Tony Snow's Cancer Has Returned

First they try to kill off Mrs. Edwards, now Tony Snow? He must not have been doing as well they'd hoped. I knew the Bush Administration would stop at nothing to silence the opposition, but c'mon, at least take the man hunting or something.

Well, as much as I'd like to say "none better suited," or something like that, I'll just give him the same well wishes that he gave Mrs. Edwards, presumably out of the shared experience that they have had.

Maybe this is why he keeps sounding so bored and tired when he's feeding the public the administration's lies?

Good luck, Mr. Snow, get better soon. We're counting on you to feed us our daily 'truthiness.'

Snow Job?

Regarding the attorney firings in a press conference today:

Reporter: "So, you're saying this is your final offer?"
Snow: "Yep."

The fight is on.

They're describing the offer to 'interview' (vs. take sworn testimony) the requested people (Rove and Miers) as a "generous offer."

Mr. Snow, did nobody ever tell you or your bosses that you don't have a choice? If you think you do, go right ahead and try, and find out what "Contempt of Congress" means.

Bush Pushes His Limits

Well, tonight, GW decided that there was no way he'd let Harriet Miers or Karl Rove be dragged in front of Congress to be questioned in the attorneys' case. Chuck Schumer came back swinging hard and stated bluntly that they'll simply subpeona them. By all accounts, they will be forced to testify, or be held in contempt of Congress.

Add to that the slap in Bush's face with the 94-6 vote today to reject presidential powers to appoint the replacement attorneys without Senate approval.

Stephen Colbert's No Friend of Democrats?

Rahm Emanuel doesn't like Stephen Colbert, and he doesn't want you to, either.

Well, maybe that's a bit of an overreaching statement. In a lecture to freshmen Democrats, he warned his colleagues to stay away from Mr. Colbert's show for fear of embarrassment.

What does this mean, though? What does this do to Colbert, who's obviously a Democratic ally, and to his relationship with Democrats? Apparently very little. Immediately after this warning, Rep. Steve Cohen had an interview with Colbert.

While some might feel that Colbert could damage a candidate, it's clear that more than anything Colbert seems to target whether a candidate knows what they're talking about. In the end, isn't it better to know that our representatives really do have our interests at heart and have a fuller understanding of our needs?

Rahm has a good point. Colbert just has more and better points.

Binding Resolution for Withdrawal from Iraq

The Democrats have finally learned how to play the game. I'm sorry to say that they have to play 'games' with Iraq and veteran healthcare, of course, but if it beats back the Republicans (maybe permanently), and gets us out of that sandy hell-hole, I'm all for it.

Apparently, with Thursday's Binding Resolution introduced by key Democrats and supported by a few Republicans, the Democrats also carefully laid a trap for Republicans who would oppose the bill by inserting a key part of the bill calling for greater aid for veterans. In a time where our nerves are raw from constant reports of decreases in veteran aid, closing of VA hospitals, and scandals such as the continuing saga of the Walter Reed Medical Center, it would become political suicide for any Republicans to oppose this bill, particularly for those who will be up for reelection in 2008.

It seems to me now that simply covering ones' car in yellow ribbons just won't do the trick anymore, or, as John Prine would've said, "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore."

A message to all Republicans (and "Democrats", Mr. Lieberman): Support the troops. Bring them home now, and take care of the ones that are already here, and the families of those who will never again come home.

Scooter Libby is Guilty

...no matter how they try to spin it, or worm out of it. I'm sure he'll get a reduced sentence and pardoned before the end of the Bush regime, though, because there just seems to be no prayer in hell that the Democrats will grow enough spine in time to start impeachments.

I say go scorched earth and prosecute all the lower crimes by aides that can be done, and then do trade-ups to nail Bush and Cheney.

Bush Needs a "Good Whoopin' "

You know, it's amazing to read the news every day and to read about detainees being tortured (sometimes American citizens), Iraqis being raped and murdered in cold blood (both by their own countrymen and ours), and our soldiers suffering humiliation and some of the poorest medical care in the world. All that, and you're not even counting the daily reports of the carnage in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the inscrutable divides within our own country's borders, be they ethnic, religious, political, social, or economic.

Some things may always exist. In some country somewhere in the world, a violent dictator may be oppressing his people who only want the basic freedoms every man, woman, and child is entitled to. Here in our own country, racial tensions have existed for the entire span of our nation's life, and they will be here for many years to come, if they truly ever cease. Our very founding occurred in part because of the persecution of religious groups in Europe, which also gave rise to our system of laws and our basic values of equality, which naturally have not always been equal.

For a time, however, our nation was united. It was united by many things, really; a strong and stable economy which more than just the top 1% of the nation shared; a strong sense of national identity that grew with fading hatreds and new alliances. Perhaps most of all, we were united in the horror of a single sunny morning in the symbolic cities of America.

In less than six years though, this has all changed. Perhaps more than at any time in our nation's history, we are divided in so many ways. So many sides have laid claim to sections of America, each one claiming "with me or against me" and leaving no middle ground, no room for compromise, and we have all been pulled down into the mire because of it. One of the most polarizing figures in this entire mess is no less than our 'President,' George W. Bush, the one man who should take it in his charge to ensure that we are all together as one voice and people. Instead, he too has famously said that "you're either with us or against us." He is a divider, despite his claims.

In our darkest hours as a nation, the good will of the American people and the will of the world towards our country was abused and squandered. In the eyes of the world, America stands tarnished and alone. I am forced to wonder, can our nation ever recover from some of the darkest eight years it has ever faced, indeed, that any nation has ever faced?