Now it's your turn to fire Trent Lott.

I'm still not sure about Kerry, especially now that Gore seems to be really hitting his stride. Still, he did say Lott has to go. What troubles me is this statement here:


No one has put more effort than George W. Bush into ending the image of the Republican Party as a whites-only haven. For all the disagreement that many African-Americans have with his policies, few can doubt Mr. Bush's commitment to a multiracial America.


I don't doubt that Bush has a tendency towards colorblindness. But he is still far from his goal of promoting the Republicans as "ethnic friendly."

I have mixed feelings about celebrities embracing political movements, although anytime they use their power for good is fine by me.

Wellstone Suspicions

If so many people feel this way why can't we do anything about it?

Anyone familiar with my work knows that I'm certainly not a conspiracy theorist. But to be honest, I know I wasn't alone in my initial reaction at this week's horrible and tragic news: that being my surprise that Wellstone had lived this long. Perhaps it's just my anger and frustration at losing one of the few reputable politicians in Washington, but I also felt shame. Shame for not writing in my column, months ago, that I felt that Paul Wellstone's life, more so than any other politician in Washington, was in danger. I felt that such speculation was unprofessional and would ultimately undermine my credibility. In the end, my own self-interest triumphed, and I never put my concerns into print. Neither did any other mainstream journalist, though I know of many who shared my concern.

New links I've been checking out. Plus more scary stuff on Kissinger courtesy of Smoking Joe.

In 1995, Kissinger showed up for the signing ceremony in New York that sealed Unocal's agreement to build a $2 billion, 1,000-mile pipeline from the gas fields of Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan. The torturous negotiations leading to that aborted deal -- including Kissinger's cameo -- are fully described in Chapter 12 of "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil & Fundamentalism in Central Asia," by Ahmed Rashid, an authoritative journalist who now works for the Wall Street Journal. Unocal eventually withdrew from Turkmenistan, amid charges of bribery and influence-peddling. (Working for the rival bidder at the time was Saudi prince Turki al-Faisal, director of the kingdom's intelligence agency.)

What makes that old story interesting again is the role of Unocal's partner, described in the Los Angeles Times in May 1998 as "a small and mysterious Saudi company called Delta Oil Co. Ltd." At the time, Unocal and Delta were cultivating the friendly leaders of the Taliban to win approval for their pipeline.

Anyone who read Corn's excellent piece on Jerry Falwell will understand my own disgust at the debate here. Barney Frank should never be put on par with a nutcase like Falwell.

Hee hee hee.

The debate over whether George W. Bush is a moron continues to sputter. Morons are outraged at being lumped in with the U.S. president. Americans, meanwhile, are mildly amused that it has taken Canadians so long to discover the obvious.

The controversy exploded last week when Francoise Ducros, an adviser to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, was overheard at a NATO meeting in Prague saying, "What a moron," apparently in relation to Bush.

Morons say this is an outlandish slur. "We're nice people," explained one. "We don't threaten other countries or use the courts to steal elections. George W. Bush may be a dangerous lunatic. But he's no moron."

Chrétien seems to agree. "He's not a moron at all," the Prime Minister told reporters on Thursday, referring to Bush.
Still, the opposition parties are not content. The Canadian Alliance argues that if Bush discovers he is a moron, this could affect Canada-U.S. relations.

Chrétien, however, says there is nothing to worry about. Bush, he said, doesn't read Canadian newspapers. According to the International Dictionary of Medicine and Biology, most morons are "educable and do not require institutionalization but need some supervision in working at some simple job by which they can become self-sustaining members of society."

The next time somebody tells you this war isn't about oil, don't say a word. Clock them for being stupid.

Okay everyone. Try not to panic


Rehabilitation should be society’s hope for every nonviolent offender—even if, as in Dr. Poindexter’s case, said offender escaped a deserved jail sentence thanks to a technicality. (He had lied to Congress and shredded official documents to conceal the Reagan administration’s conspiracy to trade arms for hostages and then use the dirty money for covert operations.)

We now know that under the ethical code of the Bush loyalists, lying can be permissible, even admirable, but only if the lies protect a politician from accountability for activities like dealing with a terrorist regime. Lying about the oral endearments of a lovestruck intern would obviously be dishonorable.

