John McCain, Shitbag of Liberty

I know I shouldn't wonder why, but holy crap. The media always, always, always opens its legs for John McCain. He speaks, they purr. McCain was on Meet the Press this morning, wanting to schmooze himself into the oval office, and stumbled mightily on a few points. He wants people to believe he's Mister Straight Talk. He wanted to talk in his comfort zone about Iraq. Instead, he had to talk about homosexuality and abortion. He pandered to the religious zealots among us, but fell down. His speech was stuttered. At one point he said he was okay with civil unions for gays. Then backpedaled. And still they purr...

Comic Relief for the Gulf Coast

Watching Comic Relief tonight, a benefit for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and earlier watching When the Levees Broke, a documentary on Katrina by Spike Lee, I'm stunned that the people of New Orleans voted asshat Ray Nagin back into the Mayoral office. I was stunned on their election day a few months ago, but to see the complete and total lack of any progress is stunning. I don't know that Mitch Landrieu could have done more, but holy god it's so depressing to see that entire neighborhoods are empty. I realize that had more people been actually able to inhabit the city on election day, Nagin may not have made it back into office. If you haven't, read The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley, and your outrage meter will explode. Nagin should disappear in disgrace for what he's allowed to occur in the city he says he loves.

::::whistling casually:::::

First there's the turkey. Then the elves. Then the drumbeat of the '08 presidential election. But between that and the elves comes...

George Tenet's new book.

What a season. I love politics.

Tonight on MSNBC's Countdown, Keith Olbermann and Dana Milbank from the Washington Post were discussing Bush's decision yesterday to do an internal review of Iraq policy, despite the Iraq Survey Group's upcoming report that everyone in Washington seems to be waiting for. Milbank posited that the internal White House group was formed so that when the Baker group's report comes out, they will come to the same conclusion, and the White House can say they weren't forced into a decision by outsiders, that they made their own decision. Political cover, in other words. Gawd knows these people love them some political cover. But I disagree with this theory. I think the White House group will be just another excuse to draw out the current policy of staying the course. Once the Baker group is done, the WH can say, 'wait, we haven't heard from all parties yet,' and draw it out longer. Then their own group can say, officially, staying the course is the best way. It's more long term time-wise, but it's also better political cover.

We Did It!

Both houses of Congress. Well done, America. Karl Rove: not so much a genius from here.

Got Bleach?

It's a bloodbath. Couldn't happen to a nicer crowd.

VOTE

Just do it.

US Ambassador to Iraq Quits His Job

Gotta love the timing. Well, you could if the news actually covered this story. From War and Piece.

Ho. Lee. Shit.

Some stunning-looking polls out today for Colorado. These numbers cover the date of the last Ritter/Beauprez debate. Heh. From Colorado Pols. Looks like the wolf-whistles didn't help Both-Ways Bob after all. The poll also shows that except for Governor, anything can happen next Tuesday. No Kool-Aid here.