In a speech before graduates of the Air Force Academy, Dubya compares the war on terror to WWII. And, a day after being called out by Dana Milbank for his straw men, Bush is at it again: “Some who call themselves realists question whether the spread of democracy in the Middle East should be any concern of ours.” Is that really the central argument being made by those dubious of our foray into Iraq? I don’t think so.
Author: KcM
I love this game, I hate this team.
So the NBA Finals are finally set, and it’s Detroit v. LA. I ended up doing decently well in my pre-playoff picks: I got the East champion right, and I think I would’ve gotten the West too if not for Sam Cassell’s injury. At any rate, I loathe the Lake Show, and particularly in its current incarnation, so I’m hoping against hope that these Pistons pull it out. With that in mind, (gulp) Pistons in seven…I guess we’ll see on Sunday.
The Dubya Effect.
Democratic House candidate Stephanie Herseth wins in GOP-leaning South Dakota, and the Dems’ prospects in the South brighten. How much do you want to bet Karl Rove is pushing hard right now for a refocus on catching Osama before November?
Chairman Cheney Pads his Pocket.
Typical. Despite being oversight-crazy during the Clinton era, the Congressional GOP refuses to hold hearings about the “smoking gun” e-mail connecting Cheney’s office to a sweetheart Halliburton deal in Iraq. (And, as with the energy probe, Cheney’s office is stonewalling.) Good lord, what shadiness…is there no level below which these guys won’t stoop? Once again, the Bush administration and its Congressional cronies have proved themselves a national embarrassment of historic proportions.
…Wake up with fleas.
What does $340,000 a month buy you? Treason. Ahmed Chalabi, until very recently the Neocons’ favorite Iraqi, apparently tipped off Iran that we’d broken their codes. “U.S. intelligence officials two weeks ago had told CNN that Chalabi, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, gave intelligence secrets to Iran so closely held in the U.S. government that only ‘a handful’ of senior officials knew them.” So…which of the Bushies was it? Between this and the Plame affair, the Bush administration has now displayed a pattern of disregarding and betraying our intelligence community.
Running Scared.
Well, it’s a well-run campaign, midget’n broom’n whatnot. The Washington Post scrutinizes the Bush campaign’s continued resort to misleading attacks and outright lies when discussing Kerry’s record. And, in related news, Dana Milbank (one of the co-writers of the article above), surveys Dubya’s penchant for bashing straw men. “Bush is obviously not the first politician to paint his opponents’ positions in absurd terms…But Bush has been more active than most in creating phantom opponents…[and]There seems to be no end to the crazy positions the straw men take.“
That Woman? Not hardly.
By way of Value Judgment, Alexandra Polier — the woman whom Drudge et al earlier claimed had an affair with John Kerry — digs into the unsavory origins of her own non-story. The first half of the article is basically a recap of her situation and her actual connection to Kerry, but the second half — when she begins interrogating the journalists who breathlessly created this media scandal out of whole cloth — is quite interesting.
Tricksy.
Time? What time do you think we have? While the world enjoys the RotK theatrical edition (released on DVD last Tuesday…or earlier, if you live in NYC), the Extended Edition runs into delays, and now might not see the light of day until 2005. For what it’s worth, Entertainment Weekly has at least confirmed some inclusions, although nothing we haven’t heard before. Ah well, I’m ok with waiting a few extra months if it’ll mean a difference in quality.
Don’t Call it a Comeback.
In the wake of Dubya’s free-falling popularity, are the House Dems poised to reverse the 1994 GOP takeover? One can only hope.
Self-Flagellation.
“WHO THE H*#&! ARE YOU AND WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO MUCK AROUND WITH THIS TREASURED PIECE OF LITERATURE, YOU AMERICAN HOLLYWOOD HACK? Ah. Good one. Yes, I can see why a lot of people might be wondering this…” Screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick talks about his contribution to the forthcoming Hitchhiker’s Guide film.