Left Behind series has picked up a new competitor series which asserts that Revelations was all about Nero and early Christiandom... LaHaye and Jenkins refuse to debate the issue with their new rivals. Interesting.

Ricky and the sticky-icky

Lots of sports posts of late…

It looks like Ricky Williams is going to be re-instated and will serve his suspension for smoking the reefer over the remainder of the season. This has predictably gotten the football pundits all a-flutter over his antics and bemoaning the effects on his former team.

Save it.

A backfield stable of Ricky Williams, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, and Tony Dorsett would have turned this sorry-ass 1-win team into a 3-win team… maybe. I agree that his value for trade is diminished, but it would be nothing if he stayed retired.

If you want to get up in arms about anything, it’s ayurveda… that’s the fancy name for “holistic healing,” or as I like to call it, “Snakeoil Fraud.” Ricky has been going to school for it, and the school’s instructor just got away with calling it a “medical science” on the local news. If that’s not bad enough, NFL fans are probably going to have endure countless “Medicine Man” references when Ricky carries the ball for years to come:

“What’s the remedy for this team, Bob?”

“Well Jim, they gotta give more carries to the Medicine Man… he’s just the tonic to wake up this offense!”

“Sounds like the right diagnosis to me, Bob!”

Barf.

The Fallacy of TIME’s Folklore ‘04

Today was a big travel day as I was headed to the Left Coast for Thanksgiving with the ‘rents and some family friends. As such, I did a lot of reading on the plane, particularly of the most recent TIME Magazine (11/22/04, “Street Fight”). It’s a good issue… lots of articles on important topics and not a lot of puff journalism (which infuriates me to no end).

Anyway, they had a small piece by Karen Tumulty titled “The Folklore of Election ‘04” which tried to lay a few of the misperceptions of the elections results to rest. I was with her for most of the way as she hit items such as the churchgoer vote and the youth vote… right up until the end, where she proceeded to blow it on poo-pooing the notion that the country has moved to the right on social issues.

Tumulty points to TIME poll numbers showing support for civil unions (60%) and stem cell research (69%), while showing opposition against abortion without consideration for the health of the mother (9% support).

I have several issues with this… first of all, TIME provides this data in a static manner, when the statement they are trying to debunk is dynamic in nature: what do the date show over time? How does it track? They also fail to provide any data on demographics… young Americans might have more liberal leanings on this issue, but they don’t possess much political clout and don’t vote in large numbers… who is doing the voting counts!

Secondly, citing poll numbers on the worse-case scenario of outlawed abortion isn’t really going to say much… the more pertinent (and important) issue is Roe v. Wade as a whole, and not how extreme you can take the issue. Besides, it is a judicial non-starter anyways (and I am personally appalled that a tenth of our populace supports that position).

The final main issue I had was Tumulty’s avoidance of the obvious question: if people are so damn moderate, why are they supporting an administration that adopts far-right stances on so many of these issues? Dubya’s stem cell position was supposed to be a moderation but ended up pleasing virtually nobody; he not only wants to overturn Roe v. Wade but also signed the late-term abortion bill which has no provision for the health of the mother; he supports homophobic positions and is to the far right on sex education and health issues… need I go on?

I’ll back off a little here at the end and say that it was obvious that the article was meant to be a simple capsule on these topics, so I shouldn’t really expect too much. But on the other hand, my rantings above seem to indicate that not all of those issues can be so neatly described.

An aside: The last topic addressed in the article was regarding all the internet conspiracy theories regarding a stolen election… I have no comment on what she said, but rather just wanted to comment that I have been trying to put together a post on this subject for some time, and that perhaps this will help spur me on….

Vomitorium

I am signed up for two different word-of-the-day email listservs, and occasionally I get rather hooked on a particularly great word that hits my inbox… recent favs include hebetudinous (lethargic) and schedenfreude (finding pleasure in the misfortune of others).

However, you don’t just have to be limited to such devices… just watch ESPN!

While watching a piece on the Pacers-Pistons brawl, there was a reference to the “vomitorium,” which as it turns out is the term for the tunnel exit from the floor to the locker rooms, etc.

Freakin’ awesome… getting off the bus is now going through the vomitorium. Change your perspective: the entranceway of my house is now the vomitorium. Exiting a computer program is now a vomitory process (which works on several levels in Windows).

Update: Apparently everybody is getting in the game… I have heard “vomitorium” used on several different occasions while watching NBA and college games over the past two days. It’s going to get old rather quickly… a shame, really.

Crackdown on the meltdown…

By this time, I have gotten my wish to see some of the fights between the Pacers, Pistons, and the Piston fans, but I still don’t really know what I feel about the whole sordid affair.

I don’t think that the NBA really had much choice but to drop the hammer has hard as they could in order to combat the thug image that is coursing through the game, and I do have respect for that.

But on the other hand, 73 games?!? Kermit Washington damn near killed Rudy Tomjanovich and got about a third as many games under suspension… no matter what you think about Artest, 73 games is kinda silly in comparison (and that doesn’t even count possible playoff games). Hell, in that light Rudy should be the most pissed off by Artest’s suspension… I know I would be insulted by the comparison!

