Quote of the Day

“The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels.”
- an anonymous senior Defense Department official

Bombs Aimed at G.I.'s in Iraq Are Increasing (NYT)

Follow The Money

Need proof that the Dems will take back the House and maybe even the Senate? Just look at the only guys in Washington who don't care which side wins so long as they have a seat at the table: lobbyists. They are now all hiring well-connected Democrats so that come November they aren't shit out of luck.

Now, this is a rather simplistic reading because, as we all know, the majority of business interests and corporate influence peddlers do actually care which party wins. You'll see most corporate money flowing into the party that gives the most corporate tax breaks, sets the fewest restrictions on environmental and labor standards and fights the hardest to preserve the draconian federal minimum wage: Republicans. But it's kinda sweet to see them pretend to be bipartisan, almost an antique throw back to days of old, no?

Democrats' Stock Is Rising on K Street (Washington Post)

The Beguiling Dobbs Lexicon

Lou Dobbs has coined his own loaded-language of words like "illegal alien" and ""broken boarders" and "wetback."

But today's show (which is on now, so quick, turn it on!) posed this question to viewers: Do you believe illegal immigrants who have anchor babies in the United States should be immune from deportation?

Forgive me, I haven't graduated from college yet so maybe I'm just dense, but what the hell is an anchor baby?

Are they the product of this man's loins?

If so, I say yes, immunity for all!

Right Now Alfie Is Shaking In His Tiny Loafers

So, here's a headline you don't ever want to see:

Ties That Bind Atoms Weaker Than Thought

Bush is right, a little scientific knowledge can be very scary indeed.

Postcard From Berlin

My friend Sean, who is in Berlin at the moment, couldn't post in the comments section, so I thought I would do it for him. This is what he wrote just today regarding my fascination with Bush's summer reading:

Hmm. I also find it curious that he chose Camus (which, by the way,
I would give my left arm to hear him pronounce (probably something
like 'cameras' without the penultimate syllable)) for beach
reading, but then I realized that the book is about a man who KILLS
A FUCKING ARAB FOR NO REASON. Also, someone should tell him that
the brunette still won't give you the time of day, no matter how
much French existentialism you've 'read'...

hmm. much different feeling 'posting' a comment in an email...
makes you feel... stupid.

The Big Leagues

One of the worst things any team member can do is put himself or herself ahead of the shared goal. So I say this to the Lamont team with all do respect: Get over yourself. Yes, you fought a tough primary and you won. That's great. But now you are entering a very tough race with a lot of money and a seasoned candidate. When I read the paper and see shit like this from the campaign manager, I get very nervous:

“I don’t want to hire any of those big-fee consultant types from Washington who just want to come in and make money off of Ned,” Mr. Swan said. “We won the primary on Ned’s message; we can win the general in a similar way.”

Go ahead, hire the "big-fee consultant types." It is more important to beat Lieberman in a second-tier leadership role and be remembered as a David, than to go down as a Goliath. This smells like Dean in Iowa...

New Lieberman Retooling Race as Independent (NYT)

Patience Is An Insult

For every American politician who tells the Iraqi people to be patient, or to stand up and take control of their destiny, or to have faith in the "new Middle East," remember this: More Iraqi civilians have died in the last 35 days than Lebanese and Israelis during the same period.

July was the bloodiest month of the Iraq War. Why? Because we sent more troops to Baghdad. Iraq is a disaster, and the American troop presence there creates the violence; it does not control it.

Number of Civilian Deaths Highest in July (NYT)

In Iraq, a Failure to Deliver the Spoils (NYT)

Dear God, Why Do So Many People Vote Because of Their Politics? It's Crazy!

This is a few days late, but it really gets my goiter (considering a goiter is something that can be "got"). I've written/screamed about the Lamont race for some time now, but I am nowhere near as involved or vitriolic as some. The final numbers from the primary were exactly what I expected (I predicted a 4-7 point margin) and all the Dems have abandoned Lieberman like I thought they would. What I don't know yet, and what I want to see, is where all the Jewish money goes; over 70% of Joe's funds came from Jews, so what now? Where will the Jewish vote go?

