NBC's "Meet The Press-ure"

What a show it was this morning. Tim Russert, host of Meet The Press, trying to get a straight answer out of RNC chair Ken Mehlman. He'd have had an easier time getting Dick Cheney to say there was never any WMD in Iraq. Discussing the Karl Rove saga, Mehlman went head to head with ex-Clinton chief of staff John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress. As painful as it is to watch Mehlman speak (and believe me, nothing makes me want to throw my shoe at my beloved 56" projection TV more than seeing Mehlman's lips moving on it), ya gotta give him credit. He does his job quite well. Of course, that is if his job is to lie through his teeth and robotically offer up the day's talking points instead. What we were treated to this morning from Mehlman was the new Right Wing script: that the information that came out this past week about the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's name actually "exonerates and vindicates Rove, not implicates him." As if this wasn't either delusional and/or arrogant enough, Mehlman went on to say that those Democrats who've been "smearing" Rove these past few weeks now "owe him an apology." And while he repeatedly said that he has 100% confidence in special prosecutor Pat Fitzgerald, he repeatedly ducked when Russert directly asked if he'd then respect and accept--without publicly criticizing--an indictment of Rove if that's what's handed up by Fitzgerald's federal grand jury which is investigating the Plame leak. Sure, he has 100% confidence in a guy who he will publicly rip to shreds if he doesn't like the outcome. Also on Meet the Press this morning was Time reporter Matt Cooper, who repeated what he told the grand jury last week (and which will be the focus of Time's cover story tomorrow) that he first learned that Plame was a CIA operative from Rove. This without question directly contradicts what Rove told Press Secretary Scott McClellan back in 2003, and which McClellan then told reporters at a White House briefing, that neither Rove, VP Dick Cheney, or Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby had anything to do with the outing of Plame. Not just a direct contradiction, mind you, but it shows Rove out and out lied. Next, Rove is in apparent violation of the Non-Disclosure Agreement he's required to sign as someone with classified clearance. Conservative columnist Robert Novak, at the center of this scandal because of his 7/14/03 column which named Plame by name, sought confirmation from Rove that Plame was in fact a CIA agent and had authorized her husband, former ambassador Joe Wilson's, trip to Africa in February 2002 to investigate claims that Iraq was seeking to purchase Uranium Yellowcake from Niger for use in making WMD (a claim which Wilson concluded, and wrote in his July '03 NY Times Op-ed piece, was not factual. That started the GOP smear campaign against Wilson and the revenge taken on his wife). Rove replied to Novak, "Yeah, I heard that too." Well, on page 77 of the Briefing Booklet Classified Information (known as SF 312), it clearly states that Before confirming the accuracy of what appears in the public source, the signer of SF 312 must confirm through an authorized officer that the information has, in fact, been declassified. If it has not, further dissemination of the information or confirmation of its accuracy is also an unauthorized disclosure. It was Rove's duty to not acknowledge to Novak that he knew what Novak was telling him. By confirming this, he violated the covenants he took as a top security official. That, coupled with his '03 lie to McClellan about not having anything to do with the leak, is obvious grounds for his firing. This is what President Bush told reporters on September 30, 2003: "Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of." Let's see if Bush keeps his promise. Andy

The Ostroy Report Had it Right: Rehnquist Says He's Staying

As predicted here on July 5 (see post below) in The Ostroy Report, Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has finally announced, late last night, that he will remain on the high court despite what every major political pundit has expected now for weeks, even months. Rehnquist told reporters "I want to put to rest the speculation and unfounded rumors of my imminent retirement. I am not about to announce my retirement. I will continue to perform my duties as chief justice as long as my health permits." Bravo, Bill! That's exactly what we said you'd do. Renhquist had been hospitalized this week in Virginia after complaining of fever. In reaction to the news, President Bush praised the chief's service and expressed happiness that he'll be staying. Yeah, right. The vultures that have been hovering over this possible retirement for months--the Bushies, the GOP, the evangelicals--had hoped they'd have two shots now to shove the court even further to the Scalia/Thomas Right. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's announced retirement was a nice added bonus after months of speculation about Rehnquist. Now, to get that second shot, I guess they'll have to hope that Justice John Paul Stevens peers over O'Connor's fence and gets jealous of all her newfound golf time. With Rehnquist staying on, we have a great chance of maintaining the overall balance if Bush does the right thing and nominates a moderate as O'Connor's replacement. Or, since they only have one shot here at making the court much more conservative, the Bushies might cave under intense pressure from the evangelicals and appoint an extremist. In any event, the stakes just got much higher overall. Regardless, Chief, you made the right choice. We're glad you're staying. And we know you'll fight this beast called cancer as hard as anyone. Good luck to ya (and please, stay on as long as possible. Scalia/Thomas is enough). Andy

RoveWatch Day 3: 'Turd Blossom' Still on Hotseat

Ya gotta love our president. Only in BushWorld can a nickname like "Turd Blossom" be a term of endearment; a moniker for a great friend and trusted, loyal ally. Well, 'ole Turdy was on the hotseat yet again today, this time with the president perhaps putting some distance between himself and what I hope to be his soon-to-be-former top advisor. While Karl Rove sat just a few feet behind Bush at a cabinet meeting, that closeness seemed to be in physicality only. Given opportunities to publicly defend Rove, the best Bush could muster was "This is a serious investigation. And it is very important for people not to prejudge the investigation based on media reports.'' I'm sure Rove was just thrilled with that emphatic vote of confidence. Over at the White House press room, another day of ScottieBall took place at the daily briefing. After three days of getting kicked around by journalists, press secretary Scott McClellan declared,''It may not look like it, but there's a little flesh that's been taken out of me the past few days.'' Get used to it, Scottie. Until your boss and Turdy B come clean, your head has 'soccer ball' written all over it. Give those Repubbies credit. Their well-oiled spin machine this week has spit out talking points faster than Bush's approval ratings have plummeted: Rove's a victim; Rove's being smeared by the Left; Rove's a true, honest American; He never mentioned Plame by name; Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...Now what they're all hoping for is for Bush to nominate someone to the Supreme Court so that that battle can hog the news and drag attention away from bad boy Rove. Well my friends, if that happens, I promise to keep the spotlight on 'ole Turd Blossom as long as these trusty fingers can still type. I will not be distracted! Andy

RoveWatch Day Two: The Bushies Keep Squirming

There's a fun new game in Washington this week. It's called, Let's see how many times we can get Scott McClellan to say "We're not not going to answer questions relating to an ongoing criminal investigation." White House correspondents in particular just love playing ScottieBall! My new favorite media trio, CBS's John Roberts, ABC's Terry Moran and NBC's David Gregory have mercilessly, and deservedly, pummeled McClellan, White House press secretary, ever since the news broke yesterday that Newsweek magazine has proven that "Bush's brain" Karl Rove was at least a source, if not the super-duper-double-top-secret source, of the identity leak of CIA covert operative Valerie Plame, wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Wilson, you'll recall, was sent to Niger (we're still not sure by whom exactly) to find out if Iraq was attempting to purchase uranium used in WMD. They weren't, he concluded, and wrote about it in his July 6, 2003 NY Times Op-ed piece, which really pissed off the Bushies. Jump to this week, where the daily press briefings are quickly becoming McClellan's new workout regimen. He sweats at the podium more than I do on the treadmill. Thank God the journalists' gloves are now officially off. Too bad it only took five years and two Bush wins for it to happen. But the press is now firmly on message. No more namby-pamby pacifism in the press room the second a snide, flip comment or shut down comes their way. Like sharks smelling blood, the White House press corps won't let go. Can ya blame 'em? They've endured their share of pummeling these past five years, and feel as lied to and deceived as we do. McClellan is on record having stated numerous times in the past two years that neither Rove, VP Dick Cheney or Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's Chief of Staff, had anything whatsoever to do with Plame's outing. And, both McClellan and Bush have previously promised to fire anyone in the administration who's leaked classified information. The press is demanding to know if McClellan and his boss will stand by these statements. They fired hardball after hardball at Scottie yesterday and today. And that's how ScottieBall, was started. The daily press briefing is my new favorite show. I can hardly wait for 12:30 tomorrow. In between the daily briefings, we're treated to the usual Republican double-talking spin monkeys that are doing their damnedest to defend Rove and his actions. My favorite is the "He never mentioned her name" defense. Once you knew that Wilson's wife was in the CIA, as Rove so generously offered up in '03 to various reporters including Time's Matt Cooper and most likely the NY Times' Judith Miller and syndicated right winger Robert Novak (whose July 14, 2003 column actually named her) it would've taken a 5th grader all of one minute for a Google search of Wilson's bio to find Plame's name. One plus one equals, duh, two. My next favorite tactic, as demonstrated nobly tonight on Chris Matthews' Hardball by conservative talking head Tucker Askew, is to point out that Wilson voted for Kerry in '04. Huh? What the hell does this have to do with anything? I guess anyone and everyone who votes Democratic must be part of some larger conspiracy to undermine society, and therefore anything and everything they say must be a lie. Sure, let's smear the crap out of anyone who disagrees with us or criticizes us. Well, at least the GOP's consistent. Next, we have McClellan's incessant "protection" of the "ongoing investigation." An investigation, mind you, that he and Bush had no problem talking about publicly for the past two years. I guess now that Rove's been caught in the henhouse it's time to get righteous. Lastly, I love the one about how Rove was merely trying to inject some truth and integrity into these reporters' stories. Ha! Now that'll keep me laughing all night......Andy

