What is allowed

French interview with Dubya:

Q The whole world remembers you addressing the firemen in the ruins of the World Trade Center. You were healing the wounds and uniting the world at that time. Today, your message through the megaphone doesn't reach the world. Don't you feel isolated?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I feel very comfortable with what I'm doing

Q Yes, but all the nations -

THE PRESIDENT: Let me finish my -- you ask a question, I give you the answers. And then if you want to ask another question, you're allowed to do so.

I guess that European media just isn't as well trained as American media. They don't understand what they are "allowed to do" by Bush.

Right-wing pit bulls on the march, defending America

"[George Soros] is a self-admitted atheist, he was a Jew who figured out a way to survive the Holocaust." -- Tony Blankley

Now what the f*ck does Mr. Blankley mean by that comment? And the Republicans accuse Democrats of poisoning the political atmosphere?

Media Matters has been on a tear lately documenting the coordinated campaign by the Republicans to smear George Soros and, by association, John Kerry.

Witness the right-wing echo chamber at work:

National Review: "Soros: Abu Ghraib = September 11"

The Drudge Report: "Soros: Abu Ghraib = September 11..."

The Washington Times: "Soros likens Iraqi prisoner abuse to 9/11"

The New York Sun: "Soros: Americans Have Become Perpetrators in War on Terror"

The Weekly Standard: "Bush-Haters of the World, Unite! Amateur and professional Bush-haters gather in Washington for the Take Back America conference."

NewsMax.com: "Soros: Bush's War on Terrorism Worse Than 9/11"

WorldNetDaily.com: "Soros: Abu Ghraib same as 9-11"

CNSNews.com: "George Soros Likens Iraqi Prisoner Abuse to 9/11 Attacks"

Down Cujo! Down!

Is Michael Moore an asshole?

This appears to be a perennial conversation topic whenever Michael Moore's name gets back in the news. Even people who admire his work have their fair share of stories about what an asshole he is. I have no personal experience of Michael Moore myself, so I can't speak specifically to his situation, but it's been my experience that most people who achieve a certain measure of success usually leave behind them a trail of such stories. I think this is caused by a combination of things:

1. The person really is an asshole
   
2. Being an asshole sometimes gives you a leg up when it comes to getting something done (assholes don't let things like lack of self-confidence get in their way), thus successful people are just more assholish then the general public.
   
3. The person has to deal with a lot of other assholes on their way up and those assholes that are left behind just love to bitch about what an asshole the other guy is.
   
4. Many people derive pleasure from hearing negative stories about successful people, perhaps because it makes them feel better about their own sad, pathetic little lives.

I think all of these factors should be considered when assessing these kind of stories.

Dubya's view of humanity

If there was any one single moment in which I was convinced of the utter contempt with which Bush holds his fellow human beings it would have to be the (should be) infamous moment on the David Letterman show when he used the shirt of a woman standing next to him to clean his glasses (clip here). It is just inconceivable to me how any human being who had even a respectable level of ... well ... respect for others would even think of doing what Dubya did.

Using another person as a piece of human tissue paper.

That is what George W. Bush thinks of us.

(thanks to Body and Soul and Bad Attitudes for reminding me of this)

Condi and Bush sittin' in a tree...

First Rice is caught openly talking about Bush as her husband. Now she is comparing him to some of the greatest leaders of the 20th century:

WASHINGTON -- As President Bush begins a week of foreign diplomacy, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice insists that he will one day rank alongside such towering pillars of 20th century statecraft as President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

I think it's official: Condi has a crush on Dubya.

Strangeness in the Rose Garden

Salon's War Room points out the bizarre nature of Bush's announcement of George Tenet's resignation:

"He had just addressed reporters and photographers in a fairly innocuous Rose Garden session with Australia's prime minister, John Howard. Then the session was adjourned, as Mr. Bush apparently prepared to depart for nearby Andrews Air Force Base and his flight to Europe, where he is to take part in ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the Normady invasion and meet European leaders -- some of whom have been sharply critical of the campaign in Iraq."

"But minutes later, Mr. Bush reappeared on the sun-drenched White House lawn, stunning listeners with the news of Mr. Tenet's resignation, which the president said would be effective in mid-July. Until then, Mr. Bush said, the C.I.A.'s deputy director, John McLaughlin, will be acting director. The president praised Mr. Tenet's qualities as a public servant, saying: 'He's strong. He's resolute. He's served his nation as the director for seven years. He has been a strong and able leader at the agency. He's been a, he's been a strong leader in the war on terror, and I will miss him.' Then Mr. Bush walked away, declining to take questions or offer any insight into what Mr. Tenet's personal reasons might be."

There are two explanations I can think of:

1. Bush only learned of the resignation in the minutes between the two appearances, or
2. Bush was supposed to mention it in the first appearance but simply forgot.

The shame

Last night at the Democracy For America meetup I got into a good conversation about how to talk with people who voted for Bush in 2000 but are now re-consider their vote. The point was made that many would be reluctant to vote against Bush because doing so would essentially be like saying they were wrong to vote for him in the first place and many people just don't like to admit when they are wrong. In my opinion this doesn't have to be a problem. Consider this potential dialog:

Bush 2000 Voter: Do you think I was wrong to vote for Bush in 2000?

Me: Did you like what you thought he stood for?

B2V: Yes.

Me: Then you weren't wrong to vote for him. You voted for something you believed in. You voted for what you were promised. You didn't vote for what you got. The fault in believing someone who betrays your trust is not in you for putting your faith in his honesty but in him for taking advantage of that faith. You had no reason to believe he would betray you so you went with your best instincts and voted for him. The blame is not yours.

B2V: But I'm still not sure that Kerry is a good alternative.

Me: Do you believe now that Bush will do the right thing if he is re-elected? Do you believe him with the same faith that you did in 2000?

B2V: No

Me: Then if you vote for him again it will be your fault.

Paraphrasing Bush:

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice --- Don't get fooled again.

Clinton comeback?

Bill Clinton's book is coming out in a couple of weeks. I predict the media will use it as an excuse to re-hash a lot of the "scandals" of the Clinton years (expect to see Gennifer Flowers on Larry King again). This could actually be a good thing. It may give both journalists and viewers to compare the "scandals" of those years against the present administration and re-consider just how bad a President Clinton was.

Will the wistful quotient increase?

Should be interesting.

Question

Is the planned release of Fahrenheit 9/11 on June 25th a good move or a bad one considering how close it will be to the planned handover in Iraq on June 30th?

Yes: the controversy over the film will drown out the "positive" news of the handover.

No: the "positive" news of the handover will drown out the controversy over the film.

When even nature is against you...

Back in 1984 Oregon was suffering one of its worse droughts on record. Portland went something like 70-80 days without a drop of rain (a record stretch). Then Walter Mondale paid us a visit and the heavens opened up a downpour on the very day he came to town.

If God exists, he has a wicked sense of humor.

The sounds of silence

Apologies for the lack of posting lately. For some reason the thoughts just haven't been coming to me like they used to. Maybe its a bit of outrage fatigue. Maybe it's just that I'm tired of writing posts that don't have a bit more thought behind them and thus my standards for when to post about something has gone up.

Sometimes it is hard not to feel inadequate compared to the great stuff that comes out daily from people like Atrios, Kos, etc. They set such a high standard for content that its hard not to feel that anything I might write is just whispering in a windstorm.

I'm not quitting. I just don't know when the juices will start flowing again.