One of my least favorite humans, Rabbi Mark Gellman has written an example of how not to make a political argument and write intelligently, and then coyly disguised it as a column for MSNBC.

His argument boils down to what sounds more like a Matisyahu lyric than a serious statement: "Where my Jews at?" I am not kidding, Gellman actually wrote:

[Lieberman] lost because Barbra Streisand's highly publicized contribution to Lamont and because of the number of Jews who hated Bush and the war more than they loved Joe. That's why he lost, and I don't get it.

Blaming Barbra? Are you trying to piss off the Jews and the gays? The worst part is that Gellman believes that Jews should vote for Lieberman because he is Jewish, and more importantly a famous Jew. He sees the world as one in which blacks vote for Obama because he is black, not because he will fight for them, and one in which Catholics voted for Kennedy because he was Catholic, not because he was a strong leader... and his dad stole the election for him.

My favorite part of Gellman's piece was this sparkling turd gem:

In truth I am also bewildered about why Jews do not support President Bush more than the pathetic 22-26 percent (depending on which exit poll you look at) he received in 2004. Bush would win a landslide in Israel, and never once invited Yasir Arafat to the White House, but that is a bewilderment best left for another day.

No, Mark, that's a bewilderment best left inside your twisted little mind, you know it's that place where you chastize voters for voting their politics instead of their demographics. But wait, I don't want to be unfair. I will let Mark make his argument in his own words. As best as I can tell these are his points, verbatim:

1. Joe Lieberman did not lose the Democratic primary because of his support for the war in Iraq. He lost because of his lack of support from Jews.
2. My disappointment is with my people. I simply do not understand why so many Jews bailed on Joe.
3. In truth I am also bewildered about why Jews do not support President Bush more than the pathetic 22-26 percent (depending on which exit poll you look at) he received in 2004
4. What has frozen me is the lack of support for Joe by Jews.
5. Joe is the most famous Jewish politician of all time
6. He is principled and intelligent ... and he is one of us! What more do you want of the guy?
7. So he supports the war. So what?
8. My best friend is a priest

OK, #8 aside, Gellman's entire article is a testament to the fact that he is flabbergasted. It's not an argument or a piece of journalism, but rather one giant, inarticulate shrug.

Rabbi Gellman: Why Joe Lieberman Lost (MSNBC)

How Do You Say "The Stranger" In Texan?

This is of no consequence, but I am fascinated by the fact that Bush claims he read Camus' "The Stranger"while on vacation. It's like America is some hot brunette chick in his required Lit class and he's trying to pick us all up at once with his literary proficiency. Ew.

Three Major Crisis Face Bush on Return to Washington (ABC News)

The Cheese Stands Alone

Lieberman has been abandoned by almost every ally he had prior to the primary; he fired his staff, Bill Clinton bashed him at the Global AIDS conference yesterday, and almost every prominent Democrat is now backing Lamont. Bob Geiger (whoever the hell that is) has put together a list of Democratic Senators and with who their loyalties lie. So go ahead and check to see if your Senator is there. If not, make a phone call.

Right now the single most important issue facing this nation is Iraq. If you don't think that's true, you haven't yet read Seymour Hersh's latest piece on the Administration's Iran's policy. The secret about Hersh is that ever since Vietnam he has been very well connected at the CIA, he was their man when no one else would listen. (That's not how he got the My Lai story, but that's for another day.) Hersh knows what he's talking about. And unless we elect Senators who will pull our 130,000 troops out of the middle east where they are held hostage, we are going to nuke Iran in the next five years.

I know it sounds Rovian to broaden a single Senate race to the question of nuclear war, but withdrawing from Iraq in order to stop the violence there will be an intricate, complicated process technically and politically, and it starts now.

Senate Dems Supporting Lamont (Bob Geiger)

Watching Lebanon (The New Yorker)

The Coincidence of Terror and Politics

Crooks and Liars has posted the video of Olbermann's show I wrote about last night. He goes through the timeline of terror warnings and Bush's poll numbers. It's not too long, well-produced and spot on.

