The NY Times has an interesting article about some conversations secretly taped by a former confidant of the president’s, Doug Wead, during the time leading up to the presidency. In the end, it’s a bit of a whatever, as it does little more than further solidify our assumptions about Chimpy—that he is an inveterate opportunist, that he favors loyalty over competence, and that he’s an immature idiot.
However, here are some choice quotes for your consideration (emphasis mine throughout):
Preparing to meet Christian leaders in September 1998, Mr. Bush told Mr. Wead, "As you said, there are some code words. There are some proper ways to say things, and some improper ways." He added, "I am going to say that I've accepted Christ into my life. And that's a true statement."
[…]
Mr. Bush, who has acknowledged a drinking problem years ago, told Mr. Wead on the tapes that he could withstand scrutiny of his past. He said it involved nothing more than "just, you know, wild behavior." He worried, though, that allegations of cocaine use would surface in the campaign, and he blamed his opponents for stirring rumors. "If nobody shows up, there's no story," he told Mr. Wead, "and if somebody shows up, it is going to be made up." But when Mr. Wead said that Mr. Bush had in the past publicly denied using cocaine, Mr. Bush replied, "I haven't denied anything."
He refused to answer reporters' questions about his past behavior, he said, even though it might cost him the election. Defending his approach, Mr. Bush said: "I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried."
He mocked Vice President Al Gore for acknowledging marijuana use. "Baby boomers have got to grow up and say, yeah, I may have done drugs, but instead of admitting it, say to kids, don't do them," he said.
[…]
And he is cocky at times. "It's me versus the world," he told Mr. Wead. "The good news is, the world is on my side. Or more than half of it."
[…]
[I]n a conversation that November on the eve of Mr. Bush's re-election [as Texas’ governor], his confidence was soaring. "I believe tomorrow is going to change Texas politics forever," he told Mr. Wead. "The top three offices right below me will be the first time there has been a Republican in that slot since the Civil War. Isn't that amazing? And I hate to be a braggart, but they are going to win for one reason: me."
[…]
Mr. Bush knew that his own religious faith could be an asset with conservative Christian voters, and his personal devotion was often evident in the taped conversations. When Mr. Wead warned him that "power corrupts," for example, Mr. Bush told him not to worry: "I have got a great wife. And I read the Bible daily. The Bible is pretty good about keeping your ego in check."
That’s a fabulous endorsement of religion. It’s clearly done wonders for keeping the president’s ego in check. Ahem.
Early on, though, Mr. Bush appeared most worried that Christian conservatives would object to his determination not to criticize gay people. "I think he wants me to attack homosexuals," Mr. Bush said after meeting James Robison, a prominent evangelical minister in Texas.
But Mr. Bush said he did not intend to change his position. He said he told Mr. Robison: "Look, James, I got to tell you two things right off the bat. One, I'm not going to kick gays, because I'm a sinner. How can I differentiate sin?"
Later, he read aloud an aide's report from a convention of the Christian Coalition, a conservative political group: "This crowd uses gays as the enemy. It's hard to distinguish between fear of the homosexual political agenda and fear of homosexuality, however."
"This is an issue I have been trying to downplay," Mr. Bush said. "I think it is bad for Republicans to be kicking gays."
Told that one conservative supporter was saying Mr. Bush had pledged not to hire gay people, Mr. Bush said sharply: "No, what I said was, I wouldn't fire gays."
As early as 1998, however, Mr. Bush had already identified one gay-rights issue where he found common ground with conservative Christians: same-sex marriage. "Gay marriage, I am against that. Special rights, I am against that," Mr. Bush told Mr. Wead.
Special rights. Don’t get me started.
When Mr. Wead warned that he had heard reporters talking about Mr. Bush's "immature" past, Mr. Bush said, "That's part of my schtick, which is, look, we have all made mistakes."
He said he learned "a couple of really good lines" from Mr. Robison, the Texas pastor: "What you need to say time and time again is not talk about the details of your transgressions but talk about what I have learned. I've sinned and I've
learned."
[…]
He complained repeatedly about the press scrutiny, accusing the news media of a "campaign" against him. While he talked of certain reporters as "pro-Bush" and commented favorably on some publications (U.S. News & World Report is "halfway decent," but Time magazine is "awful"), he vented frequently to Mr. Wead about what he considered the liberal bias and invasiveness of the news media in general.