But then again, I do think that the other suspensions are pretty fair relative to Artest's penalty… it was an ugly brawl and a lot of people share the blame.

But then again, Artest has a rather striking (sorry, bad pun) history of prior acts… perhaps that should factor in quite a bit.

But then again, the “fans” deserved some of what they got (and more in some cases, like for those who threw chairs)

But then again, Artest only got hit with a coke…

But then again, where the hell was the security?!?

Ugh…

SI Jinx

Obviously this is not a very timely post, but I am currently watching the Tar Heels play for the first time this year (vs. Tennessee), and I am wondering if any sort of study or catalog has been performed regarding the “SI Jinx.”

Certainly such a study would have a lot of subjectivity to it… what would constitute a fulfillment of the jinx? In what timeframe would it have to occur? I also imagine that there would be some major confounding factors as well: a lot of the folks who make the cover are teams and players on unlikely runs of success who are primed for a stumble.

But “provable” or not, it certainly seems that the SI Jinx has been raising it’s ugly head quite often of late (or perhaps I am just still sore after what happened to my Cubbies in the playoffs two years ago… *sniff*)

Safliar

Go read this write-up of Safire in Salon... I knew he was bad since I started reading him a handful of years ago, but damn...

It sure doesn't speak well of the NY Times.

The de-evolution of evolution in America...

Political Wire points us to a Gallup Poll which shows that 33% back the theory of evolution and say there is supportive evidence, while 45% think that God plunked humans down on the earth about 10,000 years ago.

45%... chew on that one for a while. Then also consider that 33% are biblical literalists who believe that the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word. Then tell me with a straight face that religious zealotry is not taking over...

It simply amazes me... the Bible and Darwinism need not be mutually exclusive. Why can't people wrap their heads around the concept that even if the Bible is not taken literally that the message contained therein is not diminished at all?

And to all those biblical literalists: how are you doing with the rules laid down in Leviticus?

Update: Kevin Drum points out 25% of Americans think the sun orbits the Earth... bottom line: never overestimate the intelligence of the general population.

Malnutrition in Iraq nearly double what it was before invasion

Check it out...

Of course, this has to be just another example of the liberal media bias. All good patriotic Americans know that the world and the Iraqi people (especially those estimated 100,000 who have died) are much better off without Saddam.

"Protecting the institution"

Josh Marshall catches Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) in a classic moment of saying up-is-down and black-is-white:

"You have to look at protecting the institution,” Rep. Rogers told the paper on Thursday. "I’m an attorney, and any attorney knows you can get an indictment with a ham sandwich. We’re trying to raise the standard, to make it so that you don’t allow what is purely a political indictment to make someone step aside from a leadership role."

Reeeeeaaaaally... so why did the Republicans insert that provision in their caucus in the first place back in 1994? The standards of indictment haven't exactly changed much since then... could it be because they wanted to look all pure and virtuous at the time, and then they pull it when it became an inconvenience?

Naw... you would have to be really cynical to think that...

Memo to all employees: Knock off the wishful thinking...

Kevin Drum catches Gregg Easterbrook pondering our energy policy under the assumption that Dubya is a rational person who alters his viewpoints based on objective data.

I personally expect this kind of garbage from Easterbrook... I think the guy's an idiot. However, I have seen far too many non-idiots making similar noises about how Bush is going to have to moderate on this or that due to whatever logical reason the reality-based community sees coming down the pike.

But here's the thing, folks... when the hell has Bush ever moderated on anything based on new information? Since when has he made policy tailored to objective information and not to ideology? What the hell makes you think he's going to start now?

For folks who look at data objectively to formulate their opinions and theories, this is one big gaping hole: rather than looking at the past data, they are basing their views of the future on pure pipe dreams.

WAKE UP!

Bring out the Gimp (R-PA)

If you have been reading anything at all over the past couple weeks or so, you have seen stories about how somewhat moderate Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has been begging the religious right for the Chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee after rather inocuously commenting that anti-abortion foes might have a hard time getting thorough the Senate. Not by his own hand, mind you... just the Senate in general. But even this small act of heresy got Mullah Dobson and the rest of the clerics in a twist, and Arlen had to submit to proverbial public castration to get his beloved Chairmanship.

Well, I guess that "proverbial" provision is a little more literal than I thought... check this out (via The Talent Show):

Sen. Arlen Specter saved his seat as the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee by signing a pledge—a pledge that had to be drafted, then redrafted to the specifications of the GOP leadership.

----

Following the firestorm, the pray-in, the retractions, and the bloodletting, Specter's endorsement could come only after he'd agreed, in writing, to "not use a litmus test to deny confirmation to pro-life nominees" and that he had "no reason to believe that I'll be unable to support any individual President Bush finds worthy of nomination." Over his initial objections, he further pledged to support the so-called "nuclear option" to put an end to filibusters: "If a rule change is necessary to avoid filibusters, there are relevant recent precedents to secure rules changes with 51 votes," he said.

Just to clarify: In order to claim the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter was forced to abandon future personal or independent judgment—the very judgment the people of Pennsylvania elected him to exercise. He has pledged—in advance of knowing who they are—to endorse the president's judicial nominees and to vote for a highly controversial GOP rule change to end filibusters and effectively terminate dissent of any sort in the Senate. Is it ironic that judicial nominees may not speculate at their confirmation hearings about how they will vote in future cases, but the chairman of the Judiciary Committee himself cannot be seated until he's pledged in advance to confirm those unknown nominees?