Link

The Dumbest Man In America

You can get away with a lot of things these days, especially in Virginia. You can get away with blaming Katrina on a Middle East policy you find displeasing. You can warn folks about the slippery slope that leads to "man-on-dog" sex acts. Gosh darnit, you can even divorce your wife as she dies of cancer in order to marry her nurse and then lecture people about family values. But if you are George Allen, the man widely regarded as the dumbest in Washington, don't try any of the fancy stuff. Just stick to good old fashioned bad politics because you're just not wiley enough to get yourself out of a bad situation.

Sen. Allen (a 2008 Presidential contender in Fantasyland, USA) singled out a man of Indian dissent (pictured above) at a rally and called him a "macaca." According to the Washington Post:

Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs.

But don't take their word for it, watch the video! It's so much more fun in real life, don't ya think?

Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology (Washington Post)

Like Pigs At A Trough

Like pigs at a trough, potential 2008 Presidential candidates flock to the Iowa State Fair to meet "real" people, you know, ones who have to work for a living. Vilsack, Bayh, Kerry, Biden, Edwards, et al are expected to be in attendence. So keep your eyes peeled the next few weeks for stories about some stentorian Senator pretending to eat a fried Twinkie or judging a pie eating contest. After all, all politics are national in Iowa.


2008 Presidential Candidates Swarm Iowa Fair (Reuters)

Taking Back Congress

Charlie Cook at the Cook Report is considered to be a rather reliable, non-partisan pollster/analyst. His numbers are widely cited and relied upon by almost all news organizations. Cook tracks races and has now compiled a list of Congressional races that are "competitive," which basically translates to "the districts that haven't been gerrymandered like topiary by Republicans."

Download and look at the list for yourself, it's rather interesting and bodes well for Democrats.

Cook Report

Mission Accomplished!

Yesterday President Bush, fresh from vacation, looked around the world, took a gander at the Middle East--Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Israel, etc.-- and said to himself, "Self, we won that."

Seriously, the entire world has agreed upon one thing: that the last 3 weeks of bombing in Lebanon have been disasterous for Israel. Israel does not do well in long wars, and it did not do well in this one. Even with the cease fire Katyusha rockets continue to fall as I type this. Yet the Potemkin Administration managed to link Israel's agression to "the broader global struggle," which we also seem to be losing, by the way, as we have yet to screen 95% of the cargo that enters this country, we barely have enough Arabists working at the State Department to pay attention to the population in Deerborn, Michigan let alone those along the Litani River, and Afghanistan is no less a blighted pit than it was 5 years ago.

There is one thing to be thankful for, thought: This time, Bush didn't wear his nut-crushing jumpsuit to the presumptuous victory party.

Bush: Hezbollah Lost The War; It Was Part of Broader Global Struggle (AP)

Hurricane Katrina, One Year Later

August 29th will mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and yet nothing has changed. In fact things have just gotten worse. Houston is blaming a surge in violence on Katrina refugees, FEMA announced that 118,000 trailer locks must be changed because a few keys will open all of them, 90% of New Orleans remains detroyed and not a single person has been held responsible for the deadly, not to mention costly, clusterfuck that occured last summer.

The only retribution will come this November when the midterm elections show just how little faith people have in this current government.

That said, I remain a pessimist. I think there is a very good chance that voters will balk and re-elect the same nimrods to office. With the latest terror alert and the ones that are sure to follow as the election nears, the poll numbers inch upwards for Republicans. (For more on the connection between terror alerts and Bush's poll numbers, watch Kieth Olbermann tonight; I will post the transcript as soon as it's available.)

If we get the House or even the Senate back in November, maybe we can finally get back to running a government and not a private machine for corporate interests turning out legislation to benefit the top 1% of wage earners.

