Month: June 2007

Girls and Boys

by digby

So Pat Buchanan had some very effective talking points yesterday when he said that poor little Ann Coulter was sandbagged by the evil Edwards machine. The AP’s Nedra Pickler picked it up and writes a piece that says that the take away from this weeks Hardball episode is not what Coulter said but the Edwards’ campaign fundraising.

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Wednesday encouraged his supporters to donate to his campaign in response to “hateful” comments from conservative author Ann Coulter. Edwards made his first comments to The Associated Press in response to Coulter’s suggestion that she wished he would be “killed in a terrorist assassination plot.” His campaign cited her remarks in two e-mails and a telephone text message to supporters for donations, with the fundraising deadline on Saturday. It’s not the first time Coulter has given the Edwards campaign a financial boost. In March, she called Edwards a “faggot” and the campaign used video of the comment to help raise $300,000 before the end of the first quarter.

Why, you’d almost think Coulter and Edwards were on the same side from that article. This morning there has been a tons of chatter implyingt that the Edwards’s seem to have been asking for it. Whatever.

Edwards actually isn’t the point either, at least not all by himself. Ann Coulter is sent out in all her blond glory to carry the message that all Democrats are pussies and bitches. Sorry for the language, but that’s the only way to truly convey what they are doing. They have always done this, but the newer style of the past few years has featured an attractive woman taunting a Democratic male about his manhood instead of a beefy, white male screaming “hey, faggot.” I suppose we could call that progress…

She also taunts Democratic females about their alleged lack of femininity. Here’s perhaps her most famous line to that effect:

My pretty-girl allies stick out like a sore thumb amongst the corn-fed, no make-up, natural fiber, no-bra needing, sandal-wearing, hirsute, somewhat fragrant hippie chick pie wagons they call “women” at the Democratic National Convention.

This is along the same lines as her remarks about Hillary Clinton’s “chubby legs” etc, which Chris Matthews felt the need to repeat over and over again, to gales of laughter in the crowd, while allowing Coulter to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. You could also see this at work when, at the prompting of one of her psycho-phants, Coulter started calling out Edwards for having his wife do his fighting for him. “Feminizing” male Democrats and “masculinizing” female Democrats is pretty much all she does.

This isn’t brain surgery. Faggots, smelly fat women, it’s right out of the adolescent lizard brain, and sadly it works on a certain type of voter — probably more than we would be comfortable knowing about. Coulter is an extreme version of a conservative archetype whose entire worldview is shaped by primitive notions of male dominance. It’s interestingly twisted in her case, in which she both extols and embodies what are traditionally thought of as masculine virtues, yet is packaged as a modern, waiflike child-woman. It’s very confusing, especially to someone with the issues Chris Matthews has (and it’s why she shouldn’t be on his show.)

But at the end of the day, this entire debate is really about one thing and one thing only — making liberals look weak using ancient archetypal notions of leadership. It’s the most important thing they do and every politician should remember it when dealing with her and her ilk.

I was hoping against hope that when Edwards went on the show yesterday, he would say that he doesn’t care what what Coulter says about him — it’s part of the game and he doesn’t expect any better coming from her — she’s shilling her books and god bless her if she has to scrape the bottom of the barrel with childish insults to do that. But while he knows that his wife is a capable adult who can stand up for herself, it still makes him see red when people like Coulter attack members of his family. If she were a man he might want to have a private meeting to “discuss” that with her a little further.

I know it’s somewhat stupid, but that’s the archetypal leadership response to a lizard brain gender attack like Coulter’s. While I think it’s great to engage in a dialog about “hate speech” and try to educate the nation about how we should all get along, while we jabber they are out there behaving like miscreant adolescents and pushing powerful primitive buttons against which rational dialog just can’t compete.

I guess I just wish he’d let Elizabeth do the arguing about how Coulter’s hateful comments are harmful and while he took a straightforward, tough line against assholes attacking his family. It’s Marshall’s “bitch-slap” effect. People tend to personalize politics and put politicians into roles to which they can relate. When candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate how they handle situations in which ordinary Americans can see themselves, they should take it. It’s a way of communicating leadership in a visceral, instantly comprehensible way. I’m not saying that Edwards failed in that. He acquitted himself just fine. But I think he missed an excellent opportunity to push back hard against the GOP’s most useful tactic.