All I have to say is "Wow... WOW!"

He had to SIGN A FRIGGIN' OATH OF FEALTY?!? If I was a Pennsylvania resident (of any political affiliation), I would be livid... he is suborning the interests of his state to a bunch of religious yahoos to further his own position (which obviously backfired a bit). He's literally an indentured servant to the religious right...

I won't be suprised in the least if he has to conduct his committee's meetings wearing black leather and chains, sporting a ball gag, and connected to Dobson's wrist by a short leash...

One more thing on marriage...

New Donkey has these thoughts on the Protestant Reformation and the institution of marriage:

Virtually all of the leaders of the Reformation denounced the idea of marriage as a scripturally-sanctioned church sacrament, holding that baptism and the Eucharist were the only valid sacraments. Luther called marriage "a secular and outward thing,"which he did not mean as a compliment. Calvin treated marriage as a "union of pious persons," and while he did consider marriage a "covenant," he used the same term for virtually every significant human relationship.

I am not a religious scholar, so I have no comment on this other than to say it is an interesting thought... would others who know more about this please comment? Heidi?

The point of the gay marriage amendments...

Given the topic of my last post, I thought I would weigh in with an additional thought or two about the controversy over "moral values" being the top issue in the elections (for previous thoughts, see here).

Was it a ploy to drive the religious conservatives to the polls? It would certainly seem that way to me based on the fact that in 10 of the 11 states with referenda, gay marriage wasn't legal anyway. So what's the point?

Apparently the point is two-fold...

Using unthinking shorthand that carries out the hidden agendas of the people who want gays banished to the fringes of society, the press has over and over again referred to these measures as banning gay marriage. In fact that is only accurate regarding three of the 11 initiatives passed last week.

In state after state -- most prominently in Ohio (which Bush barely won) and in Michigan (which he nearly did) -- these referendums went far beyond the question of who gets to be formally married. They also banned legal and other conventions incidental to marriage, which are central to the evolving institutions of civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Remember: polls show support for civil unions to be around 50%, with individual freedoms and rights that would be granted by civil unions polling much higher when considered separately.

But that's the way they play this game... use one view to slip a more extreme measure through the door...

The new face of the Religious Right

Not exactly new... just more public:

Fred Phelps had sent his 51-year-old son, Fred Phelps Jr., and his daughter, Shirley Phelps Roper, 47. Under the watchful eye of several Sand Springs police officers, they spread out along the public patch of grass in front of the church.

They raised their signs. Fags Are Worthy of Death. Fags Doom Nation. Fag Church. Your Pastor Is Lying. Others involved obscene drawings and references to excrement. One of the protesters dragged an American flag on the ground.
---
Phelps gestured toward the church marquee that scrolled the message I hate the sin but love the sinner -- God! "It's a play on words, the sin and the sinner," he said. "You can't separate the two. There are some people in this world who are made to be destroyed."

Shirley Phelps Roper chimed in. "With the right hand they are saying that homosexuality is a sin and they will fix you," she said. "And with the left hand they say that God loves you. They don't own salvation. They don't have the prerogative to fix the heart of man."

Lovely.

Not that I didn't know about Phelps before this... it is just that he used to be fringe years back; now he doesn't look so out of place. Sad.

I did get heartened by some words later in the article:

The Rev. Russell L. Bennett, president of the Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, took the podium. "You are a gathering of the saints," he said, smiling at the crowd. "Now, in some parts of town, that might be disputed."

Bennett recited a Bible verse in which Jesus scolds the leaders of his time for worrying more about narrow morality than the bigger picture. "Woe to you, hypocrites," the reverend said. "For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy."

But unfortunately, I fear this guy is in the minority by a big margin...

Update: Yes, I realize the article was about a conservative community defending one of their gay residents... however, I might point out that this wouldn't make the Tulsa papers, let alone the WP, if the community had been more liberal-minded. The fact it was even a story is half the point.

Presidential Yachts, Tax Peepshows, and other necessary items

Brought to you by your Republican-dominated Congress...

I was going to post about each item individually, but Kevin Drum already has them all in a round-up (I would have beaten him to it if I could just get paid for doing this like he does... *sniff*)

Atrios thinks we Dems should make a really big stink about the yacht... damn skippy! This is right on the heels of raising the debt ceiling by several hundred billion! Where are all those small government fiscal conservatives I always hear about in the Republican Party? Oh right... they have no prinicples (see the DeLay Rule)... sorry, I forgot there for a second.

Speaking of the DeLay Rule, Josh Marshall has been all over it along with the Daily DeLay... go check them both out.

Josh has also been carrying water for the Istook Amendment (here, here, here, here, here, here, here). CNN has finally posted something on the story, but without much in the way of investigative work or background on who was responsible... but it is a start.

Will Josh get another notch in his belt (the first being Trent Lott)? Stay tuned...

C'mon CNN... just take the plunge!

Another example today of how CNN is trying to be like FOX but maintains some small pieces of dignity.

