Skull Of Granite

Polls these days can’t be too encouraging to the Rove/Cheney/Bush team. A Zogby poll asked military personnel in Iraq about the situation there and a overwhelming 72% say the U.S. should leave.

Seems Congressman Murtha had his finger on the pulse of our troops quite some time ago, while Bush continues to ignore reality.

Republican Senator Conrad Burns describes George W. Bush’s stubbornness this way:
“The president's skull is solid granite.”

His granite skull isn’t too popular out in the heartland either. As the American public has slowly begun to awaken from its collective stupor, public sampling like this week’s CBS poll show Bush’s approval dropping yet again, now hovering in the low 30’s.

Even with the kind of grading curves Bush was granted in school this still doesn’t count as passing.

Many Republican politicians are realizing this is not a horse they are going to ride to victory this fall.

As the White House offenses are becoming more and more apparent there is truly the possibility of impeachment. The abuse of power has gone beyond anything seen in the last dozen administrations and Senators and Congressmen on both sides of the aisle can no longer pretend it hasn’t.

Editor's Note:

I will be limiting the new posts to this blog as I pursue some other writing, but please check back for any future posts and news on what else I'm up to.

Thanks for your interest.

Populist Jujitsu

Columnist E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post takes on the phony populism that has been a trademark of the Bush Administration:

“…Phony populism was on display during Dick Cheney's [interview] on Republican State Television -- excuse me, Fox News -- in which the vice president tried to dismiss questions as to why he waited so long to tell the world he had shot Harry Whittington.

“‘I had a bit of the feeling that the press corps was upset because, to some extent, it was about them -- they didn't like the idea that we called the Corpus Christi Caller-Times instead of the New York Times,’ Cheney said. ‘But it strikes me that the Corpus Christi Caller-Times is just as valid a news outlet as the New York Times is, especially for covering a major story in south Texas.’

“Now there's populist jujitsu for you. Absolutely no one is saying that Cheney should have leaked to the New York Times. The question is why he didn't make the story public, early on, for everybody, at the same time.

“…Thank goodness there are limits to spin, but up to now, there have been no limits on the administration's willingness to divert attention from its problems through attacks on elitist straw men."

Hagel On V.P.

"If he'd been in the military, he would have learned gun safety."

-Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel on V.P Dick Cheney

Daily Show

This from The Daily Show:

Jon Stewart: "I'm joined now by our own vice-presidential firearms mishap analyst, Rob Corddry. Rob, obviously a very unfortunate situation. How is the vice president handling it?

Rob Corddry: "Jon, tonight the vice president is standing by his decision to shoot Harry Wittington. According to the best intelligence available, there were quail hidden in the brush. Everyone believed at the time there were quail in the brush.

"And while the quail turned out to be a 78-year-old man, even knowing that today, Mr. Cheney insists he still would have shot Mr. Whittington in the face. He believes the world is a better place for his spreading buckshot throughout the entire region of Mr. Whittington's face."

Jon Stewart: "But why, Rob? If he had known Mr. Whittington was not a bird, why would he still have shot him?"

Rob Corddry: "Jon, in a post-9-11 world, the American people expect their leaders to be decisive. To not have shot his friend in the face would have sent a message to the quail that America is weak."

Senator Hagel

The New York Times Magazine, in an extensive profile on Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, provides this prescient quote from a Hagel speech on the floor of the Senate during the build-up to the Iraq War:

"How many of us really know and understand Iraq, its country, history, people and role in the Arab world?. . .The American people must be told of the long-term commitment, risk and cost of this undertaking. We should not be seduced by the expectations of dancing in the streets."

Hagel, who is widely believed to be considering a bid for the White House in 2008 has been a rare critic of George Bush on Capitol Hill. He has strongly questioned Bush and forcefully disagreed with Bush on may occasions, especially Iraq in the last few years. This sets him apart from most other Republicans and about half of the Democrats.

His lack of loyalty to Bush may hurt him in 08 since it looks like Sen. McCain has done everything he can to buddy up to Bush and court Bush voters (who love Bush and never bother to question his competence/honesty/etc.).

Senator Hagel may find a home among moderates and independents (once McCain’s strongest territory) who admire the convictions and sentiments Hagel put forth in that Senate speech. Unfortunately, Hagel voted for the war after all was said and done.

Shot at V.P.

This from former Reagan press secretary and gun shot victim Jim Brady upon hearing the news that current V.P. shot and wounded his hunting partner:

"Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him."