Boo-hoo, said Time’s 2004 Man of the Year.
While Mr. Bush thought the conservative Christian candidates Gary L. Bauer and Alan Keyes would probably scare away moderates, he saw Mr. Ashcroft as an ally because he would draw evangelical voters into the race.
"I want Ashcroft to stay in there, and I want him to be very strong," Mr. Bush said. " I would love it to be a Bush-Ashcroft race. Only because I respect him. He wouldn't say ugly things about me. And I damn sure wouldn't say ugly things about him."
But Mr. Bush was sharply critical of Mr. Forbes, another son of privilege with a famous last name. Evangelicals were not going to like him, Mr. Bush said. "He's too preppy," Mr. Bush said, calling Mr. Forbes "mean spirited."
Recalling the bruising primary fight Mr. Forbes waged against Bob Dole in 1996, Mr. Bush told Mr. Wead, "Steve Forbes is going to hear this message from me. I will do nothing for him if he does to me what he did to Dole. Period. There is going to be a consequence. He is not dealing with the average, you know, 'Oh gosh, let's all get together after it's over.' I will promise you, I will not help him. I don't care."
Another time, Mr. Bush discussed offering Mr. Forbes a job as economic adviser or even secretary of commerce, if Mr. Forbes would approach him first.
Yep. Political opportunist, rewarder of loyalty above all else, ideologue, brat…that’s the President Bush we all know and loathe.
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Okay, this is it. This is the official new layout. I hope everyone likes it; I’m very happy with it, and I nearly drove myself insane trying to get it to work, but now I feel it was all worth it.
For FoxFire users, I know the menus don’t line up perfectly at the top, and it’s something I’ll work on to try to get it to look as nice for you, as time allows.
Please let me know if there are any other technical issues. Thanks for bearing with me, and offering all your help. I appreciate it more than I can express.
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This would be laughable if it weren’t so infuriating.
LJ’s Blogorific points us to the FBI Ten Most Wanted List entry for Osama bin Laden. What is he wanted for?
MURDER OF U.S. NATIONALS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES; CONSPIRACY TO MURDER U.S. NATIONALS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES; ATTACK ON A FEDERAL FACILITY RESULTING IN DEATH
[…]
CAUTION
USAMA BIN LADEN IS WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE AUGUST 7, 1998, BOMBINGS OF THE UNITED STATES EMBASSIES IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, AND NAIROBI, KENYA. THESE ATTACKS KILLED OVER 200 PEOPLE. IN ADDITION, BIN LADEN IS A SUSPECT IN OTHER TERRORIST ATTACKS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
Notice anything missing?
The truly pathetic part:
Poster Revised November 2001
Awesome.
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In reporting on this NY Times article, which examines the burgeoning friendship between the Bushes and Bill Clinton, John Aravosis says:
This article is going to make the freepers and the other right-wingers even crazier than they already are.
[…]
This article is pretty funny, actually. It's the great Clinton/Bush lovefest.
But imagine how the right wingers are handling this. Clinton has befriended not only the father, but the son.
I have to admit, it’s not sitting too well with this left-winger, either.
The story says, in part:
Former staff members said the friendship could offer political advantages for the Bush and Clinton families, softening the edges of a political rivalry, as Mr. Bush's son begins his second term and as Mrs. Clinton considers a run for president in 2008.
I’m not so sure what political advantages this pally-wally bullshit offers either family, particularly the Clintons, unless they believe it’s going to give Hillary some ideas to garner more sway with the right-wing loons that love Chimpy, in which case it’s perhaps an opportunity that isn’t really worth taking.
Former staff members also said the friendship seemed genuine and was ultimately not that surprising given that there are only five men alive who know what it is like to go through the crucible of the American presidency. At the end of the day, the staff members said, partisan differences were overcome by the power of that shared experience.
I understand forging common ground through shared experience, even with the most unlikely of characters. But the health of the country certainly comes before that, and befriending a group that seeks to undermine the greatest political achievements of the Left, such as Social Security, is surely reason for a man who is considered, and likely considers himself, the most prominent member of the opposition party in the country, to be a bit wiser in forging such alliances.