Our headline is patriotic and breast-beating in nature: "Troops Mop Up Falluja Insurgency" This is complete with a photo on the home page of a soldier escorting a supposed insurgent to the brig by the scruff of his neck. It all screams "America: Fuck yeah!"

We then start the text with great mentions of the elections, and the following graf:

As plans were being solidified for the elections, the U.S. military said Sunday it has detained more than 1,450 people in the Falluja area during a two-week anti-insurgent operation.

Woo-hoo! Almost 1500!

But wait...

More than 400 of the detainees were released after they were deemed noncombatants, the U.S. military said. An additional 100 are scheduled to be released Sunday, as U.S. and Iraqi forces in Falluja search for remaining insurgents.

Doh! C'mon CNN... if you want to run with the Big Dogs like FOX, you can't be pointing out these trivial details! At least they didn't say anything about estimates that some 70-90% of those at Abu Ghraib were innocent and relate that to this recent round-up... but then they make another mistake!

Seven bodies, including that of at least one Iraqi soldier, were discovered Sunday in the northern city of Mosul, a spokeswoman for the U.S. military's Task Force Olympia said.

Amateurs! All new out of Iraq is good news, don't you understand that?!?

Nine bodies of Iraqi army troops were found near each other in south-central Mosul on Saturday, the U.S. military said. The soldiers had been shot in the backs of their heads.

Guys, you are killin' me here... FOX is laughing at you! I know you feel FOX-like in that you didn't mention that 7 of the nine were also decapitated, but that's minor league crap compared to FOX.

CNN, you really need to step it up here... you still have a shread or two of journalistic integrity that you are clinging to. Let go and join the dark side!

Argh! So close...

...but yet, so far.

Brooks gallops right up to the jump, but then refuses... he really had me going there for a second or two.

It's shifted because many House Republicans know that DeLay has been playing close to the ethical edge for years.

Damn straight... too bad it took a(nother) scandel for Brooks to speak out against DeLay, but better late than never.

They know Delay symbolizes their descent from that reformist ideal.

Damn skippy... preach on!

He is not the vicious strongman who terrorizes members and reduces them to tears to get their vote.

Ye-... eh, what?

He's not even a terror to his peers.

Hey Dave, what are you reaching for behind your back?

In fact, DeLay has been a thoughtful majority leader.

Oh no! It's the Shiv of Op-Ep Hackery +5! RUN!

If Republicans are going to recover the reformist spirit, they're going to have to do more than lessen the influence of Tom DeLay.

That's it Davy... put the shiv down... easy fella...

Hastert has gone from being obscure to being beloved.

EASY!

But the next time a scandal licks up against him, DeLay will find his support is not as strong as he thought it would be. He'll turn around and find that his caucus has remembered its core values.

OK, I guess at this point I will accept him walking away, shiv in hand.

Just one question: if the Republicans really remembered their core values, why not get him now? I mean, does he have to be caught screwing Dubya's new dog with Rick Santorum before they will give him the boot?

C'mon... really.

Blind trusts for political donations

Anyone have anything to say about this? Seems like a cute idea, but I don't know enough about the vagarities of campaign finance to see the holes in it...

WP prints homophobic insert

Go read...

I am speechless.

Friday Night Fights

Damn... I wish I got the chance to see this!

A lot of people are going to be wailing and tearing their clothes over the state of the NBA and the bunch of thugs who get paid millions, etc.

Believe me, I can't stand Allen Iverson either... but on the face of this, I might have to side with the players on this one. Sure, the players were tussling on the court, but having paid for your seat doesn't give you the right to participate... throwing things onto the court would have gotten my attention as well, so I don't think Artest is alone on this one. I would have loved to have seen Artest lay out that "fan" who got onto the court.

BTW, where the hell was security during all this?

Education and Clean Air get raided

Lovely.

Among the victims were Bush priorities like education, which would grow by less than 2 percent to nearly $57 billion. The National Endowment for Democracy, which buttresses democratic institutions abroad, got $60 million of the $80 million he wanted, while his Futuregen program to promote clean-burning power plants got $18 million -- one-thirteenth of what the White House proposed.

[Italics mine]

And you know that whatever the White House proposed was probably way too little to begin with... or it was artifically high so they could look like the good guys while that mean 'ol House took it out (nevermind who controls it... don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain!)

One for the road...

A lot of folks have been giving their opinions on Colin Powell's tenure (I am no exception), and a bunch of folks have been looking at the recent talk about Iran in terms of Groundhog's Day and Movies We Have Already Seen. However, I haven't seen the two linked together very often with the scorn and wonderment that is due to it... perhaps people are worn out. Anyway, Eric Alterman steps up to the plate for us:

Colin Powell is one of the most charismatic individuals to whom I’ve ever spoken. He has mesmerizing eyes, a warm nature and a powerful, dignified bearing. All of this has been useful in his efforts to snow the media into portraying him as a man of unusual competence and institutional fortitude. In fact, Powell’s position at State has been one of consistent humiliation, and profound incompetence—together with extremely questionable judgment and honesty. From the day Bush humiliated him just a few days into the administration by publicly overturning his Korea policy, through Rumsfeld’s refusal even to consider the massive amount of State Department planning for postwar Iraq, Powell has found himself cut off at the knees and merely carrying water in the public for those who mock and undercut him behind closed doors. The highlight or more accurately lowlight of his tenure was his willingness to go before the world and make a phony case for war based on information he knew to be unsound. He’s been apologizing ever since—and yet, he’s just done it again, laying the groundwork for an ill advised—potentially catastrophic military misadventure, and sacrificing what remains of his credibility in order to do so; a fitting end to a tragic failure.