FEMA Changing Locks On Trailers (AP)

Katrina Victims Blamed for Houston Crime (AP)

Those Who Fled Katrina On Own Did Better (AP)

World War III

When war first erupted a month ago in Lebanon, Newt Gingrich, a man whose first name is surprisingly descriptive, was the first public figure to toss around the idea of World War III. In today's Washington Post, Richard Holbrooke, Clinton's UN Ambassador (who oddly dated Diane Sawyer in the 70s) echoes this prediction. He writes:

Two full-blown crises, in Lebanon and Iraq, are merging into a single emergency. A chain reaction could spread quickly almost anywhere between Cairo and Bombay. Turkey is talking openly of invading northern Iraq to deal with Kurdish terrorists based there. Syria could easily get pulled into the war in southern Lebanon. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are under pressure from jihadists to support Hezbollah... This combination of combustible elements poses the greatest threat to global stability since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, history's only nuclear superpower confrontation.

Puts you in the mood to finally dust off those rations and refurbish the bomb shelter, don't it?

The Guns of August (Washington Post)

Connecticut Debriefing

As you probably know, Lieberman was defeated by Lamont in the Connecticut primary yesterday, 48 to 52. I didn't start paying attention to this race until May or June, but as soon as you see Lamont, or hear him speak, you know this guy is a winner, and more importantly, he is a leader.

The question now is who is going to step in and pull Lieberman out of his vanity-induced coma. He thinks he is going to run as an independent. He thinks he can win. He thinks he'll be something more than a pathetic spoiler.

Hillary Clinton, who's husband rallied for Lamont and who supported him in her own right, has already sent a check from her PAC to Lamont for 5 grand.

Rahm Emmanuel (who leads the DCCC and whose super-agent brother Ari is the inspiration for the Jeremy Piven character, Ari Gold, on Entourage) is the meanest son of a bitch in Congress, and he has already issued this beautiful statement:

“This shows what blind loyalty to George Bush and being his love child means,” said Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the leader of the Democratic House Congressional campaign. “This is not about the war. It’s blind loyalty to Bush.”

Evan Bayh and John Edwards, two potential presidential candidates for 2008, are supporting Lamont.

Chris Dodd and Bill Clinton need to be on the phone right now with Lieberman's guy, Carter Eskew, setting up a meeting. Then they all need to sit down, grab Joe by the scruff and say, Are you freakin' kidding me?! Dodd has the cajones and Clinton has the influence; it can be done.

I predict that Lieberman will drop out. As of this morning I cannot find a single Democrat supporting his run as an Independent. Republicans are trying to spin the race as a win for Conservatives, arguing that the Dems are in disarray and controlled by the wild left.

The longer Lieberman fans the flames of his selfishness and hubris, the longer the Republicans will try to make this election work to their advantage, scaring up voters.

Watch where the money goes over the next few days. Jews from across the country have literally provided 70% of Lieberman's money; I'd like to see where they send their checks now. It will be very telling. If Joe can't raise money, and if Dodd and Clinton step in, he'll step aside. But there is a very small window of opportunity.

Lieberman and Hillary: Connected At The Pollster

I just had a thougth: Lieberman and Hillary have the same pollster, a guy named Mark Penn. The little conspiratorial elf in my brain says that Penn has numbers the Lieberman campaign is not making public, numbers so bad they were the impetus for Lieberman's announcement that he would not run as an independent if he lost the primary by more than 10 points-- as I've said, it's an easy way to get out of an absurd 3-way race. Also, Penn worked for Clinton first and will presumably work for her Senate and possible Presidential runs. I am guessing he sent her the numbers that prompted her Johnny Come Lately call for Rumsfeld's resignation.

Just a thought.

Lieber-Man Down

The Connecticut primary, in which Lieberman is fighting for his political life and legacy, is Tuesday, and already the portents have turned ominous. Lieberman said yesterday that he would not run as an independent if he lost by more than 10 points. This means one of two things. Either he thinks he'll lose by less than ten points so he is creating cover for himself by setting the bar high, or he thinks he'll lose by more and he is getting himself out of an embarassing proposal he made weeks ago. I am inclined to believe it is the latter. Lieberman has seen the Quinnipiac poll (which, to be fair, is often unreliable), knows that he is 13 points behind, and feels the loneliness of being the last Iraq War-denier now that even Hillary Clinton has called for Rumsfeld to resign.