As Ari Fleischer explained in his blandly sinister style last February, "Admiral Poindexter is somebody who this administration thinks is an outstanding American, an outstanding citizen, who has done a very good job in what he has done for our country, serving the military."

The Daily Show Redux
If you missed last night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Tennessee Democrat Rep. Ford was the guest. Ford's a bit centrist for my taste, but the interview was really good. Stewart better be careful. He's fast becoming the icon for truth in media.
My cousin's deployment date to an unknown location for "more active duty in Enduring Freedom" has been moved up to just before Christmas. Part of protocol is to make out a Last Will and Testament.
He's 21.

I'm beginning to come out of my election mourning phase. Staying away from the news helps.
Question: is moral fibre the same as verbal diarrhea ?

I'm staying away from the news today in an attempt to gain some perspective on the outcome yesterday. I'm so discouraged and upset that I think I've retreated into some sort of denial mode. I keep telling myself that it's not as bad as it seems, all the time knowing full well that it is as bad as it seems. If I thought that the Republicans would in any way moderate their stance on anything, maybe I could cut my losses and move on. But I know better. And all I can do is wonder how we let this happen.

It's so hard to compare this with known dictatorships, especially when most people live in comparative comfort despite the economic toilet we're in. Most people just laugh when you refer to the Bloodless Coup of 2000. But there you have it. Our entire government has been radicallized and we stand to pay the price.

I suppose this isn't the first time it's felt like the end of the world, and I doubt it will be the last. And hopefully two years from now we will be an a position to make real change. But right now things look bleak. So you'll have to pardon me if, just for today, I lose all hope that the good guys will win in the end.

Wow, Durbin really trounced Durkin!

Election Musings
ABC has the best updates so far.

For the record I'm officially in television hell. They're broadcasting the Bush victory orgy on MSNBC,CNN, and inevitably FOX. The only thing that could make that more annoying is Chris Matthews talking over it. And Rush Limbaugh on NBC? The only reason my head isn't in the oven right now is that my home state of Illinois is in the Democratic free and clear.

I'm telling you if the Repugs take over Congress I'm not sure I'll get out of bed tomorrow.

Damn it, damn it, damn it! I can't believe I missed this.

STEWART: We're probably not going to go with 2000. We're going to go with 2002. We're going to stick with the year that it is now.

We're going live with all state coverage and all state results, and we're very excited about that. The people really need to get direct false numbers right away. We'll make our predictions probably as early as we can, and we hope to really give a full-on wrap up of everything that's happened.

Are you guys going live that night?

KURTZ: I don't know. Let me check with the producers.

STEWART: CNN?

KURTZ: It depends on what else is going on.

STEWART: I was going to say.

Jon Stewart for president.

When Coulter and her ilk consider attacking Dowd and and the New York Times and their antiwar stance, they really should consider the fact that Dowd knows firsthand what she's talking about.

Over a traditional lunch of mutton with the head on, kabsa and buttermilk at her restored mud house, Prince Saud's daughter, Princess Haifa, said she worries that Americans are clueless about Arabs. "Americans are watching people fight on — what do you call it?" she said, as her companions chimed in "Jerry Springer" and "Montel Williams." "What's so great about democracy? At least we're informed."

Oh my God. This is hilarious

Yesterday, the first international delegation of poll monitors assigned to observe an American election arrived in the US, operating under the aegis of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. And representatives from Russia and Albania were among them.

A Final Word on Wellstone

I meant to post this on Sunday.
Paul Wellstone’s legacy is an eloquent rebuke to the Democratic Party that now more than ever, inaction is not an option. It is not enough to give lip-service to social justice. Our leaders must follow up their grand statements with actions. These days our very own Tom Daschle and Joe Leiberman seem paralyzed by the doctrine of moderation that has taken hold of the Party over last ten years. Why do they remain so blind to what Wellstone saw so clearly?

The American people do want us to govern from the center, in a sense. But it is not the center the pundits and politicians in Washington talk about. Citizens want us to deal with issues that are at the center of their lives. They yearn for a politics that speaks to and includes them--affordable childcare, a good education for their children, health and retirement security, good jobs that will support their families, respect for the environment and human rights, clean elections and clean campaigns.