Eric is a touch more harsh than I might have been... there are those who truly believe that despite his spectacular failings and how often he whored himself for the administration, he did win some occasional small battles for moderation. However, the fact that he was willing to do this one last time for old time's sake is really sad.

Does Steven Clemons still think this guy should run for president?

Big Brother... slashing prices!

Kevin Drum points us to this:

By its own count, Wal-Mart has 460 terabytes of data stored on Teradata mainframes, made by NCR, at its Bentonville headquarters. To put that in perspective, the Internet has less than half as much data, according to experts.

Damn...

Wheel of Fish

Ezra has a post expressing his hope that the raising of the debt ceiling and the DeLay Rules is the beginning of the tumble down the mountain for the House Republicans. Sure, I hope so too, but I certainly don't agree with this sentiment:

I've never seen more careless abuses of power, more callous corporate bidding or more politically indefensible moves. These guys truly think they're invincible, and absolutely believe the American people stupid.

I believe that the American populace is pretty stupid as well... and lazy, willfully ignorant, etc. A cynical opinion perhaps, but have the American people really shown us anything different of late? The Bush Adminstration did nothing but callous corporate bidding, abuses of power, etc. for 4 years, and they not only won the re-election but got some folks in the legislature on their coattails. I'm not saying that all is without hope, but I am certainly not going to jump the gun on this... IMO, these things are small beans compared to much of the past 4 years.

Oh, and for those of you confused about the title, go watch UHF.

Brand Democrat

Check out some of these posters by Oliver Willis... I like their simplicity; it helps focus on the messages (which I love).

Friday Cat-Blogging

'Twas a very lazy day for Mr. Hugs when these pictures were taken (not that it would be distinguishable from any other day...)

Anyway, I was able to time my shot to capture the holy grail of cat pictures: The Yawn

Erototoxins

Atrios directs us all to this.

Note that Brownback is a Senator... not a Representative... a Senator

These are the guys who are supposed to be more serious and cool the intemperate nature of the House... in theory anyway.

I need a drink...

Freakin' outstanding...

Folks, you all have to go have a listen to the new Heidi and Chris single... read the lyrics and sing along!

Santorum, R-VA

Atrios sez "Ooooops."
I say, "Pass the popcorn."

How many free-marketers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

This is a short follow-up on my live-blogging post regarding a debate on our health care system that I attended last night. I have been chewing on it a while, and I just can't wrap my head around the application of a free market system to medical care, mostly for some of the points I mentioned previously.

Look, capitalism is great, but it doesn't necessarily function best entirely on its own and perhaps not at all in certain situations. I think scrambled eggs are great too, but I have a hard time choking them down without salt, or salsa, and I don't think they would go too well with ice cream. My point is that whenever free-marketers talk, they never seem to acknowledge previous failings or the possibility that there should be any sort of restriction on their system whatsoever or else it will be too hindered to work... they're kinda like the Underpants Gnomes:

Phase 1) "Privatize and deregulate!"

Phase 2) " "

Phase 3) "Profit!"

I am actually think I have pretty decent credentials as someone who supports the free market... I get pissed off at farm subsidies and other handouts to industries who go to the government instead of adapting to conditions to continue to compete. But at the same time, I am also a realist in that the consumer is not always considered, not all markets are really open, and sometimes the playing field needs to be leveled a little. Free market with some reasonable limits is the bottom line.

Update: I almost forgot to give you the answer to the joke in the title... none. If the light bulb needs to be changed, the free market will do it all on its own!

Watch out for the big pot-hole on that route...

Apparently it is kinda difficult to do some holy-rollin' down Interstate 69...

(Props to Eric Alterman for the link)

And yes, it is fake... but I'll wager a few media outlets pick it up!

Dubya Years vs. Bubba Years

The American Progress Action Fund has a daily Progress Report email that you should really sign-up for if you have not done so already... it is really top-notch. I try to refrain from posting items from it, because if I did then damn near everything would qualify as post-worthy.

However, I want to make an exception today... today the Progress Report included a great comparison of the Clinton Years and the Bush II Years that is particularly stark... read on:

POVERTY: During the Clinton years, poverty fell by 25.2 percent. Poverty climbed steadily under President Bush, however. According to the most recent data from the Census Bureau, the number of Americans living in poverty has "risen ten percent since 2000." That means "nearly 36 million Americans – one in eight – now live in poverty and tens of millions are considered working poor."

WAGES: Wage growth has fallen dramatically over the past four years. In 2000, median weekly wages grew by 4.9 percent. This fell to a mere 2.0 percent in 2003, meaning that adjusted for inflation, "wages fell slightly in real terms in 2003 for the first time since 1996." For those who have found work, the recovery is of questionable value in an "upside down" economy where profits have soared yet families' benefits are nullified by the rapidly rising costs of housing, education, and medical care – all of which jumped at double digit rates.

