Why do the words smallpox infested blankets keep flashing through my head?

Critics of Mr. Bush's proposal note that the White House has not said how much of an expansion in the number of green cards it will seek. Currently 140,000 are issued annually for workers who are sponsored by employers, with only 10,000 of those set aside for unskilled workers. Unless the White House seeks, and obtains, a huge increase in the number of these green cards, many of the undocumented workers who apply under the president's program could face an extended wait — 10 to 20 years, by some estimates — for residency.

Administration officials acknowledge that the wait for a green card can take up to six years or longer, meaning that some guest workers who apply for green cards but do not receive them would face the prospect of being forced to leave the United States. In that case, critics of the proposal said Tuesday night, workers would be better off remaining illegal and staying indefinitely in the United States, rather than revealing themselves to immigration officials when they sign up for a program that may, these critics assert, lead to their deportation.

"They're asking people to sign up for a program that is more likely to ensure their departure than ensure their permanent residency," said Cecilia Munoz, a vice president of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy organization.

Whoo Hoo

The Horse is back! I can now rest easy for 2004. Go and vote for Media Whore of the Year. Tim Russert is the early favorite, but I just had to vote for David Brooks. The nonsense people, the nonsense!

If anyone is still searching for a late Christmas gift this book looks amusing.

"When I was researching the book I was amazed at some of the stuff that turned up," Willis says. "I think if you read this book, you can never again vote Republican. You’d feel too dirty. These guys are such liars. And such hypocrites. And such scoundrels. They’re greedy, corrupt, self-deluded individuals. In Buddhist terms, it’s really terrible — these guys are all coming back as, I dunno, something really unpleasant."

Amen.

Welcome to Kelly over at Yes Indeedy. Kelly is your stop for all things post-modern and This American Life-related.

Happy belated New Year everyone! Perhaps happy is a bit too strong a word. But I refuse to get angry. It's 2004 everyone. I have been waiting for this year since 2000. I have measured out my life in coffee spoons waiting for this year. It has been long dark tunnel.

This year I only have one resolution. To get Bush out of the White House.

Jon Stewart in Newsweek.

End-of-the-Year Burnout

I'm trying to slowly ease myself back into the blogging groove but's it's harder than I expected. It's been a long hard year both in the grand scheme of things and personally. And this next year should be a full one. So if blogging is light over the next week it's just so I can come back in the new year fresh.

Hey y'all. Well yesterday was Christmas and today is my birthday. Twenty-five years ago today I was born and the world would never be the same. So happy birthday too me and enjoy your post holiday weekend.

On this day in history...

December 26, 1908

JACK JOHNSON WINS HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE:


Jack Johnson becomes the first African American to win the world heavyweight title when he knocks out Canadian Tommy Burns in the 14th round in a championship bout near Sydney, Australia. Johnson, who held the heavyweight title until 1915, was reviled by whites for his defiance of the "Jim Crow" racial conventions of early 20th-century America.

Ralph Nader wants you to tell him to stuff it.

"I don't understand my teenage son. He's always locked in the bathroom with that damn Ann Coulter book."

Why oh why, on today of all days did I venture into David Brooks' wonderful world of WHAAAA??!!

The world Dean described is largely devoid of grand conflicts or moral, cultural and ideological divides. It is a world without passionate nationalism, a world in which Europe and the United States are not riven by any serious cultural differences, in which sensible people from around the globe would find common solutions, if only Bush weren't so unilateral.

At first, the Bush worldview seems far more airy-fairy and idealistic. The man talks about God, and good versus evil. But in reality, Dean is the more idealistic and naïve one. Bush at least recognizes the existence of intellectual and cultural conflict. He acknowledges that different value systems are incompatible.

I'm not sure I'm up to tackling this one. Someone else try. I'm going to bed.

It's true after all.

The late Sen. Strom Thurmond's family on Monday said it acknowledges a California woman's claim that she is his illegitimate mixed-race daughter. Her lawyer said the statement brought her "a sigh of relief."

"As J. Strom Thurmond has passed away and cannot speak for himself, the Thurmond family acknowledges Ms. Essie Mae Washington-Williams' claim to her heritage. We hope this acknowledgment will bring closure for Ms. Williams," the family's lawyer, J. Mark Taylor, said in a brief statement.

Operation Red Dawn

It might be easier to champion these military directives if they didn't have such stupid names. Or at least if they took those names from better movies.