Administration Under Fire; McClellan Clubbed at Briefing Today

After two years of emphatic denials about the Bush administration's involvement in the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, and after many public promises to fire anyone caught leaking classified information, White House press secretary Scott McClellan dipped, ducked and dodged bullet after bullet from reporters at today's White House press briefing. It was downright ugly, and damned deserved. This administration has gotten way too comfortable flipping the bird at the press. Bush and McClellan were on the hotseat today after Newsweek magazine reported that top Bush advisor Karl Rove was indeed the super-duper-double-top secret source involved in the case, leaking information about Plame to Time Magazine reporter Matt Cooper in July 2003. Steadfast and stoic, McClellan repeatedly refused to answer direct questions about his and the president's past statements and denials: "I have said for quite some time that this is an ongoing investigation and we're not going to get into discussing it." The case has been under a federal grand jury investigation for the past two years. Sorry Scott. The press wasn't buyin' it. They were uncharacteristically aggressive in an attempt to get McClellan to respond substantively. In particular, NBC's David Gregory was unrelenting (bravo David!) in seeking an explanation why it was ok for McClellan to comment on the case many times in the past but not today. Calling McClellan's non-answers "ridiculous," Gregory, to no avail, demanded to know--challenging McClellan "to be honest with the American public"--if McClellan and the White House would be standing behind its past denials and previous promises to fire leakers. The White House clearly feels the intensifying heat, and is in damage-control mode. What to do next is the $64,000 question. It's main problem are the statements Rove made to the grand jury--where he's testified three times--and whether or not this testimony jives with Cooper's notes, or the previous statements and/or denials of Rove, McClellan and the White House. The real issue is whether someone in the White House, namely Rove, violated the Intelligence Identity Protection Act--a treasonous crime--in leaking Plame's identity. There's also the question of perjury. Regardless, this case is gaining serious traction, and could very well bring down Rove politically. As for criminal prosecution, say tuned. Andy

Chief Bush Operative Karl Rove at it Again

Newsweek magazine reports today that Karl Rove, Bush's top advisor and trusted ally, indeed discussed former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, CIA covert operative Valerie Plame, with Time Magazine reporter Matthew Cooper in 2003. It is illegal to knowingly reveal the identity of an undercover CIA agent. Wilson, at the recommendation of his wife to her superiors, traveled to Niger in 2002 to investigate claims that the Iraqis were shopping for uranium. In a July 6, 2003 NY Times Op-ed piece, Wilson stated his findings that Iraq had not purchased the materials. Just eight days later, on July 14, syndicated conservative columnist Robert Novak broke the story about Plame, citing two senior administration officials as his source. Was this outing of Plame payback by an angry Bush White House that felt betrayed and/or frustrated with Wilson's lack of kool-aid-drinking concerning Iraq's purported weapons programs? Did it undermine the administration's justification for war? You bet. For the past two years there's been an investigation into this treasonous leak, headed by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, to determine whether or not it came from the Bushies in an effort to discredit Wilson after he publicly contradicted the president's claims about Iraq's WMD. Both Cooper and NY Times reporter Judith Miller were required by a federal grand jury to turn over their notes relating to this story. Miller refused and has been sentenced to jail. Cooper saw the light and acquiesced. The Newsweek story reports that just days before Novak's column was published, Cooper sent his boss an email describing his conversation with Rove: "it was, KR said, Wilson's wife, who apparently works at the agency on wmd (weapons of mass destruction) issues who authorized the trip.". Now while Rove may not have specifically mentioned Plame by name (wink, wink), his intent was clear, and the damage was done. It would subsequently be quite easy for a reporter to obtain and verify her actual identity. Furthermore, this discussion with Cooper also directly allegedly contradicts earlier statements Rove gave the grand jury, and those his attorney Robert Luskin gave to the press, denying any involvement in this case, or having had any conversations with reporters about it. Rove has had quite a checkered past in terms of questionable, unethical and/or illegal political tactics. It would surprise and shock no one if it's soon determined that he was the secret source of the outing. If true, he may finally face the music. His firing may not be enough. Acts of treason, as the outing of Valerie Plame is, should be properly prosecuted, and he should be jailed. This administration needs to learn a very valuable lesson: that it's not above the law, nor can it manipulate the law to further its extremist agenda. Andy

Ed Klein's Unbelievable Comment Today About Rape

Ed Klein, in his new trash tome, "The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President," ironically provides little actual truth. It's so off the charts with lies and outlandish claims that The New York Times and others refuse to review it (they regularly review books by politically conservative authors such as Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and others, so the Right's frequent claim of "liberal media" censorship has no legs whatsoever). In his book, Klein sucker-punches the Clintons on everything from power and ambition to sexual dysfunction. He writes that Bill Clinton allegedly raped Hillary in 1979 while the two were vacationing in Bermuda. Klein was discussing his book today (not sure if it was taped or live) with Monica Crowley, the Cruella de Ville of conservative talk radio. And it was on this program that I heard him make one of the most reprehensible, disgusting and shameful comments I've ever heard. I could not believe my ears. In discussing this particular Bermuda episode, he said he actually believes that Clinton did not rape his wife. And why does Klein feel this way? Because, and I quote, "Bill Clinton is too much of a wuss to rape anybody." Holy mother of Jesus! What kind of thing is that to say? Apparently in Klein's sick, twisted mind, rapists are revered, respected and must have qualities such as strength and manliness that he obviously believes Bill Clinton does not possess....therefore making him a "wuss" and not capable of rape. Will the "established" media pick up this incredible piece of news? Will he be admonished for making such a loathsome, insensitive comment about one of the worst crimes one human being can commit on another? I doubt it. Andy

The Rehnquist Tease

So, the reporter asks the most powerful jurist in the nation--Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist--if the rampant rumors today of his imminent resignation are true. And the always eloquent Rehnquist crustily mutters back as he enters an awaiting car, "That's for me to know and for you to find out." That would've been a brilliant comeback had the Chief been 8 years old. Rather, he's an extremely ill 80-year-old, whose highly accomplished career is rapidly coming to a close. I guess the reality of that has settled in. He sure looked mighty frail today. However, I still hold onto my belief that they'll have to carry him out. No resignation. Although I must say I got a little nervous today with all the hullabaloo coming from the pundits who are already restless and bored with the O'Connor resignation. Just one isn't enough for the bloodthirsty Fourth Estate. They want two...even three vacancies. O'Connor, Rehnquist...they even started conjecturing today about the 85-year-old John Paul Stevens who, surely they surmised, must be getting jealous of all this retirement talk. With three vacancies we won't just have a battle, we'll have all-out Armageddon. And that, my friends, sells lots of newspapers and jacks up the cable news ratings. Hell, the media frenzy will be so huge and the need for punditry so insatiable that I just might find myself on Hardball (fantasy) offering up my keen insights to Chris Matthews (idol) and debating Ken Mehlman (even bigger fantasy). For now, the day has almost passed and Rehnquist still has his job. Almost all the media bigwigs think it's a given he'll resign (Bob Novak earlier today said his very trusted, reliable inside source predicted the Chief would step down today) maybe over the weekend now. Perhaps they're right, and I am incredibly naive. Or maybe they're wrong and.........Andy

Reality Check

Most Americans are awakening this morning to learn that there's been a highly orchestrated series of terrorist bombings in London involving the subways and buses. Casualties are mounting as I write, but thankfully it appears that the overall scale is much smaller as compared to the tragic events elsewhere in Madrid and the U.S. for example. While not confirmed, it sure smells like the work of Al Qaeda or a similar Middle Eastern terror group. The deaths and injuries are a bitter pill to swallow. The resulting fear, panic and sadness is another. And that I'm sure is monumental. Our thoughts, prayers and support go out to the Brits. We certainly feel their pain. And it's a major wake up call. We're now dramatically reminded of our own vulnerability once again. With no attacks here at home since Sept. 11, 2001, we've been lulled into a false sense of security. But these horrific episodes can--and according to most experts will--happen here again in a matter of time. Today promises to be one of those days in America where people are in a subtle state of shock. We'll talk about this all day. We'll analyze, theorize and strategize. We'll express and share our anxiety and fear. We'll worry about our loved ones. And we'll talk of Iraq. And then we'll get angry. Damned angry. We'll get angry that we're squandering a tremendous amount of military and financial resources on an unjust war that is serving the U.S. no purpose other than to be a colossal distraction and diversion from the real war we need to be fighting. The war against those barbarians who snake through the world's underground unnoticed--without uniform or address or official standing--and carry out horrific, murderous attacks on innocent civilians, wreaking havoc on families and societies. These beasts are our enemy. And I know I'm not alone in wishing we were expending 100% of our political, military and financial resources to battle them, not Iraq. Let us all remember, it is not the Sunnis who may someday wreak havoc in Americas cities; in our subways; in our buses; in our malls. With the ever-growing dissatisfaction with the war, it will be interesting to see how all this plays out in Britain, whose populace has already lost its patience with PM Tony Blair and is dissatisfied with England's role in the war. And it's sure to stir up extremely strong emotions and political fallout here at home as well. Andy

GOP Rebukes Evangelicals: Is the Tide Turning?