UNEMPLOYMENT: There are more people unable to find work than four years ago. In 2000, the unemployment rate was 4 percent. During his terms, President Clinton created 22.7 million jobs. Putting that in historical perspective, that's "the most created under any single president since the 1920s, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics." Under President Bush, 490,000 jobs disappeared, making him the first president since Herbert Hoover to have fewer available jobs at the end of his term than at the beginning.

DEFICITS: Under President Clinton, the U.S. government had "its first budget surpluses since 1969, and its largest surpluses on record." Not only was there a total budget surplus of $176 billion, the Clinton Treasury "actually paid off $362.5 billion of debt held by the public." President Bush reversed this trend, racking up a record $422 billion deficit. Instead of paying down the debt, the Bush Treasury has needed three debt ceiling increases over the past four years and is calling this week for a fourth. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, there's no end in sight; if President Bush succeeds in passing his 2005 budget – with the extension of his tax cuts – there will be $6.2 trillion in additional debt between now and 2014, nearly doubling our current debt ($7.38 trillion) for a total of $14.5 trillion.

ABORTION: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the Clinton years, the abortion rate fell by about 27 percent. A new independent study by an ethics professor at Fuller Theological Seminary finds that today, "contrary to popular assumption, abortion has risen in the U.S. during George W. Bush's presidency."

Bush bad for Broadband?

Here are some interesting notes courtesy of Steven Clemons about an issue that hasn't gotten much play in the media but one on which I have previously read... the high rate of broadband usage in other countries compared to ours, and how that might effect positioning in certain economic sectors.

No real comments on it here... just a pointer to go take a look.

"Panting Enablers"

Dowd often annoys many people (including me) because she tends to waste the precious journalistic real estate that is the NY Times Op-Ed page with indiscriminately dispensed snark (witness the fact that she spent two... two!... columns exclusively on Teresa Heinz-Kerry).

However, sometimes she really hits the nail on the head and heaps plentiful scorn on folks who royally deserve it... a sample:

First, faith trumped facts. Now, loyalty trumps competence. W., who was the loyalty
enforcer for his father's administration, is now the loyalty enforcer for his own.

Those promoted to be in charge of our security, diplomacy and civil liberties were rewarded for being more loyal to Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney than to the truth.

Read the whole thing.

Sports Note of the Day

I'm a Bears fan (shut up!), so much so that I subscribe to the NFL Sunday Ticket in order to watch the horror shows that are their games.

However, I have had some cause these past few weeks to gain some optimism for our prospects next year. That cause is the Bears' defense... they have really turned a corner (and not an eternal Dubya Corner) such that they are keeping a rather anemic offense in ball games, or, as in last week against the Titans, outright winning ball games for them. Check out some of these quotes courtesy of Dr. Z's column:

Following the events I described, Tennessee LB Keith Bulluck had this to say: "I'm dumbfounded. We gave up three points and we're on the losing end of it." Cornerback Samari Rolle put it even better: "Their offense just gives its defense a breather by running on the field."

A lot of that is a slam on the offense, but it also says a lot about their defense. They have turned the D-line, which was previously a big weakness, into what is emerging as a strong point: they have a great rotation which keeps folks fresh, and a lot of upside in their younger players (Alex Brown, Tommy Harris, Michael Haynes), a proven player in Ogunleye, and some hungry no-names like Tank Johnson. Their linebacking core is strong with All-Pro Urlacher and rising star Lance Briggs, and their beat-up secondary is holding... if they didn't have so many injuries back there, they would be pretty strong as well (Mike Brown, Charles Tillman). Special teams ain't too bad either... Azumah and McQuarters are very solid if unspectacular return men, Edinger's screwy kicking style works pretty well, coverage is solid, and they have been pretty successful with trick plays (not that trick plays is a great standard, but it seems to me that it would be indicative of good coaching)

So what about the offense? Yeah, it sucks now, and it certainly doesn't have as much to be hopeful for as the defense, but there are also some positives to note. The line is starting to solidify with Tait and Kreutz leading the way, and is also finally getting healthy as well (Mark Columbo is finally active after about 2 years). Thomas Jones has been a great back thus far, and if not for his injuries he would be one of the biggest fantasy finds this year. (The A-Train has also shown some resurgence of late, but I still think he is one of the most over-rated players in the league.)

Of course, the big concerns surround the WR core and the QB position. Grossman is young and needed time under center (especially to hone his decision-making)... plus, how healthy will he be next year? I think the Bears really need to bring in an old hand who has little chance of starting a QB controversy to help mentor Grossman (why Jonathan Quinn is still drawing a paycheck is beyond me).

The WR core is perhaps the bigger issue... after trading Booker to Miami for Ogunleye (which I approve of) the Bears don't have much left. David Terrell should be cut or traded; he's a punk whose talent will never fully be harnessed, and he drops way too many easy passes. Justin Gage has the body and skills, but apparently no drive or knowledge; he has been a huge disappointment this year. Bobby Wade is quickly developing into a fan favorite with his all-out gutsy and intelligent play, but he's never going to be The Man. Bernard Berrian is just a speedster and not much else.