Meanwhile, in the wtf department, David Gregory says that underneath Coulter’s vile spew is some kind of honest critique. Apparently, it’s just impossible that someone of Coulter’s caliber (she’s on TV! She writes books!) could possibly just be completely full of shit. I honestly don’t know how these people can get themselves dressed and in to work every day if they are that muddle headed.

Also, catch Joan Walsh on Scarborough tonight as she does battle against Pat Buchanan’s talking points that the Edwards campaign somehow set up poor little Ann, who never saw it coming. It should be good.

Update: Greg Sargeant has footage of Coulter on Scarborough’s show earlier today. Seems she getting a bit shrill.

.

The Kids Are Alright

by digby

I’m sure this was widely reported around the blogosphere, but I missed it:

While meeting with a group of high school seniors from the Presidential Scholars program in the East Room of the White House, President Bush received an unexpected surprise: a letter signed by 50 of them urging Bush to halt “violations of the human rights” of terror suspects held by the United States. According to the Associated Press, “The White House says Bush did not expect the letter but took a moment to read it and talk with a young woman who’d handed it to him.” White House spokesman Dana Perino said Bush let the student know “the United States does not torture and that we value human rights,” a statement seemingly contradicted by Bush’s signing statement which gave him power to largely ignore a Congressional ban on torture spearheaded by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

Raw Story has the video of three of these great young people here, talking on CNN. They give me hope for the future, especially in light of this:

Young Americans are more likely than the general public to favor a government-run universal health care insurance system, an open-door policy on immigration and the legalization of gay marriage, according to a New York Times/CBS News/MTV poll. The poll also found that they are more likely to say the war in Iraq is heading to a successful conclusion. The poll offers a snapshot of a group whose energy and idealism have always been as alluring to politicians as its scattered focus and shifting interests have been frustrating. It found that substantially more Americans ages 17 to 29 than four years ago are paying attention to the presidential race. But they appeared to be really familiar with only two of the candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both Democrats. They have continued a long-term drift away from the Republican Party. And although they are just as worried as the general population about the outlook for the country and think their generation is likely to be worse off than that of their parents, they retain a belief that their votes can make a difference, the poll found. More than half of Americans ages 17 to 29 — 54 percent — say they intend to vote for a Democrat for president in 2008.

Welcome aboard kids. Glad to have you.

.

Candy Hearts Hollywood

by digby

Hollywood Fred, that is.

Candy Crowley on CNN characterized dreamy Fred Thompson’s speech to the South Carolina GOP like this:

“Hitting all the right notes, his speech was what he hopes to be — Reaganesque — both optimistic and tough.”

Gosh if only he could be president right now!

Speaking of which, I originally agreed with Atrios’ analysis, but Bonnie Erbe delivers a lethal little pin prick to the Sally Quinn sewing circle’s desperate trial balloon to save the Republican party that I think is probably more on the money:

She … suggests that the affable former Sen. Fred Thompson would make a formidable replacement, while giving Thompson a better shot at the Republican presidential nomination next year.

Down, girl! I beg to differ. First of all, Cheney and this administration are not only toxic, they are downright radioactive. It is almost as if they covet the No. 1 spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the worst administration in American history. Any Republican running for president knows that an affiliation with the Bush administration is the political equivalent of Superman touching green kryptonite. Democrats will be able to posture and do nothing for decades and win elections merely by running against the Bush legacy…What Republican in his right mind would want an affiliation with this crowd?

Good question. But as far as I’m concerned, they are not going to have any choice. Bush and Cheney ARE the Republican party and their stench (and I’m not talking about English Leather) will be on all Republicans for a very long time to come. Every time they try to wash it off, I know I’m going to be standing there with another bucket of fetid Bushisms and sycophantic quotes to throw back on them.

.

The Hate Boat

by digby

Johann Hari has a wonderful piece up today about the National Review cruise. (Sadly No! has appropriately redone the Love Boat song to accompany it.)

It’s so disturbing and yet so funny that I’m sure TNR won’t mind if I share a few choice excerpts with you:

From time to time, National Review–the bible of American conservatism–organizes a cruise for its readers. Last November, I paid $1,200 to join them. The rules I imposed on myself were simple: If any of the conservative cruisers asked who I was, I answered honestly, telling them I was a journalist. But, mostly, I just tried to blend in–and find out what conservatives say when they think the rest of us aren’t listening.