Gazing at the front page of my NY Times this morning I saw a headline that literally made my day: "G.O.P Asks Conservative Allies To Cool Rhetoric Over the Court." This is what I and millions of Democrats have been waiting for. Even the slightest sign that we may have reached a tipping point is very, very exciting. We've been sick of these religious zealots practically running the country, influencing policy and undermining the Democratic process, but now Republicans are fed up too? Pinch me! What they're really worried about is how these evangelicals could very well undermine the GOP agenda if they're allowed to continue to run amock unchecked. Now, the higher word has come down from above...er...from Bush, Frist & Co. that is. And it all started over US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, over whom conservatives have gotten their panties in a collective snit because of his loosey-goosey views on abortion, the only issue that seems to matter to these fanatics (oh, forgive me....I left out gay-marriage, prayer in school and public display of religious items...thus comprising the four most pressing issues facing Americans and the entire world today). The mere thought of Gonzalez being nominated by Bush to replace the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court has sent the pro-lifers into vitriolic orbit...going from zero-to-sixty in nanoseconds. The all-star fanatical "values" team of Tony Perkins, Grover Norquist, Gary Bauer, James Dobson and C. Boyden Gray to name a few have rallied the troops, opened the cash register and begun slinging the mud in a very aggressive, public campaign to kill a Gonzalez nomination. All because of one issue: abortion. Not torture of war prisoners, which the infamous Gonzalez memos seemingly condone, or his extremist views of the Geneva Conventions. But that's ok. The evangelicals are fine with a little torture now and then. So now we have the president, Bill Frist and others in the White House and Senate telling these myopic fanatics to stop the attacks on Gonzalez. A mere slap on the wrist? Maybe to you. But to me it signals that the religious zealots have finally gone too far. And the GOP itself may have had enough, sensing that the very same people who put them in ofice can just as easily be their political kryptonite as well. Stay tuned. Andy

Rehnquist to Stay on Supreme Court

I'm going to go out on a limb here. Despite what almost every political pundit predicts, I believe that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist will not--I repeat--will not step down this Summer. Yes he has cancer. Yes he is a very sick man. But if you've ever known anyone with cancer, you know that they often muster an inner strength in confronting this beast; a strength like nothing they've ever known. They possess a tremendous will to live; a need to be productive, useful and victorious over their dreaded disease. And that does not--I repeat--does not come from packing it in and sitting in a rocker waiting to die. Justice Rehnequist is an extremely ambitious, powerful and important man. You don't get to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by being passive and dispassionate. He's a fighter, and he will fight cancer on his own terms. And that means in the court. So, I predict that he will don his black robe until he literally cannot any longer, until they have to carry him out. Quitting the court is tantamount to quitting life to someone like Rehnquist. I will be shocked if he is not back on the bench this Fall. Andy

The Bush Deception Continues

In his address to the nation last evenining it only took President Bush about 30 seconds before he invoked the tragedy of 911. And there you essentially have the entire speech, including its emotional, tearful end. Once again, the president shamefully exploited this horrific event for political purposes and to justify and maintain support for his quagmire in Iraq. Once again he drew a direct link from Iraq and Sadaam to Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and the terrorists who attacked us on that fateful day in 2001. Once again he very blatantly implied that the war we're fighting in Iraq is against those who attacked us. The Bushies sold us that balony 2 years ago, and as evidenced last night, they're hell-bent on peddling the same lies and deception for as long as anyone will listen. It is morally reprehensible and irresponsible to keep telling us Iraq is payback for 911. It is also political suicide, as indicated by both Bush's and Congress's recent poll numbers. Americans will have their say next November. But moreso, the lies and deception this war was founded on, and are still being perpetuated, should be an impeachable act by Bush. As the recent flurry of "Downing Street" memos clearly establish, Bush, Rummy, Cheney, Condi, Wolfowitz, etc intentionally exaggerated, misused and perhaps even lied about intelligence in order to carry out its neo-con fantasy of invading Iraq. And then they went before the UN, Congress and the American people and lied to us. My God, Bill Clinton was impeached for having extra-marital sex. Surely Bush should face a similar fate for doctoring evidence and intelligence to justify a war that's so far cost 1700 US soldiers' lives; seen 20,000 injured/maimed; 100,000 Iraqis killed; $200 Billion spent; and immeasurable worldwide goodwill lost. Please George, spare us the tears. There's over 100,000 families out there who've been crying a helluva lot more than you. Andy

Tune in to Tonight's "Bush Comedy/Magic Hour!"

Quick...get the kids! Go get grandma! Start poppin' the popcorn! My favorite comedy/magic show's on tonight! At 8PM EST President Bush will go before the cameras presumably to tell Americans how wonderful everything is in Iraq. How Democracy is taking shape, and how the insurgency--to quote the indisputable king of BS Dick Cheney--is in its "last throes" despite looking like a colossal military fiasco to anyone else with an ounce of intelligence. Oh yeah, tonight's speech promises to be a real doozy! There'll be more smoke and mirrors than at a David Copperfield show. And like Copperfield, Bush will magically make the truth disappear. Yup, this promises to be quite a show! "It's all good," Bush'll report, beaming like the little kid still searching for mommy and daddy's approval. He'll talk about all the wonderful progress that no one but he and his posse seem to see. Little will be said, I'm sure, of the dead bodies flying through the Iraqi air every day from the ever-increasing insurgents' bombs. No mention will be made of the 1700 dead US soldiers, or the 20,000 injured and maimed. Or the 100,000 Iraqis killed. Nor will he admit to finding no WMD, therefore shattering the entire justification for war. No siree. All these meaningless "facts" would only spoil the fun. What we'll get tonight instead is pure theatre. A staged production that would make Harry Houdini proud. Andy

Iraq: Heavy Price for the Bush Family Dysfunction

The quagmire in Iraq is the result of one of the biggest father/son emotional crises known to man. Sadly, we are all paying for it. George W. Bush, the prodigal son who's coasted through life despite academic and business failure at almost every turn--the quintessential underachiever whose saving grace was unprecedented political nepotism--was obsessed with upstaging his father and proving that it is he, the son, who will ultimately be viewed by history as the more virile, successful president. In what is sure to become one of the biggest political and military miscalculations in American history, and in one of the most egregious displays of offspring independence and rebellion seen on the public stage, Bush 43 gambled his reputation on overthrowing Saddam and creating a quick, painless Democracy in Iraq--something the 43 posse accuses 41 of failing to do 14 years ago during Operation Desert Storm. In short, the heretofore black sheep of the family--the perennial frat boy--needed to flex his mojo and show pops who the better man is. Problem is, the Bush administration's "shock and awe" campaign backfired big time. The only ones shocked and awed were, and still are, us. Shocked by the strength, resilience and sheer determination of the insurgency, and awed by how clueless the Bushies were in post-war planning. Contrary to what the 43 posse believed, we were not greeted as liberators. The "mission" was not "accomplished" in just 3 weeks. Things did not get better after Saddam's fall; after Uday and Qusay's death; after Fallujah was taken; after Iraq declared sovereignty; after the January election. In fact, things got appreciably worse. We now have spent over $200 billion, and over 1700 US soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands more injured/maimed, and upwards of 100,000 Iraqi civilians killed. Incredulously, VP Dick Cheney recently declared that the insurgency was in its "last throes." What's more, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, on NBC's Meet The Press yesterday, one-upped his boss in the ridiculous-statement department by saying he agrees with Cheney while also saying the insurgency will probably last another 12 years. Sound like conflicting statements to you? Wait, can it be true? Rummy's a flip-flopper? Or is he just plan mad? Personally, I think they're all mad. While this war spirals out of control, our leaders increasingly lie, deceive and misrepresent. They're delusional and dangerous. That Bush invaded Iraq to show up his dad is one thing we cannot change; that decision is yesterday's news. But the chief architects of this fiasco are still pulling the levers, and starting with Rumsfeld, they should be removed from office. Cheney, the biggest liar of them all, should be next. Sadly, we're stuck with Dubya for another 3 years. Andy

Swift Boats Gassed and Ready to Go

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (what an oxymoron, huh?) have gassed up the boats and set sail once again. The target this time is not John Kerry, but 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY). The behind-the-scenes mastermind and bankroller of the literary (stretch) attacks on Kerry last Summer and Fall, Richard Mellon Scaife, the right-wing Pittsburgh billionaire who's been gunning for the Clinton's for years, is also providing the much-needed financial and media support for the controversial new Ed Klein book, "The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President." Klein the author attempts to portray Sen. Clinton as ruthless, cunning, manipulative and ambitous, with an insatiable political appetite. Klein the smut peddler makes outlandish, reprehensible accusations about the Clintons' sex lives, going so far as to claim that daughter Chelsea was conceived after Bill admittedly raped his wife. This book lowers the bar on decency, and it is an insult to every American who cherishes their loved ones and values their privacy. Voters are already fed up with this kind of distraction from the real issues of the day. They're concerned about the war, the economy, their jobs, their home heating bills, their gas tanks, their health care and their kids' education. The stakes have changed, as have the times, since the Swifties first put pen to paper last year with their "Unfit for Command" trash novel. Have you seen the latest Bush approval ratings (42%)? Americans' satisfaction with Congress (just 40%)?. I suspect that this new companion piece to last year's attack on Kerry will backfire on its conspirators and add another layer to Americans' growing disatisfaction with the direction in which the country is heading, and its distaste for those putting us there. Andy

Bolton: Off to Recess?

Civil rights. Women's rights. Gay rights. What they have in common is that at one point or another in our great country's history the "majority" fought hard, often violently, against them becoming a part of society's fabric. As proven many times, the majority is often quite misguided and just plain wrong. So it is with little attention I pay to the Republicans' claim that a majority of Senators wants John Bolton approved for the UN Ambassador job. Who cares what the majority wants? Right now, the majority is comprised of power-hungry peddlers of political and religious dogma. We have a process here in the US that allows the minority, the little guy, to stall the nomination of an undesirable candidate until those in the majority submit another name that can pass the compromise test. And so once again yesterday the Democrats defeated the cloture vote, shoving John Bolton back into the arms of his chief benefactor, President Bush. And once again Bush has a decision to make: stand firm and send him back again and face almost certain defeat unless he hands over the Bolton documents requested by Sen's Joe Biden (D-DE), Chris Dodd (D-CT) and the Foreign Relations Commitee, or pull the ultimate power play and appoint Bolton during either the Fourth of July recess or sometime in August when the Senate shuts down. A recess appointment would allow Bolton to hang onto the job until August '06 when the 109th Congress adjourns. If history is any relevant indicator, Bush will not back down. His stubbornness and arrogance won't let him. In fact, my money's on him bristling with even greater anger and frustration that the Democrats just simply aren't lying down and letting Bush, Frist & Co. do whatever the heck they want with this country. Bush most likely will sneak Bolton through as an attempt to save face and that of his hand-picked successor, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). As if Bush's approval and performance ratings weren't low enough, a recess appointment of Bolton would be yet another sign of his second-term failure and careen him further into lame-duckville. Andy

Bush, Bolton, Delay and Phillip Cooney

There are a few subjects I'd like to address today. Taking yet another First Prize For Arrogance, President Bush, in PA this week to raise campaign funds for Sen. Rick Santorum, blamed Democrats, not himself, for his failed policies like Social Security privatization. If Bush paid more attention to those public opinion polls he so disdains, and to most key lawmakers in his own party, perhaps he'd realize how "out of touch with mainstream America" he is. The blame rests squarely on his shoulders.