Wow! Sleep in a few hours and look at what you miss. Okay, yes this is a good thing. Saddam's capture will finally (hopefully) put that part of the debate to rest. Captured and not killed is always a good thing. For one thing it makes the issue of Saddam's crimes an issue of justice rather than vengeance. For another we aren't haunted by this larger than life spectre of a tyrant. Instead we have real life pictures of a broken man.

Now if someone could please tell me how a man living in a spider hole with no ability to communicate with the outside world coordinates a massive resistance effort, I might begin to relax.

ADDED: This is really alot to take in before I've had my coffee.

All I've got is one thin dime

Funny—as a child I thought it was my dad's face that was on the dime, and so it was my favorite coin. Even after I learned that, really, it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's face, I've continued to look at my dimes affectionately. The group of 80-odd Republicans (and I do mean odd) who are proposing to put Ronald Reagan's face on the dime, replacing FDR, should be aiming for something larger—something that really reflects Reagan's biggest mark on this country. After Freddie Mercury died a friend of mine said that AIDS should be called Reagan's Disease since it spread so quickly and viciously during his tenure as president due to his ignorance, prejudice and complete lack of compassion.

And so that's my proposal: rename AIDS for Ronald Reagan. Imagine the money that could be raised by invoking that name. It couldn't possibly be put to better use.

Weirdness

Nixon on Reagan

`Reagan is not one that wears well,'' Nixon said.

``I know,'' Haldeman agreed.

``On a personal basis, Rockefeller is a pretty nice guy,'' Nixon said. ``Reagan on a personal basis, is terrible. He just isn't pleasant to be around.''

``No, he isn't,'' Haldeman said.

``Maybe he's different with others,'' Nixon said.

``No,'' Haldeman said.

``No, he's just an uncomfortable man to be around,'' Nixon said, ``strange.''

That just made me laugh.

Sen. Paul Simon 1928-2003

Paul Simon, the bow-tie-wearing missionary's son who rose from crusading newspaper owner to U.S. senator and presidential aspirant, died Tuesday, a day after undergoing heart surgery. He was 75.

Non-Scandals etc.

I’m short on time this week for various reasons, so this will be a quick recap of the last few days.

Is anyone actually scandalized that Eminem rapped about killing the President? We are talking about the same guy that also rapped about killing his mother and his ex-wife, right? Please people.

Oooh John Kerry said the F-word. Grow up people.

Speaking of Kerry it makes me a little sad that he’s floundering in the polls. Everything else aside, Kerry has the makings of a good President. Moreover, he would be a good choice in any election not just this one and not just against Bush. But now with Dean getting the nod from Gore, it doesn’t look good.

And would somebody please tell Lieberman that denial ain’t just a river in Egypt?

I’m still no big Dean fan but if he’s our guy than he’s our guy. Regardless David Brooks needs stop writing his columns while smoking crack. Even Josh Marshall is rolling his eyes.

Kate has the awful truth on Wal-mart over at Broken Windows.

WARNING: Reading about Wal-Mart will piss you off. If you need a good laugh afterward go and see who were the 20 Most Annoying Conservatives of 2003. Jesse is so funny that I despair of ever achieving anything in the blogosphere. Cheers mate.

President Photo-Op (via Atrios)

In the most widely published image from his Thanksgiving day trip to Baghdad, the beaming president is wearing an Army workout jacket and surrounded by soldiers as he cradles a huge platter laden with a golden-brown turkey.

The bird is so perfect it looks as if it came from a food magazine, with bunches of grapes and other trimmings completing a Norman Rockwell image that evokes bounty and security in one of the most dangerous parts of the world.

But as a small sign of the many ways the White House maximized the impact of the 2 1/2-hour stop at the Baghdad airport, administration officials said yesterday that Bush picked up a decoration, not a serving plate.

Officials said they did not know the turkey would be there or that Bush would pick it up. A contractor had roasted and primped the turkey to adorn the buffet line, while the 600 soldiers were served from cafeteria-style steam trays, the officials said. They said the bird was not placed there in anticipation of Bush's stealthy visit, and military sources said a trophy turkey is a standard feature of holiday chow lines.

Of course it is possible Bush didn't know that he wasn't holding the real turkey, but...no. You know what? Forget it. I don't have the heart to laugh at this. I'm tired of President Chimpy flinging his crap at us and smirking the entire time.

Please someone, change the channel.