The new warmth arises as President Bush and Mr. Clinton, who had little love for each other in the past, have grown closer.
"Frankly, President Bush likes Clinton a lot," Roland Betts, a close friend of the president, said. "He says he thinks he's a terrific person. He's not judging his administration. He just likes being around him."
Sure he does. I’m sure Clinton’s a very likeable guy. And I suspect that Karl Rove isn’t exactly displeased by the credibility lent by an important Democrat to show how bipartisan friendship is possible, thereby making claims that the Congressional Dems are bitter partisans, when they actually try to mount a defense of liberal beliefs, seem viable.
Clinton just can’t learn to keep it in his pants.
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The Democratic Underground reports that Zell Miller presented a “Courage Under Fire Award” to the Swift Boat Veterans. From C-SPAN:
IN WASHINGTON
Zell Miller at CPAC Dinner
Fmr. Georgia Senator Zell Miller (D) presents the "Courage Under Fire Award" to the Swift Boat Veterans during the Conservative Political Action Conference's 2005 dinner. Following a speech by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the Ronald Reagan Award will also be presented.
FRIDAY, C-SPAN, 8:30PM ET
THE CPAC WEBSITE
What an unbelievable knob-end this guy is.
Coming Soon: Joe Liebertwat presents the Medal of Honor to Pol Pot.
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Which you probably already know. He fixed the background on my Google logo for me.
Thank you, Rook!
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Whiny baby Jimmy Jeff Gannguckerton appeared on CNN with Cooper Anderson tonight. Crooks and Liars has the video. Anderson did an excellent job of asking the tough questions that need to be asked.
At the end of the interview, poor pathetic put-upon Jimmy Jeff wanted to know, “Why should my past prevent me from having a future?” He refers to his online shenanigans as mistakes, his private life, his sexual history. But what he (and Anderson, and a lot of other people) fail to distinguish is that it isn’t about his being gay, or being naked on the internet—it’s about the fact that he was a male escort, a prostitute, which is against the law.
Certainly his homosexuality adds a particular level of hypocrisy to the story which other illegal activities, when juxtaposed with the “moral values” of the GOP, might not so glaringly highlight. But regardless of whether he was prostituting himself over the internet, dealing coke over the internet, running a gambling ring, or defrauding people through a fake charity, the salient point remains the same—someone actively engaged in an illegal venture was given a pass to White House Press Briefings.
The nature of the crime makes it easy for Jimmy Jeff to moan and complain that his personal life and sexual history have no bearing on whether he deserved a press pass, and if he had simply been a gay man with a penchant for internet exhibitionism, that might well be true. However, he sold himself like so much meat, and being a flesh peddler is quite different from being a regular old run-of-the-mill slut. Easy lays are a dime a dozen, but Jimmy Jeff was $1,200 a weekend.
Someone in the White House had to have known about this. It’s simply inconceivable that this guy slipped through the cracks (no pun intended). And as more information comes out about how he had not published a damn thing before he found his precious bootie amongst seasoned, professional journalists, it becomes increasingly unlikely that the White House was just so keen to have a partisan reporter in there that they waived the barest minimum of due diligence. He had nothing, nothing to which he could point that was illustrative of an existing career as a partisan reporter before he ended up at Press Briefings.
He was in there for a reason, and partisan hackery ain’t it.
Oh, and as for your question, Mr. Gannguckerton, you might want to ask some of the folks in Florida whose past illegal activities kept them off the voter rolls at the behest of the GOP about how breaking one’s past can often affect one’s future.
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Me4President is soliciting poetry recommendations. Among the names I contributed was Dylan Thomas, which compelled me to post this:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Make of its message what you will. I think you know what it means to me.
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Still working on trying to find something permanent, but this will do for now (I hope). Is readability better? I tried to take all comments into consideration—no glaring white background, no greens, bigger and more contrasting text, and kept the Shakespeare picture people who saw the other one seemed to like better.
I know the Google thing sucks with its white background. My home graphics program went kaput, so I’ll adjust it on Monday.
Thanks for sticking with me despite my complete dearth of programming knowledge and my seemingly infinite search for a decent layout.