Appeasement will make losers out of the Democrats time and time again, but has more dire and far-reaching consequences for the rest of us. As we face an ill-conceived battle in the Middle East, a teetering economy at home, and growing hostility amongst our allies abroad, what matters most right now are the things that have, for too long, gone unsaid. In this month’s Harper’s Magazine Dick Armstrong outlines what looks to be the greatest danger currently facing our nation; our very own government hawks. The central ideology of this administration is one of absolute power described in detail in Dick Cheney’s Defense Planning Guidance, a pet project of his carried over from his days as Secretary of Defense for the Reagan administration.

The Plan is for the United States to rule the world. The overt theme is unilateralism, but it is ultimately a story of domination. It calls for the United States to maintain it’s overwhelming military superiority and prevent new rivals from rising up to challenge it on the world stage. It calls for dominion over friends and enemies alike. It says not the United States must be more powerful, or most powerful, but that it must be absolutely powerful.

It is this point that has been missing from the national debate on preemption and unilateralism. When Paul Wellstone stood with the few in opposition of granting Bush the freedom to wage war in Iraq, he not only stood against giving away the right of Congress to declare war, he stood against a doctrine of global domination and might makes right. When the Democrats compromised they agreed to stand by and watch Nero fiddle as Rome burns.

Few in Washington seem to realize that as the leading economic and military power, in real terms, there is no greater threat to world peace and security than us. To invoke Iraq and even Al Qaeda as real threats to the United States is to mock our own arrogantly secure place in the world. And here we stand on the brink of war, a war that can bring no good to anyone least of all ourselves. Will we cease to be the shining example of freedom and comfort, and instead, become a grinning despot in a pinstripe suit? We think that, because we are a democracy, corrupt leaders cannot become entrenched and yet Cheney, Rumsfield, and Wolfowitz are holdovers from the Nixon administration. The Plan is not a new idea, but a long-held pet project that has simply been waiting to see the light of day. And in our fear and apathy we stand poised to allow it to become policy. People may shake their heads and empty their pockets, and columnists may furiously tap away the folly of such absolutism, but in the end it will be our own representatives that let this opportunity to oppose a policy of absolute power pass them by.

Throughout the last week much has been made of Paul Wellstone’s commitment to defending “the little guy.” That and his opposition to the Iraq resolution, make him out to be merely a fiery liberal in the midst of more level-headed Democrats. But to dismiss him thus is to underestimate what opposition to unilateralism signifies. It’s more than adherence to ones personal principles. It’s making the choice not to be the global dictator, to lead the free world with prudence and not menace. Democrats, Republicans, and pundits would do well to move past the issue of Iraq and terrorism and really examine how we want to enter the world of the twenty-first century.

This is just beautiful .

Hudson's new collection of short stories, "Dear Mr. President" (Knopf, $19), has made him a favorite of book critics, fellow writers and lots of readers. But the book, it seems, has had the opposite effect on the commander in chief...

"The letter began by thanking me for sending the book," Hudson said. "Also, I'm from Austin, Texas, and the president touched on the fact that I was a fellow Texan, congratulating me on my book. But he was setting me up for the one-two punch. Because he called the book unpatriotic and ridiculous and just plain bad writing. Beyond that, I've been instructed not to talk about the contents of the letter for the time being."

That's not all. Hudson says FBI agents have been hanging around at his recent book readings, and the book's website (Gabehudson.com) is apparently being monitored by the government.

"We have a [website] tracker," he said. "It tells us the percentage of hits coming from different places, from around the world. From universities. From the military. From different media sources. And from the government. The government's percentage is surprisingly high."

Blogger has been tempermental and I've been too busy to tear my hair out over it. Just a reminder that The Daily Show is broadcasting from Washington D.C. this week. Pat Buchanan is on tonight. I'm not sure what to make of that. One can't imagine the Stewart is all that comfortable with sitting so close to such an outspoken Hitler-apologist. Still one has to admire his bravery. If you missed Monday night's show John Edwards was the guest. He's more likable than I thought.

For more election reading check out Hertzberg in this week's New Yorker.