[…]

To my left, I find a middle-aged Floridian with a neat beard. To my right are two elderly New Yorkers who look and sound like late-era Dorothy Parker, minus the alcohol poisoning. They live on Park Avenue, they explain in precise Northern tones. “You must live near the U.N. building,” the Floridian says to one of the ladies after the entrée is served. Yes, she responds, shaking her head wearily. “They should suicide-bomb that place,” he says. They all chuckle gently.

The conversation ebbs back to friendly chit-chat. So, you’re a European, one of the Park Avenue ladies says, before offering witty commentaries on the cities she’s visited. Her companion adds, “I went to Paris, and it was so lovely.” Her face darkens: “But then you think–it’s surrounded by Muslims.” The first lady nods: “They’re out there, and they’re coming.” Emboldened, the bearded Floridian wags a finger and says, “Down the line, we’re not going to bail out the French again.” He mimes picking up a phone and shouts into it, “I can’t hear you, Jacques! What’s that? The Muslims are doing what to you? I can’t hear you!”

Now that this barrier has been broken–everyone agrees the Muslims are devouring the French, and everyone agrees it’s funny–the usual suspects are quickly rounded up. Jimmy Carter is “almost a traitor.” John McCain is “crazy” because of “all that torture.” One of the Park Avenue ladies declares that she gets on her knees every day to “thank God for Fox News.” As the wine reaches the Floridian, he sits back and announces, “This cruise is the best money I ever spent.”

Virtually all the usual suspects are there, crazy as bedbugs, ranting about the Muslims coming to kill us in our beds — or worse, outbreed “us”. But there are a few exceptions, such as Rich Lowery:

Then, with a judder, the panel runs momentarily aground. Rich Lowry, the preppy, handsome 38-year-old editor of National Review, announces, “The American public isn’t concluding we’re losing in Iraq for any irrational reason. They’re looking at the cold, hard facts.” The Vista Lounge is, as one, perplexed. Lowry continues, “I wish it was true that, because we’re a superpower, we can’t lose. But it’s not.”

No one argues with him. They just look away, in the same manner that people avoid glancing at a crazy person yelling at a bus stop. Then they return to hyperbole and accusations of treachery against people like their editor. The aging historian Bernard Lewis declares, “The election in the U.S. is being seen by [the bin Ladenists] as a victory on a par with the collapse of the Soviet Union. We should be prepared for whatever comes next.” This is why the guests paid up to $6,000. This is what they came for. They give him a wheezing, stooping ovation and break for coffee.

Norman Podhoretz kept rambling on about how we’ve won the war and Robert Bork even criticized FoxNews for failing to trumpet the fact that we are killing way more Iraqis than are killing us. (Neither Norm nor wife Midge have turned in their “Rummy 4 Evah” buttons — he’s still their favorite rock star.)

The animating idea behind all of this is, as one would expect, racism. Arabs (“Muslims”) and Mexicans will have to suffice since hating Jews and Blacks is temporarily inconvenient, but it’s all the same.

Several days later, the nautical counter-revolution has docked in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where passengers will clamber overboard into a nation they want to wall off behind a 1,000-mile fence. One expresses horror at my intention to find a local street kid to show me around, exclaiming, “Do you want to die?” D’Souza summarizes the prevailing sentiment by unveiling what he modestly calls “D’Souza’s law of immigration”: An immigrant’s quality is “proportional to the distance traveled to get to the United States.” In other words: Asians trump Latinos.

[…]

The table nods solemnly before marching onward to Topic A: the billion-strong swarm of Muslims who are poised to take over the world. The idea that Europe is being “taken over” is the unifying theme of this cruise. Some people go on singles’ cruises, some on ballroom-dancing cruises. This is the Muslims Are Coming cruise. Everyone thinks it. Everyone knows it. And the man most responsible for this insight is sitting only a few tables down: Mark Steyn. He is wearing sunglasses on top of his head and a bright shirt. Steyn’s thesis in his new book, America Alone, is simple: The “European races”–i.e., white people–“are too self-absorbed to breed,” but the Muslims are multiplying quickly. The inevitable result will be “large-scale evacuation operations circa 2015” as Europe is ceded to Al Qaeda and “Greater France remorselessly evolve[s] into Greater Bosnia.” He offers a light smearing of dubious demographic figures–he needs to turn 20 million European Muslims into more than 150 million in nine years, which is a lot of humping–to “prove” his case.