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This week, I’m recommending the Flashman series, by George MacDonald Fraser. Cataloging the adventures and exploits of Harry Flashman (originally introduced as a character in Thomas Hughes’ Tom Brown’s Schooldays), a 19th century soldier in the British army and an inveterate coward and opportunist, who always manages to (undeservedly) come out a hero, the books may very well be the best historical fiction ever written. If you’ve read historical fiction before and didn’t care for it, don’t let it scare you away from Flashman; the stories are amazing, the plotting astounding, and Fraser is an unbelievably good writer. (He also co-wrote the screenplay for Octopussy, for any James Bond fans among us.)
The books are primarily a British phenomenon; they are favorites of Mr. Shakes, who introduced them to me. I’ve read the first two, both of which are absolutely brilliant. In the first one, Flashy serves in India and Afghanistan; in the second, he’s wrapped up in an incredible plot that takes him to Germany and has him entangled, much to his disdain, with Otto von Bismarck. (Mr. Shakes tells me that later in the series, he comes to America and meets up with Lincoln—I can’t wait!)
Flashy is a loathsome character, the ultimate anti-hero. He’s racist, sexist, manipulative…and fucking hilarious. I promise you’ll love to hate him, and anyone with an interest in history or politics is sure to enjoy these books. Honestly, they seem custom-tailored for clever smart-asses who love the wonky shit we talk about every day.
If you take my recommendation and pick up Flashman, which is the first in the series, and I sincerely hope you do, I’d love to hear what you think of it.
And of course, please leave your own weekly recommendations in comments.
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I have always had a raging (and weirdly against-my-normal-type) crush on the Rock. (As proof, I've seen Walking Tall—sometimes love really does hurt.) Now I fancy him even more (link via Pam’s House Blend):
Wrestler-turned-movie star DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON is urging his gay celebrity pals to come clean about their sexuality because he's convinced it will be a career boost for them.
THE SCORPION KING star plays a gay bodyguard in new JOHN TRAVOLTA comedy BE COOL and he claims the role has made him realise that homosexuality is no longer something that needs to be hidden in Hollywood.
He tells gay magazine OUT, "I know a lot of gay actors in Hollywood who don't want to come out, and whatever the reasons are I respect that.
"But I think if people love you now, and if you came out, they would love you more, and if they didn't, then they weren't real people to begin with."
That’s so cool…and so right. The best cure for homophobia is knowing lesbians and gays. A lot of people feel like they “know” celebrities they like; they take sides during celebrity splits (it must have been Jen’s fault—she wouldn’t have a baby!; no, it was Brad’s fault—he messed around with Angelina Jolie!), as if there’s any way to know the secrets, the problems, the pains of someone else’s marriage. It’s kind of sad that there are so many who care so much about the personal lives of celebrities, often making stars’ peccadilloes more important than whether they can act, or sing, or whatever, but it can be useful, too. That’s what The Rock is pointing out; stars have an opportunity to demystify homosexuality to their fans. It’s easy to say when you’re not the one who might suffer the backlash, but I think he’s right. There are plenty of people who will love them, anyway.
I don’t think SpongeBob’s ratings are suffering since he was
outed, are they?
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There was once a man called Bush
Whose noggin was nothing but mush.
What grand irony
If his downfall will be
Naked pics of a gay hooker’s tush.
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Damn! There’s been some talk around here about how getting on my bad side wouldn’t be a good idea, but how about getting on John Aravosis’ bad side?
BREAKING NEWS: Gannon reportedly knew about "Shock and Awe" four hours before it happened
A news producer for a major network just told me that Gannon told the producer the "shock and awe" campaign launching the Iraq war was about to happen four hours before President Bush announced it to the nation.
According to the producer, Gannon specifically told them that in four hours the president was going to be making a speech to the nation announcing the "shock and awe" campaign had begun. The producer told me they were surprised that Gannon, working with such a small news outfit, could have access to such information, but "what did you know, he was right," the producer said today. The producer went on to say that Gannon often had correct scoops on major stories, including information about Mary Mapes and the Dan Rather BUSH/AWOL scandal that this news outlet got from Gannon before any had the information publicly.