Next for the displaced blame and arrogance department is the Bush administration's continued refusal to provide the Senate with the documents it's requested about UN Ambassador nominee John Bolton's controversial work activities. In question are his verbal attacks on the UN; his harsh treatment of State Department subordinates (that is, of course, if you believe chasing a woman around a Russian hotel screaming and throwing things at her "harsh"); and his requests for the names of U.S. officials whose communications were picked up by the secret National Security Agency. The stalemate has all but doomed Bolton's nomination, according to several key Democrats. One major problem for Bush is Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who's previously supported the cloture vote on Bolton. Pryor now says he may abandon the Republicans, which would dig an even deeper hole for them. So, instead of providing the Senate with the info, after which the Dem's said Bolton could be quickly confirmed, the Bushies are standing firm like a bunch of spoiled five-year-olds. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), a leading opponent of Bolton, said the info in question has been viewed by many in the executive branch, and that the administration is disrespecting the Senate by not providing it to them as well. "They're filibustering their own nominee," Dodd said. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (Ill.), the chamber's second-ranking Democrat, added: "Clearly, there is something in those documents which is so damaging to Bolton, they don't want to release it."

Now, if the above wasn't enough arrogance and displaced blame for ya, how about our favorite poster-child for unethical behavior, embattled House leader Tom Delay (R-TX)? Delay now claims the current Ethics Committee stalemate is caused not by chairman Doc Hastings' (R-WA) insistence on breaking house rules by appointing his personal (and therefore highly partisan) assistant to Staff Director of the committee (a position that would ultimately oversee the impending investigation of Delay's alleged ethics transgressions). To the contrary, says Delay, it's the Democrats' calculated strategy to stall the investigation to coincide with the mid-term elections next year. Yawn.

Lastly, good things come to those who wait, I guess. Philip A. Cooney, Bush's former Chief of Staff of the White House Council of Environmental Quality, who repeatedly altered government reports linking greenhouse gases and global warming, quietly "resigned" late last Friday night when the news media is practically asleep and gone for the weekend...saving the administration further embarrassment over the growing fallout from this controversy. Cooney, a former lawyer and lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute, the main lobbying group of the oil industry, was immediately rewarded with a cushy new job by Exxon Mobil, the company that fought long and hard against legislation to protect the environment. What a surprise. Andy

Lay Off Howard Dean!

What do you get when you cross a firey, outspoken DNC chair with a bunch of arrogant, angry, hypocritical Republicans? A lot of Howard Dean bashing, that's what. The GOP can dish, but it surely cannot take it in return. They've come to expect us on the Left to be like frightened sheep. A bunch of wimps who'd rather make nice-nice with the Right than stand up and fight the good fight. So it comes as no surprise that Republicans--those in politics, the media, academia--are "shocked" and "outraged" by Dean and his rhetoric. He's an "extremist" they say; someone who's "out of touch with mainstream America." Well, if these are the standards for which we judge our politicians, then that disqualifies about 90% of the Republican leadership today. Bush, Cheney, Delay, Frist, Santorum, Coburn, Lott, Rove...these guys wrote the book on extremism. Howard Dean pales in comparison. But they don't like it one bit when someone like Dean takes aim squarely at the GOP's faults, lies, deception, manipulation, screw-ups and cover-ups. No siree. The Right thinks it has a lock on all that. But are they really trying to convince us that former national and local party leaders such as Lee Atwater, Ralph Reed and Ed Gillespie never ratcheted up the partisan rhetoric and tossed the occasional inflammatory comment? Never sucker-punched the Left? And what about current RNC chair Ken Mehlman? He's surely not in the midst of a lovefest with the Left either. I guess there really is no end to the Republicans' hypocrisy. True, Howard Dean plays rough. And that's exactly what this party needs right now. He stands for something, and he's not spineless like so many in our party. Let the Republicans bash him. It only shows that they're afraid of him. Afraid of his ability to fire up voters and raise funds. Maybe if there were a few dozen more like him in Washington we'd win more elections. Andy

Jackson Not Guilty!

What does a celebrity have to do in Southern California to get convicted!? First OJ, then Robert Blake and now Michael Jackson all walked free after seeming as guilty as sin. I don't know who's more inept, the various District Attorney's offices or the feeble, star-struck juries they keep coming up with. SoCal desperately needs to overhaul is criminal justice system. Andy

Is Iraq Out of Control: Key Republicans Think So

If you listen to President Bush and VP Dick Cheney, it's all good in Iraq. They'll tell you the insurgents are being defeated, albeit slowly, and the country is on its way to being a healthy, safe Democracy. Listen to key Democrats, such as Sen. Joe Biden (DE), and they'll tell you a very different story. But, now we're starting to see influential Republican lawmakers grow increasingly frustrated with this war (shush...be careful not use that word too much because, as Bush says, "it's not really a war." It just looks that way, with all the dead soldiers and all) and with the Bush administration. One such GOP'er, Rep. Walter Jones, (R-NC), who was so pro-war two years ago that he insisted that French fries sold in the Capitol be renamed "freedom fries" after the French government failed to support our invasion of Iraq, has come out against the war, demanding that Congress create an exit strategy for getting our troops home. The House did vote May 25 on such a measure, but the amendment failed by a 300-128 vote, with Jones being one of only five Republican's who voted for it. Either Jones has his eye on the re-election clock or his conscience has caught up with him, but he has become seriously anti-war. In his stirring speech May 25 at the House session, Jones explained "This is about a policy, that I believed when I voted 2 years ago to commit the troops that I was making my decision on facts. Since that time I have been very disappointed in what I have learned about the justification for going into Iraq." He continued with ". .. all this amendment does is just say that it is time for the Congress to meet its responsibility. The responsibility of Congress is to make decisions whether we should send our men and women to war or not send them to war. What we are saying here tonight is we think it is time for the Congress to begin, to start the debate and discussion of what the exit strategy is of this government . . ." Pretty amazing words coming from the head chef at the I Hate France Cafe. And then there's Rep. Curt Weldon
(R-PA), the highest ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, who said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and others are misleading Americans about the number of functional Iraqi troops and said Bush should cut the Syrian and Iranian umbilical cords feeding the insurgency. "We don't want to raise the expectations of the American people prematurely," he said. Now, if only we could get our president and vice-president to be so logical and realistic. Andy

Separation of Church and State: R.I.P

Earlier in the week Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) signed a bill requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions, and another bill supporting the move to put a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the state's Nov.8 ballot. Surprising? Not really. Republicans just love to stomp on abortion and gay rights. But what does make these bills so noteworthy is that they were signed by Perry before 1000 gleeful, church-going evangelicals at the Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Worth. That he chose to sign them in church symbolizes where the party as a whole stands today, and the narrow constituency it's pandering to. Perry had promised to sign these bills in a "Christian celebration." So much for the separation of church and state. It is both irresponsible and reprehensible for Perry to use a house of worship to showcase his hate bills. The politicization of religion in this country today is shameful. The Republican party has hijacked God and faith, and it's getting worse. Today in Washington, you're devotion to God is measured by your support for anti-abortion and anti-gay legislation; and support for the Iraq war, judicial extremism, and President Bush. Part of the opposition? Then you're sacrilegious, unpatriotic and un-American. Look how far we've come after 230 years. Our founding fathers are probably cringing in their graves. Andy

Hastings Rescues Delay

Our favorite poster-child for unethical behavior, House Majority Leader Tom Delay, has dodged a bullet once again, narrowly escaping the gavel of justice. This time, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-VA), chairman of the House Ethics Committee, has thrown the panel back into stalemate, thus making sure it'll be a good long while before Delay gets that independent/non-partisan investigation he so publicly craves. The trouble is that Hastings, thumbing his nose at the House rules book which requires the committee to hire "professional, non-partisan staff," insists that his personal chief of staff, Ed Cassidy, be appointed to oversee committee operations. But, like many other influential Republicans in Washington these days, Hastings doesn't like being told to follow rules (they much prefer telling us to follow them instead...and then bash the hell out of us when we don't) and has shut down the committee in retaliation, the second time this year that the panel's been brought to a standstill over contentious partisan politics. What's even more troubling is the fact that Hastings has been in bed with the lobbying firm, Preston Gates & Ellis, that's been the focus of Delay's ethics scandal, according to a report published this week in the NY Times. PG&E was also home to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff, accused along with Delay back in the 90's of showing the Marianas Islands how to avoid U.S. labor laws. Workers there are in low-paying sweatshop jobs and are subject to often brutal working conditions including alleged forced prostitution. Of note is that Hastings has received $14,000 from PG&E since 1996. Can you say conflict of interest? No wonder Delay so earnestly seeks the investigation into his own behavior. With friends and cohorts like Hastings running the show, why worry? Perhaps Delay should not be the only one in this scandal to step down. Andy