But facts, figures, and doubt are not on the itinerary of this cruise. With one or two exceptions, the passengers discuss “the Muslims” as a homogenous, sharia-seeking block–already with near-total control of Europe. Over the week, I am asked nine times–I counted–when I am fleeing Europe’s encroaching Muslim population for the safety of the United States.

They were all there, Kate O’Beirne, Kenny boy Starr, even William B Fuckley himself, dyspeptic as ever, proclaiming victory over communism (again) while trying to sidle away from the modern nazi generation he spawned as quietly as possible.

If there is ever any doubt in your mind as to what truly gets these people up in the morning, this lays it to rest. They are so afraid of dark people they must have a supply of Depends on hand at all times. Dinesh D’Souza, who is quite dark himself, tries awfully hard to be one of the “Real Americans” but he must wonder what they think when they see him out of the corner of their eye when they are alone in a ship’s corridor after a few too many martoonis. (If he doesn’t, he’s an even bigger fool than he seems.)

It nearly impossible to believe that these are the people who have been running the world for the last six years — and they are. These are Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld’s people. We put a bunch of rich, deluded, paranoid racists in charge of the most powerful nation on earth. It’s a miracle we’re still alive.

Update: Wolcott on this subject — not to be missed.

.

Defending The Indefensible

by digby

Pat Buchanan was just on MSNBC saying that the Edwards campaign set up Coulter on Hardball yesterday. I’m not kidding. And he agrees with Coulter’s comments about their dead son (which he blames on Bill Maher?) because it is so unseemly that the Edwards’s are shamelessly exploiting the tragedy. In fact, Coulter was bravely defending conservatism against the deplorable liberal commentary that’s out there.

Buchanan has stood out in recent years as someone who goes against the prevailing conservative grain from time to time. But he has always represented the conservative id, which you can see in its full glory when he talks about Mexicans ruining America. And that id is the characteristic they all have in common — neo and paleo alike. When it comes down to it, they simply have no limits. As much as you are seeing them shoot wildly in a circular firing squad right now, don’t lose sight of the fact that they are circling the wagons at the same time. Eventually, they are going to turn all that frustration and anger outwards as they realize that they have to protect the tribe.

I hope everyone is prepared for what is undoubtedly going to be a shockingly indecent election. They have nothing to lose.

Update: Just a word to my readers. One of the things I do, and have always done, on this blog is media commentary. I realize that some of you don’t care for this and think all liberals should stop watching and reading the mainstream media. That is a legitimate position, but it simply is not what I do or what I believe. There are other blogs that never talk about the political media, however, lots of them. So there is very little use in trying to batter me into submission and insult me over and over again for posting on the subject. I’m not going to stop.

.

Off The Reservation

by digby

Something very strange happens when you stop drinking that DC water. Here’s Asa Hutchinson, who’s now back in Arkansas:

Hutchinson, the 2006 Republican candidate for Arkansas governor, said Monday he was surprised by a response to a question in a recent debate among Republican presidential candidates.

When asked, many of the GOP presidential hopefuls at a recent debate at least did not immediately rule out the idea that Lewis “ Scooter” Libby should get a presidential pardon.

They should have ruled out a pardon for Libby, said Hutchinson, who addressed a meeting of the Bella Vista Republican Women.

Libby, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted of perjury after being questioned under oath. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald questioned Libby and others in connection with his investigation of a CIA-leak case.

Hutchinson is a former U. S. attorney and, as a member of Congress, served as a manager when the House impeached President Bill Clinton, in part for lying under oath in a separate investigation.

Respect for the rule of law dictates that Libby not receive a presidential pardon, as some in the GOP have advocated, Hutchinson said.