This more than a few questions and points:
1. Assuming this news producer is telling the truth, and I have no reason to believe they are not, how did Gannon get access to such highly classified information as to when the Iraq war going to begin?
2. Even if Gannon were part of a press gaggle that was told embargoed information about the upcoming war by the White House, this producer alleges that Gannon broke the embargo, which is a security risk to the operation, and more generally shows that concerns about Gannon's White House access posing a risk to national security are now warranted.
3. How would someone on a day pass, who hadn't gotten the requisite 3-4 month FBI background check that other full-time White House employees get, get access to such highly classified information? Certainly the White House didn't include someone with simply a day pass in the highly-classified pre-briefing about when the war was happening (assuming such a briefing even occurred)? If the White House did a briefing and Gannon were included, this would mean ANYONE could walk in off the street, say they're a reporter, and provided by they don't have a criminal record, the White House will simply tell them at what hour we're launching a major war? And if there was no briefing for reporters, then how did Gannon allegedly find out?
4. How would Gannon get inside information on the Dan Rather scandal BEFORE the rest of the major media? Assuming the producer is correct, did it come from a White House source, and if so, what does this say about possible White House involvement in creating this scandal in the first place?
According to my source, Gannon's insider tidbits were always on the mark. "Gannon's stuff was always golden," the producer says. My source says they kept asking themself, "how does this small news outfit get this info?"
How indeed.
Fuck man, this guy can
dig!
As an aside, I believe John Aravosis used to be a Republican, but since he’s gay, and intelligent, and not self-loathing, that was destined not to last.
Now check him out. Ditto Media Matters’ David Brock. Too bad your tent wasn’t big enough for out queens, GOP.
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Two that should have been added long ago: The Mahablog and WTF Is It Now?
Democrappy, whose name and tagline—What do I think of American Democracy? I think it would be a good idea—say it all.
1031 Productions. Comics, baseball, politics—what else do you need?
Running Scared, who features some of our favorites already on the blogroll, but you’ll miss other good stuff if you don’t check out this site, too.
Virtual Pus. Go read it all, but this is a recent favorite.
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Another Dem with balls (Mr. Shakes comments "Why are so many of the Dems with balls women?!" - Good fucking question, babe):
Rep. Slaughter Demands Answer:
Why was Jeff Gannon in the White House Before Talon News Even Existed?
Slaughter to White House - "Stop the Stonewalling!"
Washington, DC - During the February 10 White House briefing, Press Secretary Scott McClellan stated that Jeff Gannon, "...like anyone else, showed that he was representing a news organization that published regularly" in order to receive his day pass to press briefings. It has been confirmed that Jeff Gannon was in the White House briefing room, actively participating in these briefings, as early as February 28, 2003 a full month before Talon News even existed.
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (NY-28), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Rules, who has lead the call for answers in this matter, today called on the White House to explain their relationship with the discredited "reporter" once and for all.
"It has been a week since I wrote President Bush seeking answers in this matter. I have not yet received a reply. With each new revelation it becomes more and more clear that the relationship between the White House and Jeff Gannon was anything but typical," said Slaughter. "It is time for this Administration to stop the stonewalling and come clean with the American people," she added.
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Aside from a few bright spots in the MSM (see AMERICAblog for posts on all examples, including video links), the reluctance to pursue Gannongate to what (or where, or whom) should be its inevitable conclusion is frustrating, to say the least. The Rude Pundit, however, has an idea:
Now, we know that Bush is stabbing his Christian constituency in the back in his lack of funding of his faith-based initiatives. The Christian right is sore, with the sweet, soft belly of a hog on a spit. It's time to poke that fucker with a stick. Get the Christian wackjobs upset, and the Gannyguck story flies. You know it. The Rude Pundit knows it.
Here's what we do: we start invading the Christian conservative websites (and right-wingers who hate gays). Try to stay as "mainstream" as possible. Hit the chat rooms and message boards. E-mail like crazy. And pretend to be Christian, conservative, and mad as hell that the President would allow someone like Gannyguck into the sanctified pure whiteness of America's house. Go on Fox's website and do the same. Never, never make it that you hate Bush - make it that you're betrayed. Fuck, if a few cranks from Focus on the Family can get the FCC to criminally raise fines on indecency, then we can use those cranks to our advantage. (The Rude Pundit is not going to list sites to contact because, in case anyone does this, he doesn't want such complaints to be seen as "illegitimate" because of the Rude Pundit's involvement.)