What to do? I don't know... I would need to check to see who is going to be a free agent next year. I don't think the draft would be the best way to address this; they already have enough youth as it is, and so I think they need to bring in some proven WR (not necessarily a stud) to help with production and the development of Wade while others (Gage, draft picks) get more time to learn.

Anyway, the main point of this post is that my inherent sports optimism from being a Cubs fan (shut up!) is creeping into football, and I see some good things coming down the road.

Stern vs. Belling

Stern: Does not support the administration, says some things no worse than what he has said in years past, gets fined up the wazoo and cut from Clear Channel (which also supports the Bushies)

Belling: Supports the administration, calls Mexicans "wetbacks," gets a few days off the air.

Party of Lincoln! Party of Lincoln! (Scroll to the end for the reference)

"A Downright Moron"

Doonesbury brings us this quote... enjoy:

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

-- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

Congratulations to Greg!

Not that I know him or anything, but it is nice to see good things happening in the lives of fellow bloggers...

A bit of liveblogging...

I'm currently sitting in on a debate on the prospects of our health care system, and since I have a nice, small, and mobile laptop as well as a good wireless signal, I thought I would post a few comments while the debate was going on... the participants are Craig Savage from Health Planning Source and Michael Cannon from the Cato Institute.

- As one might anticipate, the guy from Cato (Cannon) advocates for getting the government out of the way and let the market magically take over. A nice side point for the guy is that he supports drug re-importation... (It should be a free market). It is nice to see not only because I feel the same way on this point but also because he is being consistant in his ideology despite Dubya's stand on this issue. Say what you will about the Cato Institute, they are generally very consistant in their ideology and are willing to criticize both sides if need be, and I respect that.

In Q&A, I asked about how his market-based solution would work in rural areas and other areas where access to health care providers is limited. I wasn't very happy with the economic portion of his answer (it was rather pithy) but I was pleasantly surprised with his push to open up the regulations to allow more members of the allied health professions to perform particular procedures etc. While this can certainly go bad at certain point, there are a lot of things that can be done by non-physician health care providers (and Cannon agreed with it heartily).

- Savage hit a few points that I think are very important and don't get much mention: Bad actors, the value of preventative care, regional variability, and overuse of the medical system by the over-insured. Preventative care is one of my big favorites in particular, but unfortunately these topics aren't politically sexy and tend to get put to the side.

I was also surprised by a few points he dwelled on: he gave kudos for clinical research by this administration and was very adament about the practice of "Fear Medicine" by physicians. On the first point, I can only imagine that he was thankful that Dubya didn't dip into the NIH's budget to help pay for the war or his gigantic tax cuts because the Clinton-era doubling of the budget is coming to an end and a lot of researchers are going into leaner times. Regarding the second, this is a common line from those hammering on the issue of tort reform... I am not certain what he thinks on that issue; certainly you can have an increase in "Fear Medicine" if the *perception* of malpractice suits worsens. Also, malpractice insurance would certainly skyrocket if you did get sued, but that might be a function of the insurance industry itself.

In Q&A, I asked Savage to further qualify his views on tort reform and got a bit of a different picture from him... it appears that, like me, he is worried about the fundamental issue of rising malpractice insurance premiums rather than tort reform for its own sake. Unlike me, he thinks that is one area of many that needs reform (I think tort reform is a major red herring), but he also endorses other solutions. One of the more important of these is how poorly the medical community polices themselves: a very small percentage of doctors are the source of a very large percentage of verdicts and settlements, but they are still practicing! I entirely agree that reform is needed in this area.

- On the point of universal care, Savage reframed the question to say that the government should ensure access to coverage and care for all citizens (not insurance all citizens). He hit the concept of health care savings pretty hard with the standard arguments... and he also mentioned something I never realized: health care savings that have not been used can be rolled over into an IRA. That certainly stinks... the big thing is that folks would be de-incentivized to access health care services, particularly for preventative care services. Nice.

Of course, Cannon spoke against the notion of universal health care as well, but rather than talking much about alternatives and how to increase access, he pretty much spent his whole time on the negative aspects of universal health care... that can be instructive, but at the same time you need to take the opportunity to present your positive vision. He was also not very convincing on the issue of Health Savings Accounts during the Q&A session... all Savage had to ask is "Where does the HSA money come from if I am near-poor?" (which Savage is) and Cannon was reduced to stutters and double-talk. And nothing on how this will help the poor (and chronically uninsured). Not very pretty to watch.

So what is the verdict here? This was a very good debate, and that is saying a lot considering that one of the co-sponsors was the Committee for a Better Carolina (which described themselves as nonpartisan... riiiiiight). I learned a few things, and got the chance to temper my beliefs in the fires of open debate. Good stuff.

Another verdict: liveblogging is hard! I had to type a few thoughts after the fact, which kinda negates the points. Not being able to touch type hurts a bit as well...

Update on Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary

Hey, it looks like Ebay allowed the bidding to resume!

However, it doesn't look like CNN has been updating their story very often... they say the new listing has a high bid of $16k, but I just checked and it is up over $69k... (Update: back down to "only" $16)

That's absurd... not that the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich isn't worth $69k, but the sandwich is 10 years old: I'll bet she tastes horribly stale by now!