“ I do not believe there should be a pardon for ‘ Scooter’ Libby. In order for democracy to succeed, the rule of law cannot be weakened. … While we can have great sympathy (for Libby personally ), the fact is that he was convicted of perjury. The system worked, ” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson is a wingnut with whom I would disagree politically on virtually everything. He was shameless during the Clinton impeachment. But he is at least living in the same dimension with the rest of us instead of the bizarroworld of the DC elite, where consistency is something that only applies to cake frosting. “Law and order” Republicans clutching their pearls about poor little Scooter is absurd and makes the GOP candidates seem odd and out of touch. It flies in the face of everything they allegedly stand for. (Hollywood Fred especially, the man who plans to win on the basis of his acting role as the manly Manhattan DA, has gone completely around the bend defending lil’ Scooter.)

I believe that Democrats should go after the Republican candidates about this all the way to the election. It makes them look like soft, effete insiders and defenders of the failed presidency of George W. Bush. Wringing their tiny hankies over one of their rich and powerful friends while they talk tough about crime and terrorism just doesn’t scan. They took a weak position and the Democrats shouldn’t let them forget it.

H/T to BB

.

Who’s Minding The PBS Store?

by digby

There must be something in the air. First, Matthews feels the need to give Ann Coulter a full hour to spew genocidal vomit and now I find that PBS has hired the notorious fraud Frank Luntz to analyze “public feedback” on the Democratic debate. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. He is one of the architects of the Republican Revolution and along with Newt Gingrich is the man most responsible for the distorted, propagandistic political discourse we spend our lives on the blogs trying to unravel. He has no business “interpreting” Democratic voters’ reaction to Democratic candidates based upon his political affiliation alone. But the fact that he has been completely discredited as a pollster and analyst by his own profession should make him radioactive for any respectable news organization. I can’t imagine what is wrong with PBS that they don’t know about this man.

He is obviously rooting for his former client Giuliani, although he says he isn’t advising him — and perhaps he’s not. He just goes all over television telling anyone who will listen that Giuliani is the only candidate who “says what he means and means what he says” and that just happens to be the quality everybody most wants in a candidate. (The Democrats, sadly, just don’t have anyone who does that.)

Something odd is going on at PBS lately. They also invited that Coulter wannabe Melanie Morgan on Lehrer recently, apparently under the misapprehension that she was a sane spokeswoman of the right, and she proved to be a complete disaster. Now they have hired straight up right wing political operative Luntz to “interpret” the impressions of Democratic voters. Are they getting their bookers from the Heritage Foundation web site too?

This isn’t difficult. There are plenty of pollsters and social scientists who aren’t dishonest and aren’t partisan hacks. Some of them are even Republicans. This guy isn’t one of them. He’s been a very important cog in the machinery of the right wing noise machine for years, manipulating the political language of our country to favor the Republican party and he’s very, very good at it. He’s the last person anyone should hire to “analyze” Democrats fairly. They might as well have hired Karl Rove.

Media Matters has put out an action alert if you care to send a little note to PBS and ask them not to hire Republican operatives so they can sandbag the Democratic presidential candidates on their airwaves.

.

Psychopathic Freakshow

by digby

Coulter is on Hardball today saying that our problem in Iraq is because we haven’t killed enough civilians. Really.

“We need to be less concerned about civilian casualties…we bombed more people in Hamburg in two days … I’d rather have their civilians die than our civilians… we should kill their people.”

You know, I often hear about how the liberals are sending the wrong message to the enemy. Yet, they let this unhinged homicidal maniac on television to spew this toxic swill.

If Matthews is so desperate for ratings he should have just showed Paris Hilton’s sex tape. It’s far less obscene than what I’m looking at right now. This is just vile.

Update: She also just said categorically that Saddam was working with Al Qaeda and made fun of Matthews for saying otherwise. Her psychotic confidence is awesome.

Goebbels would be so proud of his beautiful, extremely disturbed grandaughter today.

Update II: John Amato has the footage of Elizabeth Edwards calling Coulter to ask that she stop spewing hate speech — particularly about her dead son. It’s quite dramatic, but Coulter gets off on stuff like this so I don’t really think it’s worth it to engage her.

Matthews sank to a new low today — he’s incapable of handling someone like Coulter and ended up giving her and her little fan-thugs a very good time. It made me feel a little bit sick. Seriously.

.

Man The Phones

by digby

This looks like a week for action, which is always a good thing. It’s difficult getting our representatives to move on the things we care about but it can be done.

First of all, Move-On is working to push our representatives to restore habeas corpus. (I can hardly believe I have to write that.) If you have a few minutes, make a phone call or two. Christy at FDL has all the particulars. (And here’s a YouTube of Chris Dodd giving a rousing speech at the ACLU Rally today.)