Lieberman has responded by pulling his very expensive get-out-the-vote effort in the state in order to purchase more TV and radio ad time. He has too much ground to make up by hiring a bunch of kids to knock on doors.

In the meantime, watch Ned Lamont on The Colbert Report; he gives a great performance.

Lieberman Reduces Effort to Get Out Vote (NYT)

Chuck Hagel Calls For Troop Withdrawal In Iraq

Chuck Hagel (R-NE), a Vietnam Vet and leader on the Foreign Relations Committee, is now officially to the left of Hillary Clinton on Iraq.

Today he joined the majority of the Democrats in calling for a complete withdrawal of American troops within 6 months. That's right, Hillary, he has a timeline and he's not afraid to use it.

Here's an excerpt:

If Iraqis themselves do not assume control of their country’s fate, he said, the nation may dissolve into a civil war that splits it into three countries.

It’s also possible Iraq may evolve into some kind of Islamic republic, he said.

Asked what the United States could do, Hagel said: “Ask the president. Ask Secretary (of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld. They’re the ones who got us into this.”

Hagel: Begin Iraq Withdrawal in 6 Months (Journal Star)

Bush Meets Brush

Bush left for his vacation today, although in this "post-Katrina world" (which replaced the "post-9/11 world," which I suppose replaced just the "world") not even Bush can take a month off. So this time he'll be in Crawford for a mere 10 days, presumably clearing brush.

Here are some things he might be thinking about while engaging in one of his many, very manly outdoor activities:

• Lebanon- exploding; wishes America would explode
  
• Israel- exploding; wishes surrounding 5 million square miles would explode
  
• Somalia- it's the new Afghanistan
• Afghanistan- just like the old Afghanistan, but with more opium; also wishes America would explode
  
• Iraq- it's exploding; wishes America would explode it's own country
  
• New Orleans- still 90% destroyed, but now 90% white
  
• Global Warming- makes mountain biking more difficult, because my tires melt.
  
• Cuba- new leader? New leader in that fake Castro beard I wore to a "pimps and hos" party 3 years ago? Wishes Miami would explode.
  
• Venezuela- the President makes friends by making an ass out of me; definitely wishes America would explode
  
• Mel Gibson- what's his deal?!
• Joe Lieberman- note to self: find new head to kiss at State of the Union address, his is being served on a platter by a bunch of bloggers
  
• Rumsfeld- claims he gave me a resignation letter once, but I didn't accept. Do I still have that handy? Maybe I made a Xerox...
• North Korea- trying to be explode-America-capable
• Iran- well on the way to being explode-America-capable

Wow, that'll really kill your runner's high.

Bush Starts 10-Day Texas Vacation (Washington Post)

What A Little Primary In Connecticut Can Do

As I mentioned earlier, the latest poll numbers from Connecticut paint a grim picture for Lieberman's chances in the primary next week. It was no accident that on the very day those numbers were released, Hillary Clinton finally ecchoed Democratic calls for Rumsfeld's resignation.

I was watching CNN yesterday when Rummy reluctantly appeared alongside Gen. Peter Pace and Gen. John Abizaid before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He was offensively smug, defensive, obnoxious and dismissive. His repugnant flippancy in the face of tens of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians and over 2,500 dead American soldiers makes my stomach drop.

Lieberman must lose his seat in Connecticut if the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is going to take this country back.

Hillary Clinton Calls For Rumsfeld's Resignation (CBC)

Pat Robertson Admits Sky Is Blue (And Other Obvious Revelations Not In The Book Of Revelations)

I walked across Broadway at 112th St. yesterday on my way to the bank, and when I reached the sidewalk hot stones had literally melted into the soles of my shoes. Then, while waiting for the C train at 14th St., so much sweat poured down my legs I thought I was having an "accident" requiring a purchase of Depends. Finally, my apartment was so hot I actually put ice in my wine and got drunk in order to sleep through the night.