I also don't think it is very authentic... is it just me, or wouldn't the Virgin Mary probably refrain from giving us the finger?

New Feature: "What the hell is wrong with...?"

It seems to me that any self respecting blogger has to come up with their own schtick. Kevin Drum came up with Cat Blogging; Jesse Taylor, Ezra Klein, and Matt Yglesias seem to have a corner on the youth blogger market, Eric Alterman has Slacker Friday, Uggabugga has great flowcharts and graphics...

...and Glenn Reynolds has abject stupidity.

Henceforth, I have decided to come up with a running blog feature known as "What the hell is wrong with...?" I will try to use it on a semi-regular basis, but it will most likely be used whenever I have sufficient cause. For example, Nicholas Kristof would have qualified, and he still might do so again depending on future columns. But for now, the inaugural post will be "What the hell is wrong with... Glenn Reynolds?"

If you are at all familiar with Mr. Reynolds, you might wonder if this entire blog will now turn into nothing but "What the hell is wrong with... Glenn Reynolds?" posts. I do limit my reading of his work just so my head doesn't explode. But I found a particularly good reason to comment on his work, which can be found here. Regarding the appointment of Rice, Glenn sez:

I think she's a good choice, notwithstanding the bipartisan appeal of the Lieberman idea (which was probably a nonstarter anyway, as I don't think the Dems want to lose any Senators).

Condi is a good choice? WTF? She was an awful NSD, and that opinion is certainly not confined to one side of the aisle. The only people who liked her were Cheney, Rummy, and Wolfie because she let them run roughshod over Powell at over at State. In what universe is she anything more than a comfort choice for Dubya (just like Gonzales and all the others)? Plus, he comments on her selection like it was some sort of surprise to him... this was damn near written in stone over a year ago.

Next issue: Lieberman appeals to virtually nobody. The Dems are tired of him and the Republicans reluctantly put him in the "barely tolerable" catagory. Weepin' Joe's moralizing is so badly presented he probably annoys Mullah Dobson. The only reason he is a national figure is due to the outdated DLC influence on the Democratic Party.

Up to this point, I am thinking "Ok, he's just got the standard-issue Bush Blinders(TM) on..." but then I think he has got to be joking with this next bit:

I wonder if she's being groomed for a Presidential or Vice-Presidential slot in 2008?

After the shock of that statement wore off and I picked myself up off the floor, I started laughing... not that funny haha laugh, but that nervous laugh you use when it is beginning to dawn on you that someone is actually being quite serious on something so obviously insane.

I mean, you gotta be shittin' me... Condi "Mushroom Cloud" Rice? The person who was placed in charge of the Iraq Stabilization Group? (If you said "What is that?" you made my point exactly) The person who can't mediate intra-agency squabbles as a part of her current job? (I mean, really... it is probably a good thing she isn't married with kids because she would never be able to medicate sibling conflicts, let alone issues facing the State Department)

And now the paint isn't even dry on her new office and Glenn is wondering if she is being groomed to be the President?!? The absurdity of this aside, McCain and Jeb Bush will be duking it out in 2008 for the Republican nomination. I'll grant you that Jeb *might* be willing to consider Rice as a VP candidate or something (unless they come out with a novel embalming process for Cheney). C'mon folks... really.

But wait folks, he's not done yet:

Upside: She's up to speed on the issues. Downside: She's been working awfully hard for the past 4 years. She's probably tired. But hey, when Cheney steps down, she can be moved to the Vice Presidency and get a little rest. . . .

Remind me what she has been working so hard on these past four years? Oh yeah, I remember: lying and doing a shitty job in general. And what makes him think Cheney's job is so easy? It's tough being the President, especially since you have to do it all through the dummy sitting on your lap...

And finally, Glenn is nothing if not thorough... he gets you dizzy and tottering with the insanity of his main post, but he doesn't leave you be: he goes for the kill by approving notes of reader email:

Thank God for the GOP’s affirmative action stance. Namely, “may the best person win.“

Yeah, we have seen a lot of that, haven't we? Kinda like how Clarance Thomas is on the Supreme Court? Kinda like how Colin Powell was always considered in White House delibrations and had all sorts of respect by the time he stepped down? Kinda like how several appointees have learned that if you speak the truth and try to do your job, you are on the short list for being canned? Hmmm...

Actually, the fact that it's not being hyped (overly or otherwise) by the press is an indicator not of progress on America's racial front, but an indictator that she was appointed by a Republican (you know, the Party of Lincoln), rather than by a Democrat.

Man, I love it when the right brings out this little chestnut because it is always more reveiling of their true party status then they think... as you all probably well know, the meaning and representations of each party was much different in those days, and it completely ignores the Strom Thurmond Dixiecrat shift over to the Republicans and Nixon's Southern Strategy. The fact that they have to reach back to Lincoln on matters of race is always amusing. Anyone who believes this is an indication of the tolerance of their party is simply a Republican who is trying to make him/herself feel better.

So, after all that I still didn't reach any conclusions to my original question, but the embrace of the DHP felt good.

Update: Kevin Drum has this to say about POTUS '08 candidate Rice...