Here's an example (please do not copy exactly - let's make it seem as little like astroturf as possible- and don't seem too smart): "As a Republican and Christian, I'm appalled that the President allowed a known male prostitute into the press room. When I voted for George Bush, I thought I was voting for the family values candidate. Now I find out the President not only allowed Jeff Gannon/ James D. Guckert to join the media in the White House, but he called on him at a press conference. I think George Bush owes us an apology and an explanation."
Oh, what fun it could be if we get away with it. E-mail the Rude Pundit with your postings or e-mails that you sent to your "favorite" conservative writer or organization: rudepundit@yahoo.com.
And remember: our cause is just as we face evil people.
It’s funny, but it’s also a great idea. (I’m so in.) If you’re in, too, make sure you copy me when you email the Rude Pundit.
And re: not seeming too smart—spelling errors will help. I would also suggest that “as a Republican and Christian” is probably superfluous, and will seem suspicious. Also, use the word “homosexual” a lot—“a known homosexual prostitute.” (It’s amazing what you can learn from
Pam’s many brave forays into Freepville…) Good luck and godspeed!
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Slightly Left of Center’s Kiosan asks How Is This News?
Laura Bush plans to give more parties.
Guess that Literacy thing wasn't enough to keep her busy, what with George cutting the federal educational budget and all. And it's not like she could champion women's health issues when her hubby so soundly nixes health initiatives.
I have had the whole "what should the role of the First Lady be" debate. Obviously, I think a modern First Lady should have more to do, whether poltically, professionally, or charitably, than redecorate the East Wing every couple of years. I mean honestly, even British royalty find a way to make themselves useful on occasion.
*shrugs*
But I guess if you're Laura Bush, all the "good" causes are either already taken, or placed thoroughly off-limits by hubby's maniacal raving. Gal's gotta fill her time somehow. But I still wouldn't call it "news."
Party on, Garth.
Does that mean the President’s
proposed “three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence” for which he was “proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura Bush” was just a cynical bone thrown to a community the GOP has an interest in turning to the Dark Side? Or will Laura still be “taking on gang life” in between the soirées?
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So Bush-supporting farmers don't like the raw deal they're being given with Bush's proposed budget? Boo-fucking-hoo! Call me immature, but I don't feel bad for anybody who ignorantly votes against their own self interest in favor of social conservative issues or fear of terrorism. Similarly, I don't feel bad for anyone who votes on one issue (abortion, their own finances, etc.) at the expense of scores of other more important issues. The greatest irony now is that these people who supported Bush - senior citizens, poor rural Red-state citizens, farmers, wealthy people in the upper tax brackets, even extreme relgious conservatives to a certain degree - are all getting screwed by Bush in one unique way or another. The funny part about the bitching farmers in the article is that many of them are in Ohio. Lick it up, baby. Lick it up!
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Bradford Plumer in Mother Jones (via Ezra):
Have to admit, it's pretty funny to hear a freshman Republican senator rattle off the virtues of the filibuster:
Isakson, noting he had just been in Iraq, said he asked a Kurdish leader if he worried that the majority Shiites would "overrun" the minority Kurds. And "he says, 'Oh, no, we have a secret weapon.' . . . And when asked what it was, he said one word, 'filibuster,' and then proceeded to describe their study of American democracy and our republic."
"If there were ever a reason for optimism about" giving more aid to Iraq, Isakson said, "it is one of their minority leaders proudly stating one of the pillars and principles of our government as the way they would ensure that the majority never overran the minority."
Indeed, Sen. Isakson. Indeed. Now somebody tell Bill "Nuclear Option" Frist, and quick! Hey, it's also worth noting that the elected Kurdish leaders represent only about 20 percent of Iraq's population. Democrats in the United States Senate, meanwhile, represent over 50 percent of Americans.
Do I laugh? Do I cry? Don’t know, but I definitely do get a tiny little shred of satisfaction seeing that the GOP seems to be having more and more trouble keeping their vast bastion of operatives on message these days…
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