But there is an upside to the steamy weather, putrid smells and turgid air: Pat Robertson has converted. No, he hasn't forsaken his anti-Semitic, homophobic, paranoid politics boiled up in the looney bin that is his Elmer Fud mind. Rather, he is making a big public showing of his new belief in Global Warming.

Quick, someone baptize him with a bucket of crude!

(The only amazing thing here is that Robertson didn't blame global warming on the abortionists and homos... yet.)

Democrats must, must use the environment and global warming as key platform issues this fall and in 2008. The difference between Democrats and Republicans is huge on this issue, and emotions run high. The Republican Party is on the bad--and politically dangerous-- side of science in regards to not only this issue, but stem cell research as well. These topics split the Republicans and clearly define what kind of party the Democrats are: A party driven to better the public good, not legislate the private choices.

Heat Converted Bush Ally Robertson on Global Warming (Reuters)

New Poll Numbers From Connecticut

Ned Lamont is leading Joe Lieberman 54 to 41 in a just-released Quinnipiac poll. I guess someone had to be the first human to not get "bumped" by Clinton (Was that double entendre? A triple? I can't tell). Dick Durbin and Joe Biden should start distancing themselves from their support for Lieberman; I don't think he's going to last much longer.

Lamont Has Momentum Over Lieberman, Poll Shows (Washington Post)

America: Drill Sergeant to the World

This story falls into the "Good Idea/Bad Idea" category where you think, OK this might not be such a bad idea, but wait; Rumsfeld is advocating for it so there must be some insideousness lurking.

The State and Defense Departments have approved a plan to train the Lebanese army so it can control its southern region. The problem is that just like in Iraq, the army is infiltrated by the group it is obsensably fighting. And when anything is "just like in Iraq," it can't be good for peace.

Rumsfeld, Rice OK Plan to Train Lebanese Army (AP)

Stumping for a Chump

Since Bill Clinton is so big into stumping for those who led the effort to impeach him (read: Lieberman), may I suggest he head down to Tennessee. The Republican primary for Dr. Bill Fristypants' seat includes Ed Bryant, a former Congressman and House "manager" during the 1998 impeachment trial.

3 Republicans Race for Frist's Seat (AP)

Texans for a DeLay-Free Majority

Most of us will never forget this image-- the face of an exterminator of bugs turned exterminator of American values-- but the Republican Party is filled with DeLay-deniers who want his tainted, radioactive name off the ballot in Texas while he faces money laundering charges.

Remember, earlier this year DeLay fought hard to win the Republican primary in Sugarland, Texas just to prove he was still the virile "hammer," and then tried to hand the nomination over to a hand-picked successor. A judge stepped in and said, "no, sir" and DeLay's name stayed at the top of the ticket. Republicans unsurprisingly cried "activist!" and "partisan!" So the case went to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which today announced it was in agreement with the lower court and DeLay's name will again be offered up to voters this fall. I'm sure the disgraced Republican had no idea judgment day would be so cruel.

Court: DeLay Must Remain on the Ballot (CNN)

The Run Around

The 9/11 panel, the one President Bush was shamed into appointing, is considered one of the few dignified, non-partisan commissions in Washington. The report it issued before disbanding was a best seller, and widely praised for its accuracy, attention to detail and literary acumen. The members have received praise from all political corners and have continued to press for security changes.

Today's Washington Post has a real scoop that should have been printed, oh say, 2 years ago. Untimely as it is, the story is an important one.

Commissioners of the 9/11 panel apparently believed that the Pentagon was knowingly deceiving Congress, the panel and the American people in order to cover up its own bumbling inactions and non-responses to the the hijacked planes. In fact, staff members almost refered the case to the Justice Department:

"We to this day don't know why NORAD [the North American Aerospace Command] told us what they told us," said Thomas H. Kean, the former New Jersey Republican governor who led the commission. "It was just so far from the truth. . . . It's one of those loose ends that never got tied."

Now, imagine what would happen with this information if we actually had a Congress that held the Administration accountable. We'd have a hearing chaired by Henry Waxman in less time than it takes to approve a Halliburton no-bid contract, that's what.