Ken Mehlman on Meet The Press

Watching Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman on Meet The Press this morning was akin to watching a 6-year-old deny playing ball in the house and breaking the lamp. Wide-eyed, repetitive and evasive, Mehlman has become quite masterful at talking a whole lot and saying nothing. And, host Tim Russert has become quite good at letting these partisan hacks waste our time and insult our intelligence. According to Mr. Chairman, everything is just honky-dory. The economy, the war in Iraq, the Bush presidency....it's all terrific. Everything is wonderful in MehlmanWorld, where there is no bad news, no mistakes and no regrets. And apparently, no straight answers either. Ask him to comment on the the president's 45% approval rating and he'll boast what a great job Bush is doing and that most Americans are firmly behind him. Ask him about Bush's stalled Central America Trade Pact, Energy bill, Bolton nomination, Social Security privatization plan and Stem-cell and judicial nominee losses and he'll spiritedly declare that the president is getting done everything he wants. And what does Russert do during this charade? Simply asks the next question. No follow-up, no challenges, no..."hey Mehlman, what are you smokin?" (which is what we'd all like to ask). What is the point of Meet The Press, to merely give a soapbox to every shameless promoter and partisan quack? Russert 's a very bright guy and an excellent student of politics. But he desperately needs to brush up on his interviewing skills. Perhaps take a page out of the Chris Matthews book and start playing hardball. Matthews has no problem interrupting these spin monkeys mid-sentence, taking back the mike if all he gets is talking points. Russert, however, was utterly useless today. It was painful to watch. Andy

"I'm the guy they used to call Deep Throat"

Thirty-one years after the historic resignation of President Richard Nixon, the identity of "Deep Throat," the legendary informer to then-Washington Post baby-faced reporters Bob Wodward and Carl Bernstein, has finally been confirmed, closing the books on the infamous Watergate scandal, and one of the great political mysteries of all time. At 91 and suffering from a debilitating stroke and memory loss, Mark Felt, the #2 man at the FBI under L. Patrick Gray during the early 70's, (the former assistant attorney general appointed by Nixon to replace the deceased J. Edgar Hoover), confirmed in an exclusive story in the July issue of Vanity Fair magazine, the news of which broke this week, that he was indeed the one who held 2 am clandestine meetings with Woodward to leak critical information that ultimately brought down an entire administration and sent many in it to Federal prison. Not surprisingly, he's been villified by the Right, accused of being a financial opportunist; an angry sore-loser; a law-breaking criminal; and a traitor. Sure, why cash out in '75 to buy a fancy car, beachfront house, flashy suits and live comfortably for the next 30 years when you can do it in 2005 and be big pimpin' on wheelchairs and Depends? Its reprehensible and utterly absurd to claim he's motivated by money. Next, Felt was supposedly miffed at being passed up for the #1 FBI spot. Rather, this career lawman was outraged at the supreme arrogance with which the Nixon gang defiled the Constitution and committed outrageous, unprecedented abuses of power. Lastly, Felt was a Hooverite; a hard line, old-school G-man who viewed the actions of these political thugs as an affront to all Americans and a threat to our Democracy. A traitor? Hardly. To the contrary, Felt was and is a true American hero. He served his country well, put his life and career on the line to defend the Constitution and history will judge him accordingly. Andy

The Deal That's Not

It's not even a week since the Senate reached it's overblown, over-hyped compromise over judicial appointments and the filibuster and already its foundation may be crumbling. The deal, brokered by the bi-partisan Gang of 14 led by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), gave the Republicans the three judicial appointments they wanted most--Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor--with the Democrats promising not to filibuster. In turn, the Republicans agreed to have Majority Leader Bill Frist back off the "nuclear option" threat and allow the filibuster to continue only under "extraordinary circumstances." Everybody kissed and made nice-nice, and beamed that even this contentious Senate can rise above the fray and do what's best for America. Sure. And if you believe that, I have a Tikrit timeshare I'm looking to unload. The GOP is now hellbent on pushing through the nomination of William Myers to the legendary 9th Circuit Appeals Court and is going to use this as the extraordinary circumstances Litmus test. This will be an extremely important showdown, as it not only proves how frail the compromise was/is, but moreso it sets the stage for the battle over Chief Justice William Rehnquist's replacement when he most likely retires this Summer after the Supreme Court ends its current session June 27. The GOP desperately wants to tip the Court scales far to the right, and will stop at nothing in order to do so. Compromise? There is no compromise. Anyone who believes the Democrats will be able to filibuster without Frist first threatening again and then exercising the nuclear option...well, how about that Tikrit timeshare? This is going to get ugly, folks. Andy

Sen. Sellout (R-OH)

Sen. George Voinovich is one giant sellout when it comes to the John Bolton hearings. His votes contradict the strong convictions he's so eloquently stated on the Foreign Relations committee. Voinovich thinks very little of Bolton, stating he's one of the worst possible choices for UN Ambassador that President Bush could've made. Why then does he refuse to filibuster Bolton into obscurity? Instead, he repeatedly votes to send the matter to the full Senate for an up or down vote, knowing that the Republican majority all but assures his confirmation. Given Voinovich's intense dislike for Bolton and his belief that his appointment would damage our reputation on the world stage, you'd think he'd do everything in his power to join the Democrats in keeping the guy from ever sitting at a UN desk. But while Voinovich believes one thing, his votes tell a different story. He refers to Bolton as "the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be," but then defends his cloture votes with "I am not so arrogant to think that I should impose my judgment and perspective of the U.S. position in the world community on the rest of my colleagues." This is a very misguided position. Imposing his judgment and perspective is exactly what he's supposed to be doing. Did his Ohio constituents vote for him so that he can vote the judgments and perspectives of George Bush, Bill Frist and Tom Delay instead? If Sen. Voinovich really believes that a Bolton ambassadorship would be harmful to the U.S. then he owes it to all Americans to vote his conscience and stop using his position of power to make meaningless statements of principle. Andy

The Senate Compromise: Savior or Sellout?

Late yesterday the Senate reached a compromise deal, termed the "memorandum of understanding," over the controversial Bush judicial nominees. We give the Republicans Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor, and they in effect abandon William Myers, Henry Saad and the "nuclear option" on the filibuster, the 200-year-old political weapon that has been the lifeblood of the minority party to ensure against an imbalance of power. A good deal for Democrats? On some level. For one thing, the filibuster has been saved, at least for the time being. Further, Majority Leader Bill Frist, who's running for president in 2008, will be taking it on the chin from the Christian conservatives, whom he all but promised full up or down votes on all Bush nominees. Lastly, Bush himself was sent a strong message that he'll need to confer with the Senate in the future and send more compromise nominees to the Judiciary Committee or he'll face another battle. Yet on another level I feel like the party sold out, and was unwilling to fight tooth and nail for what it believes in. And that's been the biggest Achilles heel of the Democrats: that they don't stand for much. Owen, Brown and Pryor are bad news, and the Senate compromise does little to make them any less undesirable. The deal also stipulates that future filibusters will occur only under "extreme circumstances," which is quite subjective. Who'll get to define "extreme circumstances?" Will this set the stage for yet another round of Republican bullying? Backing off the filibuster fight demonstrated that we expected to lose, and would be unwilling to carry out the shut-down threats levied by Minority Leader Harry Reid (NV). This has weakened the Democrats' position. When Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist finally steps down, most likely this Summer, do we think Frist and the GOP will sit idle while the Democrats filibuster Bush's ultra-conservative replacement? It appears we may have lost a very important battle this week. I hope that's not a sign that we've also, more importantly, lost the war. Andy

Christians, It's Time to Get Angry

It's time for Christians in America to get angry. Time to fight back. Time to stand up, and stand tall, and send a very strong message to the Bush administration and Republicans everywhere that not every good, conscientious, law-abiding, God-fearing Christian is a conservative. The time is now for Christians--both those on the left and the moderates on the right--to take back their faith from the opportunistic, polarizing, sanctimonious religious zealots who've hijacked God and religion. Time was when God belonged to everyone, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, liberal, conservative, et al. But since the 2000 election, politics has changed all that. The GOP has masterfully cast itself as the party of God, and its constituents the only people of faith. And it has also masterfully painted Democrats as New York Times-readin', NPR-listenin', Volvo-drivin', Bierkenstock-wearin' atheists. We all remember the GOP commercials last year that highlighted these vile stereotypes. Christians, take back your God. Take back your religion. Take back your faith. Wake up Monday and flood the White House, the Senate and Congress with your phone calls, faxes and letters. Remind them that God belongs to all, and that people of faith exist on both sides of the aisle. And that they vote. Tell them Republicans don't speak for you as a Christian. Tell them you don't like being represented by radical, extremist evangelicals. Tell them you believe in the Separation of Church and State. Tell them that activist judges do not belong on the Supreme Court. Tell them you're sick and tired of seeing the sacred teachings of Jesus being used as a smokescreen for discrimination and the erosion of civil liberties and the balance of power. Shout it. Scream it. Again and again. Maybe then they'll hear. Andy

Rick Santorum and the Politics of Hate

The Senate battle over the filibuster continued yesterday with the same partisan vitriol levied by the Republicans in their bloodthirsty quest to seize ultimate control over judicial appointments. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) compared the Democrats with Adolph Hitler, making an asinine analogy that the Left's defense of the filibuster is equal to this murderous Nazi's 1942 defense of the allies' invasion of Paris, which he occupied at the time. This is the same Sen. Santorum who earlier this year publicly vilified Sen. Robert Byrd (D-VA) for his comparison of President Bush to Hitler. So, as usual, it's just more of the Republicans' do as I say, not as I do philosophy of ethics and morality. Like Sen. Byrd, Santorum this week showed a gross error in judgment by referencing the most vile, murderous figure in world history to make his political points. He demonstrated a colossal insensitivity to the millions who perished under the brutal Nazi regime, and the loved ones they left behind who still live with the horrible memories of the Holocaust. And lastly, Santorum continues to show that he is an irrational, hypocritical, right-wing extremist. Let's all remember that Santorum is best known for equating sexuality between consenting gay adults with bestiality between humans and dogs. When you view comments such as this one, and also that of freshman Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma, who believes doctors who perform abortions should be executed, it's pretty easy to see why, with the Republican leadership we currently have, we're defending the filibuster so passionately. The stakes are quite high. America's future, our freedom, and the balance of power could be altered forever. Andy