Second, while you are dialing your congressman, give a thought to calling the members of the Financial Services Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, who will be deciding whether to pass out Rahm’s proposal to cut off fund for Cheney. This is a very nice moment to make a statement about Cheney’s nonsense, and with Sally Quinn reporting that the sycophantic courtier phone tree is ready to toss Dick overboard, this is a propitious time to keep this in the press.

Todd Gitlin made the case for pushing this yesterday over at TPM Cafe:

Rahm Emanuel has introduced a bill to delete spending for Cheney’s office on the ground that Cheney claims, when convenient, that the vice-president’s office is not “an entity within the executive branch.” Rep. Emanuel, who’s taken a beating from the liberal wing of the Democrats for refusing to stand up, is standing way up. The House is supposed to vote later this week.

Is this not one of those extraordinary moments when the people’s representatives will actually vote on whether to fund the horrific farce that is this administration?

The Republicans keep daring the Dem majority to stop funding the things they object to and the Democrats keep getting tied up in knots over it. I don’t know if this is constitutional or if it is p[ractical, but I do know that a debate on the floor of the House over Vice President Cheney’s assertion that he answers to no one is the kind of thing that might be able to compete with Paris Hilton and some roid-raged killer wrestler on the evening news and bring home the fact that our government has gone completely batshit crazy.

Here are the names of the committee members and you can find your representative’s numbers here:

Chair: José E. Serrano (NY)
Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (MI)
C.A “Dutch” Ruppersberger (MD)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
Peter J. Visclosky (IN)
Robert E. “Bud” Cramer, Jr. (AL)
Maurice D. Hinchey (NY)
Adam Schiff (CA)
Dave Obey (WI), Ex Officio

The Republicans are:

Ralph Regula (OH)
Mark Steven Kirk (IL)
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
Rodney Alexander (LA)
Ken Calvert (CA)
Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio

And lest you think that this is solely for political theatre, consider this letter from Henry Waxman to the White House Counsel today. The people who thought nothing of spreading Valerie Plame’s name all over the press have been treating classified information like it’s back fence gossip, something everyone should have realized when some flunky dropped Karl Rove’s super-duper top secret 2004 strategy memo in a DC park.

.

Bush Is His Own Bush

by tristero

I share Digby’s opinion that these articles on Cheney’s influence provide a detailed portrait of the extent to which Cheney has seized power over a weak, ignorant, and uninterested president. However, I have a concern that many readers – not Digby, of course – may read those pieces and conclude that Bush is merely a smirking flake. That’s just George’s day job.

As we have seen many times in the past, notably with Woodward, the press has a habit telling us it’s not Bush who makes bad or heartless decisions. It’s always someone else, like a frat boy caught with drugs who blames his girlfriend. Today’s article, as well as the entire series, goes out of its way to push the notion that Bush’s genuine “compassionate conservatism” was thrust aside time and again by the scheming machinations of The Evil Bald One. One could easily infer from the series that, if Cheney were removed (see this piece in Salon), much of the war-mongering and trashing of the America Consitution would stop, and that Bush would demonstrate a far more moderate, conciliatory streak.

Not a chance. Bush is no “compassionate conservative” for two very simple reasons, First, and foremost, there is no such thing. And if there was, Bush is far too much of a sociopath to have so much as an ounce of compassion for anyone but himself. Remember how he mocked Carla Faye Tucker to Tucker Carlson, mincing, “Please don’t kill me?” And remember how hurt he was by what Rev. Coffin said to him at Yale, about his father? Despite the fact it almost certainly never happened?

Sure, maybe they wouldn’t have gone after the capital gains tax the way they did. But there’d still be Katrina. And Schiavo. And the anti-family amendment. And the loss of habeas. And the overall incompetence. And the wars. And the failure to obey any law he doesn’t like. And the domestic spying. And the rigged elections. And the torture. Let’s never forget the torture. All this is quintessential Bush behavior, an all-too-plausible extension of the maliciously aggressive liar, cheater, and drunkard of his earlier years.

No argument: Cheney is an unspeakably vile manipulative thug who treats all around him like they were puppets. The world would be a better place if he would resign today.

But young Churchill certainly doesn’t need a Dick to be himself.