Newsweek and the Bush Arrogance

First Dan Rather, now Newsweek. If conservatives have their way, in short time the only thing left to read, watch and/or listen to will be The Weekly Standard, The O'Reilly Factor and Rush Limbaugh. Ok, so Newsweek screwed up. Big time. Not the first time that's happened in the media, and certainly won't be the last. But the real problem here is the Bush administration's reaction to the blunder. True, the newsweekly's now-unsourced story that the holy book Koran was being desecrated and defiled by U.S. guards to rattle detainees at Guantanamo Bay sparked death, global riots and outrage in the Muslim community. Newsweek has since backtracked, admitted the inaccuracy and offered its regrets. But the Bush administration is not happy with just a full retraction. Through White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan today, it's telling Newsweek to write a "positive" story on how the US Military respects the Koran and Muslims. This demand, in their overall campaign to literally control the media, has taken the Bush arrogance to new heights. Where does it get off telling an independent news magazine what to write? McClellan said "The report had real consequences. People have lost their lives. Our image abroad has been damaged." This coming from an administration that--using and manipulating inaccurate intelligence--all but unilaterally invaded a sovereign nation, overthrew its leader, tortured its civilians, and caused the deaths of some 1600 U.S. soldiers/2000 Iraqi policeman/20,000 Iraqi civilians, and wounded and/or maimed tens of thousands others. And they have the audacity to blame Newsweek for the damage to America's standing in the Muslim world? Where is the apology from Bush for his grave error in judgment and leadership that has wreaked such havoc in Iraq? British PM Tony Blair already issued his, yet hell will freeze over before we get a mea culpa from Bush. If our standing in the Muslim community has been seriously marred, as I believe it has, Newsweek is but a pimple on the proverbial elephant's ass. Shame on Bush for attempting to portray it otherwise. Let's put the blame squarely where it belongs...on the arrogant, war-mongering heads of Bush, Chaney, Rumsfeld, Condi and Wolfowitz. Andy

Numbers Don't Lie: A Warning to Republicans

The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll out today should be a huge red flag to the Republican party: only 33% of Americans are happy with Congress while 51% are not. Further, in the upcoming '06 mid-term elections, only 40% want another Republican-controlled Congress while 47% would rather see Democrats rule. When also factoring in that roughly 60% of Americans now feel the Iraq war wasn't justified, together with Bush's low approval ratings, the mid-terms could spell disaster for conservatives. As I often do to monitor the Right, I briefly listened today to Sean Hannity's radio program. One of his guests, the venerable conservative icon Pat Buchanan, went head-to-head against Hannity on issues ranging from the budget and trade deficits, immigration and especially the war in Iraq, which Buchanan believes is a disaster for America. Buchanan is old school Republican; a conservative's conservative. A proponent of small government, fiscal conservatism, states' rights, and isolationism on the foreign policy front. He is no more a classic neo-con than Howard Dean. And it is precisely this breed of traditional Republican that is growing more and more disenchanted with the GOP, and with these radical neo-cons and religious fundamentalists that have hijacked the party. The party is split, but few will discuss it publicly. But the numbers don't lie. Republicans in Washington are too obsessed with God, Gays, judges and the filibuster that they're forgetting why the average Joe voted for them in the first place. At this rate, they will implode come November '06.
Andy

Bush, Iraq and a Very Interesting British Memo

Have you heard about or read the Downing Street Memo that still seems to be flying under journalists' radar here in the U.S? In it Matthew Rycroft, a British foreign policy aide, summarized the minutes of a July 23, 2002 Prime Minister's meeting to Tony Blair's Foreign Policy Advisor Sir David manning. This meeting was held a full 8 months before the U.S., together with Great Britain, invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. The document is quite a smoking gun for conspiracy theorists who claim the Bush administration thumbed its nose at the UN; manipulated intelligence to fit its lust for war; intentionally ignored evidence that disproved Iraq's WMD threat; and then calculatedly sold this charade to the American public. It also shows there was no real plan to deal with the ensuing chaos once we invaded. The document suggests that Bush & Co. knew that Saddam was not a real WMD threat, and that he had essentially been marginalized and contained. From the memo: "C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and fact were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action." The memo continues with: "It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea and Iran." The Times of London printed the text of this document on Sunday, May 1, 2005, and supports its validity, stating, "British officials did not dispute the document's authenticity." So I ask, where is the outrage here in the States? Where is the accountability for this military debacle and insurgent nightmare? When will someone, anyone, in the Bush administration pay the price for orchestrating this unjust invasion of a sovereign nation--one which posed no real threat to the U.S. or its own neighbors--and which has cost us dearly in human life, $300+ billion, and in countless goodwill currency throughout the world. And, there's no end in sight. Where is the outrage....Andy


www.DowningStreetmemo.com

Curious George and the Beltsville Bike Ride

Two days ago a couple of unsuspecting yo-yo's flew a small private plane into restricted air space in Washington, D.C sending the Capital into red alert, the highest terror warning, and causing a chaotic evacuation of the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court. The plane failed to respond to a Homeland Security helicopter, came dangerously close to the White House, and then, after military jets fired warning flares, finally changed course. This was scary stuff. Federal agents and cops screamed "run, run, get out" to anyone in sight, and some were so quick-footed they left their shoes behind in their tracks. And where was our president during all this? He was 30 minutes away in Beltsville, Md riding his bicycle. That in and of itself is not the problem. The problem is that a decision was made not to inform him what was going on in the Capital. The reason being, he was safe, so there was no reason to unnecessarily upset him while getting his daily exercise. That is, of course, unless we choose to neglect the fact that he is also Commander in Chief of the US armed forces, for God's sake, and this was a red alert on our nation's Capital. And what about the safety of everyone else in the Capital? The country? Am I missing something here? Can you say "My Pet Goat?" We all remember how our fearless leader of the free world sat idly by, with that deer-in-the-headlights-look, for seven minutes reading this children's book to a bunch of wet-nosed schoolkids in Florida while bin Laden was wreaking havoc in our country. Now four years later, while our citizens are frantically fleeing the most sacred symbols of our great Democracy, Curious George is riding his bicycle around Maryland, oblivious to the chaos in DC. How on earth can the administration attempt to justify not telling him? Did they fear his reaction would be inept? Did they envision another 20 befuddled laps on the bike before he'd finally get off and react? Did they honestly not think--and this is the key question here folks--that the president of the United States, the Commander in Chief, should not be informed that its Capital appears to be under terrorist attack once again? White House press secretary Scott McClellan did his ineffectual best to minimize the situation. He said a review was underway regarding the handling of the situation, but added that Bush wasn't upset that he was not informed. I guess, to Curious George, riding a bike around Maryland takes precendent over making critical decisions like whether to shoot down the plane, shut airports, call up the military and other grave choices in time of crisis. Nice to know his priorities.
Andy

An Important Break in the Ranks?

The Log Cabin Republicans, a Gay group, and the Republican Majority for Choice, an abortion-rights group, have broken ranks with the GOP and are advertising in a Capitol Hill newspaper and in newspapers in the home states of moderate Republicans, denouncing Bush's judicial nominees on the basis of their extremist views on Gay rights and abortion, claiming these judges' views are "profoundly out of step with American legal thinking." This is a watershed moment, folks, as it could finally be the signal we're all waiting for. That being, that moderate Republicans are finally tiring of their party's narrow and extremist views by those in control. Perhaps the more people like these who realize their party has swung too far to the right, the better we'll do in '06 and '08. Remember, just 80,000 more votes for Kerry in Ohio and we'd have a different man in the White House right now. I certainly suspect there's a heckuva lot more than 80,000 Gays and abortion-rights advocates in this country. This is just the beginning. Let the demogogues and idealogues pursue their extremist goals. In the end, just like in the 90's, it may be their ruination. Andy

We Are Indeed The Party of "No"

I received an email from GOP head Ken Mehlman today with a link to their new propaganda video, Wanna "No" Something? Just ask a Democrat. In short, it paints us as obstructionists; a party of negative naybobs with no plans for anything save for blocking President Bush's agenda. We'll, at least they're half right. We are the party of "no" indeed. We say no to breaking down the sacred principle of checks and balances in this country. We say no to rampant violations in the separation of church and state doctrine. We say no to the growing legions of religious demogogues who are trying to turn America into a Christian theocracy. We say no to idealogues like Bill Frist who desperately want to strip Democrats the right to filibuster and thus block the appointments of right-wing extremist activist judges. We say no to rogue politicians like Tom Delay who use Congress as a forum to spread their own religious dogma; who change the rules because they don't like the current results; and who circumvent the laws we so cherish. We say no to the religious fanatics who want to dominate our secular society and tell women what to do with their bodies; tell us who can get married; and what families should do with their dying loved ones. We say no to President Bush, who wants to all but erase the memory of FDR and the legacy of the New Deal. We say no to Bush's misguided plan to cut Social Security benefits and put our seniors' retirement savings at risk. We say no to rich White politicians who seek to eliminate every social service and entitlement program that helps the poor and middle class. We say no to those in power who believe every American should not have adequate health care for themselves and their families. We say no to the new breed of Republicans who rack up historic US debt, record gas and oil prices, and then tell us it's a great economy we have here. We say no to war-mongering bullies like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condi Rice, Dick Cheney and Bush who think they can arbitrarily send our young men and women off to die in an unjustified war and not have to pay a price for their pig-headed mistakes. Yes, we are truly the party of "no." And we're gonna keep saying no as long as these oligarchs in Washington try to ram their extreme politics down our throats at every turn. And you know what? I'm damned proud to call myself a Democrat because of it.Andy

We're Winning

Call me crazy, but the House Ethics Committee rules changes reversal, the imminent Tom Delay investigation, the John Bolton apparent defeat, and Bush's dead-as-a-doornail Social Security privatization initiative constitute a very exciting trend of Democratic victories. Is this the start of something big? Are the winds of change blowing in Washington? Are Americans tiring of the partisan infighting that has held our political system hostage for years now? Have the Republicans finally gone too far, and have they finally sensed it themselves? Who knows. But what I do know is that we're winning. Small battles perhaps, but you cannot win a war without first winning the battles. Something's in the air. Can you feel it? I certainly can. And it sure smells sweet. Andy

Bill Frist's Not-So-Secret Agenda

Tonite is the The Bill Frist Show. The Senate Majority Leader takes center stage, albeit through a 4-minute videoptaped speech, at the Family Research Counsel's "Justice Sunday" event at a Louisville, KY church. The event, which will be broadcast nationally, is being promoted through fliers with claims that the filibuster is being "used against people of faith." In short, this highly inflammatory rhetoric suggests that if Senate Democrats block a Bush judicial nomination by using the 200-year-old filibuster tactic, then (a) they are attacking the nominee's faith; and (b) they themselves are not people of faith. These accusations, which many in the GOP leadership have been relentless in dispensing, are irresponsible and reprehensible. Tonite's event is a religious sham, and designed to appeal only to the most narrow-minded Christian conservative wing of the Republican party. So why then is Frist heading the bill? It's simple: 2008. Frist has been shamelessly pandering to this group for some time now, most recently in the Terri Schiavo case. He liked what they did for Bush in both 2000 and '04, and he wants them in his court when it's vote time. But he better be careful. This strategy could backfire big time. Most Americans are increasingly fed up with the Religious Right; many Senate and house GOPers are 'losing faith' as well; and not all people of faith share the extremist views of this radical group. For example, there's C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Washington-based Interfaith Alliance and the pastor of a Louisiana church. Gaddy is concerned about "the transition from religion as a source of values and wisdom, to religion as a strategy for passing legislation or winning an election." Gaddy believes Frist may have already miscalculated. "I don't judge people's motives," he said. "If Sen. Frist sees this as an essential step in launching a presidential campaign, he's more involved in a stumble than a step." Let's hope he's right. Andy

The Injustice of "Justice Sunday"

Tomorrow evening an event will take place in Louisville, KY at Highview Baptist Church, organized by the conservative Family Research Council (FRC) and will feature a controversial videotaped speech by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Joining Frist will be other Christian conservative icons such as Rev. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, and of course the Dean of Dogma himself, Tony Perkins, the FRC's president. The event is to rally churchgoers to protest the filibuster as a weapon used by Senate Democrats to block Bush's conservative judicial appointments. The overall rallying cry is that the filibuster is being "used against people of faith." This is an outrage. Sen. Frist, House Leader Tom Delay and their merry band of Jesus Freaks will stop at nothing to strip this country of its cherished founding principles such as separation of church and state, separation of powers, and checks and balances. How dare they blur the line like this between religion and politics. How dare they make reprehensible accusations that a vote against a Bush judicial appointee is a vote against people of faith. They are relentless in their attempt to portray people against Bush, the Bush administration, his decisions, his appointees, Republicans and the Church as being "the faithless." Since when did Christianity become the only religion? Since when did God become a Republican? Since when did the rules changes so that, to become a "person of faith" you must follow Bush unconditionally, follow the church and follow politicians like Frist and Delay's religious dogma? Are there no Democrats of faith? Are there no Democrats who go to church, temple, mosques and pray to a God? Does God and faith only exist now in 2005 for conservative Republicans and no one else? Wake up America, our beloved land is becoming a very, very scary place. Andy

Feels Good to be a Democrat Today

We lost the House, the Senate, the White House, and perhaps even the courts. We don't control the media, as purported daily by conservative spin monkeys like Rep. Tom Delay, and it sure feels small and insignificant to be a Democrat these days. But not this week. This week I am feeling empowered; satisfied. Hell, I'm even gloating. By all indications, things are looking worse each day for embattled House Leader Delay. The solid wall of Republican support is slowly chipping away. Our poster-boy for morality and ethics is on the hot seat, and it's getting hotter every minute. Let me go out on a limb and say his days are numbered. He's going down. He will eventually lose his leadership post. And let's not forget the midterms, and the fact that he only won in '04 by 55% against a no-name opponent. He could very well find himself playing a lot of tennis in '06 with Tom Daschle. It also appears that President Bush's nominee for UN Ambassador, John Bolton, seems doomed. Apparently, even the Senate GOP is starting to consider that perhaps berating and threatening suboordinates, fishing for secret personnel info, exaggerating WMD threats and chasing a female lawyer through a Moscow hotel just may not be very diplomatic. Lastly, Bush's Social Security privatization plan is all but dead. Senate and House Democrat's take note: you do have power. Look what happens when you stop being Bush's patsys. Next stop, the filibuster. We must win this showdown. But all in all, it sure feels good to be a Democrat right now. Andy

Voinovich to the Rescue!

Just when it looked as though John Bolton would sail through the nomination process on his road to UN Ambassador despite teasers of opposition from Senators Lincoln Chafee (RI) and Chuck Hagel (Neb), high-drama occurred on the Senate seas. Yesterday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, after several impassioned pleas from across the aisle from Joe Biden (DE), Chris Dodd (CT) and others, Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind) aggressively pressed for a vote. Out of nowhere, in true Superhero fashion, out stepped Sen. George Voinovich (OH) to save the day. Full of non-partisan bravado and missing only the cape, Voinovich informed his peers, "I have heard enough today that it gives me some concern about Mr. Bolton." With that, he said he would not vote until more information could be had, and more questions answered. Pressing still for a vote, Lugar persisted, albeit unsuccessfully, and the session eventually came to a halt, with several Republicans, including Lugar, hopping on the "let's further investigate" bandwagon. Whoa! Kudos to Voinovich! An objective politician able to listen to logical debate and have the courage to speak his mind despite heavy partisan pressure. The system does work. So what's the end result? A delay of about two weeks or so, at which time several things can happen. Bush can feel the rising heat and withdraw Bolton's nomination; opposition can increase from Republicans who sense defeat and don't want to be on record as supporting a loser; and most likely, the delay will allow more Bolton dirt to surface and he'll self-destruct. In any case, the Left has cause for celebration. Time's running out on Bolton. Andy

Delay's Denial and the "Liberal Media"

Claiming he's giving them "the real story," embattled House Leader Tom Delay today sent an email to supporters in his suburban Houston district issuing a sweeping denial of his alledged ethics transgressions. But here's the real kicker: DeLay blames these attacks on Democrats, liberal groups and the "legion of Democrat-friendly press" who are trying to wrest away Republican control of Congress. "It is abundantly clear that their fundamental strategy revolves around attacking me and working to tear down Republican leadership," he said. Ok, much has been said in these and other pages about Delay and his relentless and unsubstantiated accusations about the Democrats and their "mission." But I am really starting to seethe about this notion of a powerful "Liberal Media" that, last time I checked, exists only in the fantasies of Republicans. Just where exactly is this powerful liberal media? Give us names, stations, networks. CNN? Every time I watch it they seem to bend over backwards sucking up to the Right. MSNBC? If anyone calls Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough Left-Wing sympathizers, they're missing some screws. The NY Times? They report in a very balanced manner. I am often just as upset with them for not supporting the Democrats as I am with their coverage of the Right. But isn't that exactly what an objective news publication is supposed to do? Let's make sure we make a distinction between the Times' news coverage and their columnists. The latter is certainly biased towards the Left. But the news coverage is more than fair. Lastly, we now have Air America Radio. Gaining momentum, but hardly the powerhouse of Fox News, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc. We all know who controls the airwaves these days, and, unfortunately, it ain't us. So how about it, Tom Delay, quit your incessant whining and defend yourself on the merits of the facts, not some invisible Left-Wing Media Boogeyman out to get ya. Andy

What Goes Around Come Around....

Back in the 90's, Republicans used the filibuster to block President Clinton's judicial appointments about 60 times. They also used it against him on his economic stimulus package; health care reform; campaign finance reform; and other legislative initiatives. But if you listen to Republicans, the filibuster, around almost as long as our Constitution, seems to have been established in 2000 by the Democrats to unreasonably obstruct the Bush agenda. Of course this is not the case. But it would be a gross abuse of power for the Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, to push through radical rules changes that would strip the Democrats--or perhaps even the Republicans should they ever find themselves the minority party again--of this 200-year-old necessary political weapon. The Republicans also love to play the poor victim these days of the fierce partisan rhetoric of the "Liberal elite" and the virtually non-existent "Liberal media." Led by embattled House Leader Tom Delay, they claim there's a vast Left-Wing conspiracy out to get them. They whine about how nasty politics has become, and they blame that on the Democrats. Well, let's not forget how vicious and relentless the attacks on the Clinton's were in the 90's. It was the Republicans who started the modern nastiness in Washington politics. Much has been said about the apparent friendship between former president Ronald Reagan and then-former House Speaker Tip O'Neil. As legend goes, they'd fight during the day, then set aside their swords and share a drink and some friendly conversation afterwards. Back then, the "aisle" was just a symbolic divider in a Senate or House chamber, and not emblematic of how our elected leaders on both sides of it generally treated each other. But those were not the same Republicans we have today. Today's breed consists of graduates of Newt University, the adult education Mecca for nastiness. And their professors were stalwart conservatives like former Rep. Bob Barr (GA), hellbent on taking down a Democratic president and sparing no cost in the process . I said it back then, and I'm saying it again, the political landscape changed in the 90's. No longer was the terrain one of general respect and courtesies across the aisle. The intense hatred for Bill and Hillary Clinton served to turn Republicans, and the party, into a venomous attack machine capable of doing anything, anything, to win. So it utterly amazes me now to see and hear Republicans crying 'foul.' My friends, you reap what you sow. And what we have now is one giant crop of rhetorical partisan crap born from the Right. The game of politics has been changed forever. Andy

Stackin' The Judicial Deck

Judges beware! The Republican revenge posse is juiced up and angrier than ever. And they're comin' to get ya. It's a two-man tag team in Washington leading the charge. On one front, House Leader Tom "The Devil" Delay is attacking the existing judiciary and on the other front Senate Majority Leader Bill "The Video Diagnoser" Frist is paving the way for the new crop of Christian conservative judge-puppets who'll sail through the nomination process once the age-old filibuster disappears faster than Karl Rove's integrity. You see, these feisty Republicans--the same group of hard-line Federalists who normally champion states' rights and an independent judiciary--just don't like what the judges are deciding these days. Be it abortion, gay marriage, prayer in school, religious objects in public places and government buildings, or the Schiavo case, these renegade judges somehow did not get the memo titled "How the Republican Jesus Freaks Want You to Vote." So instead of abiding by the strict dogma that fuels the religious right, these judges have had the audacity to be independent and impartial, framing their decisions against the U.S. Constitution instead. The nerve! So now we have Delay making not-so-thinly-veiled threats against the judges in the Schiavo case, calling for punishment, impeachment and other as-yet-unnamed harsh treatment alluded to in his reprehensible comments these past few weeks. And we have Frist, who in the coming weeks is sure to force a battle on the Senate floor over the filibuster issue, seeking unprecedented rules changes that would all but result in the Senate being a mere rubber-stamp for President Bush's radical conservative judicial appointments. The showdown between The Frist Gang and the Democrats could embroil the Senate in a brutal, protracted partisan war that virtually brings the legislature to a grinding halt. Let's hope our Republican friends heed the advice of the usually pragmatic Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who said "I will vote against the nuclear option . . . because we won't always be in the majority." Now there's a smart politician. Andy

Delay Under Fire

The downward spiral of House Leader Tom Delay continues with Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) calling for the embattled Republican to resign from his leadership post, and former House Speaker and head Right-Wing nut-emeritus Newt Gingrich calling for Delay to clarify his recent inflammatory rhetoric against judges to the American people. He also recently received a similar sugar-coated wrist slap from Sen. Rick Santorum, and has been distanced from Pres. Bush and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Yet despite all this, Delay still asserts that he's the victim here. As Gingrich said, Delay seems to be blaming some "Left Wing conspiracy" for his troubles. It's the Democrats and the media who are out to get him, Delay says. Perhaps it's more a result of the illegal fundraising and conflict-of-interest allegations, Tom? Ya know, the ones for which you've been admonished three times by the bi-partisan House Ethics Committee. Isn't it funny how some politicians refuse to take any ownership over their legal and/or ethical indiscretions. The always-honorable Rev. Al Sharpton, for example, currently being investigated for misuse of campaign funds, blames it on racism; says he's being targeted because he's Black. I guess that makes Tom Delay Black too. Well, not really. He's just a slimy Republican. But he has a scapegoat too in us liberals. So what's to become of Delay? Will the mounting scrutiny and pressure on him increase? Will his fellow slimers in the House and Senate desert him at some point like they did Trent Lott? Not just yet. But a few more embarrassing situations/comments from Delay might just do the trick. Andy

"The Judicial War on Faith"

Will somebody, anybody, please stop Tom Delay from further polluting our political landcsape? Earlier in the week, speaking before a conservative group in Washington on "Confronting the Judicial War on Faith," he once again glared his venom-spewing fangs at the federal courts, laying out his plan--an apparent follow up to his not-so-thinly-veiled threat against the Schiavo judges last week--for both retribution and change. It seems Rep. Delay believes, despite our very clear separation of powers doctrine, that it's within the power of Congress to legislate the judiciary process, and he put the blame squarely on Congress for allowing "the judiciary to run amok." But what are we really talking about here? Simply put, Delay and his Christian conservative co-conspirators want to change the system, the rules, because they don't like the decisions being handed down by judges. They want Congress to "set parameters" of courts' jurisdictions and its obligation "to make sure the judges administer their responsibilities," especially when it comes to the hot-button cultural wedge issues like school prayer, abortion, gay marriage and religious expression in public/government locations. They want to, in essence, have a pre-determined set of rulings that judges can make on these issues, and then and only then will they be satisfied. But someone needs to remind this blatant defiler of the U.S Constitution that that's not how our system works. There's a reason why our country is great, and it's the 1000% untouchable Democratic principles of separation of church and state; separation of powers; and a system of checks and balances. The theocracy that Delay envisions in his myopic little Oligarchic world is indeed a fantasy in his head, but with each passing day America inches closer and closer to his world and away from ours. Consider Delay's relentless stumping to change the rules so that Congress can impeach, punish and/or remove judges whose decisions the Religious Right does not like. Consider their quest to end the filibuster, so that the minority party can be bulldozed with Christian conservative judicial appointments. This is scary stuff, folks. And it's just plain wrong. We're spending upwards of $200 billion, and losing thousands of lives, to fight for Democracy in Iraq, yet here at home our leaders are hellbent on taking away our freedoms. This has got to stop. Let's start with taking down Delay. Check out yesterday's post for suggestions on how you can get active. Andy

Tom Delay Must Go

What do you get when you cross a whole bunch of PAC money with some foreign travel, a little nepotism, snake oil and a lot of self-righteous religiosity? Tom Delay. That over-zealous little devil is up to his exisiting tricks again, this time on the hotseat for using lobbysists' money for overseas trips and for allegedly laundering $500,000 from his PAC, Americans for a Republican Majority, or Armpac, into the hands of his wife and daughter. Delay's blatant disregard for Congressional ethics, the judiciary process and, quite frankly, the U.S. Constitution, is a disgrace to our political system and a stain on America. He is one of the most ruthless, calculating, polarizing, power-hungry politicians in modern history, and he needs to be stripped of his House GOP leadership post. But will his fellow Republicans do it? Not a chance. They're either too afraid, too in awe, or both. Too afraid because, if you you don't support his initiatives, Delay will commit political homicide. His standard m.o. is to "primary" Republicans who resist his votes, threatening to throw his support to the challenger in the next primary. He also quite effectively dangles the committee chairmanship carrot as a bargaining chip to get his way. And others, the fanatic Christian conservative base of the party, love the vitriole and venom he spews on the hot-button wedge issues like judicial appointments, abortion, gay marriage and Terri Schiavo. Delay's a downright hero to the head Jesus freaks like the Bush Brothers, Frist and Santorum, for whom he does the dirty work but whose hands never get dirty themselves. One day though, he will go too far even for them, and he'll implode. And they'll finally toss him to the curb like the trash he is, but not until he's finished the job (sometime right after the mid-terms perhaps). Right now he's pretty damn good to have around, as he is to the religious right what steriods are to Bobby Bonds. So what's an angry Democrat to do? We can mobilize. We can make noise. We can donate money to help pay for the anti-Delay ads. We can sign petitions and we can demand that our leaders in Congress bring his reign of terror to an end. Visit web sites like MoveOn.org, WithoutDelay.org, OurFuture.org and American Progress.org to take action. Let's strap a bullseye on his back like the Republican's did with Tom "the Obstructionist" Daschle. It's time for Tom "the Law Breaker" Delay to go. Andy

Farewell the Filibuster?

Fresh off their defeat in the Terri Schiavo case, our Republican friends are at it again. Although this time it's they who want to pull the plug...on Senate filibustering of presidential juducial appointments. Can't get what you want the good old fashioned legal way? Change the law! Senate Democrats have used the filibuster to thwart Bush's attempt at ushering in a dangerous crop of right-wing judges into the Federal courts. Frustrating for Republicans? To say the least. But they are not wont to just sit idly by and not get their way. Karl Rove taught them they can have anything they want. The filibuster, an important weapon of the minority party, has been around longer than Rove's love handles. It's part of our system of checks and balances. But the Republicans are more ruthless than ever in their quest for supreme power. To change the filibuster process would be a major travesty of justice and a detriment to all Americans. Let's hope moderate Republican Senators like Olympia Snow, Lincoln Chafee, Arlen Spector, John McCain, Susan Collins and others do the right thing and split ranks on this one. And kudos to W.Va. Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democratic elder statesman who's leading the Senate charge on this issue. Got a few extra bucks? I'm sure Sen. Byrd's campaign could use them. He's sure to be the conservatives' numero-uno target come '06. Andy

It's Time to Take Down Tom Delay

Rep. Tom Delay just won't quit. The Republican House leader is one of the most tireless, relentless preachers of religious dogma there is. In the wake of Terri Schiavo's death, just when we thought we might've heard the last of him, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, "there he goes again." This mad little devil is now hellbent on retribution. It's not enough that the Schiavo case, leading to her death, had become a major emotional and political distraction from the more pressing issues confronting Americans today. Now Delay wants the judges heads on a silver platter. He blames them for Ms. Schiavo's death, calling them "an arrogant, out of control, unaccountable judiciary." He released a statement yesterday warning "The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today." Just what the hell is he talking about here? Is this a thinly veiled threat of violence? Is he speaking in code to the throngs of Jesus freaks out there ready to kill judges with whom they disagree? This is totally irresponsible, reprehensible and just plain dangerous behavior on the part of the 2nd highest-ranking GOP'er in the House, especially after the death threats already received in this case by Judge George Greer of the Florida Circuit Court. And let's not forget the murder of Chicago Judge Joan Lefkow's husband and mother a month ago by a deranged defendant. What this country doesn't need is a vindictive right wing extremist in Washington urging more violence. Devil Delay needs to be censured. And he needs more than just a wrist-slap. He's already been admonished three times by the House Ethics Committee for alleged illegal fundraising activity. It's time for Travis County, Texas District Attorney Ronnie Earle to finally hand up that indictment of Delay, a move that, under House rules, would force him from his leadership perch. And the FBI should grill him on just what he meant by his vague threat yesterday. Let's put Delay back where he belongs: on the hotseat defending against his own abuses of power. Maybe then and only then will he no longer have the time to preach what he doesn't practice. Andy