Wow, looks like he left out "I know you are but what am I!"  Besides being a corrupt bastard with a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth, Conrad Burns also appears to have the debating skills of a kindergartener.   Okay, I take it back... I think my two year old has better debating skills.

The President continued his long standing policy of ignoring his enemies and talking exclusively with his friends when he recently hosted the self-appointed "Voices of Sanity" caucus (ie. right-wing radio hosts) at the White House.  Apparently after the more glaring ineptitude of the past year a few of its members were showing some signs of independent thought and needed to be brought back onto the conservative Republican reservation.  Although not entirely confirmed, one assumes scripts for the next couple weeks were handed out at the gathering.  Just one more thing you wouldn't have seen ten or even twenty years ago. 

Cute. They look so much more docile in the Oval Office in comparison to the snarling, contemptuous jerks they often play on TV.

GOP in panic mode:

"In this show, all of us combined, there's enough of you in this audience right here and now … that can confuse, and confound, and bewilder, and just absolutely send these guys into a tail spin.  On election night, when those results start coming in, if the media commentaries are smiling because Republicans are losing, if key senators and key congressmen, many of whom are conservative and have excellent records, go down in the defeat … let me tell you something, in the end you don't have as far as I'm concerned the liberal media to blame.  They will have played a part.  But ultimately it's you, yourself … you have to blame."

Sean Hannity, tonight.

[Q]uite frankly, if the most recent "sea of blue" polls are anything to go by, the Democrats are on the verge of taking over both Houses of Congress. Or at least taking over the House and closing the gap considerably in the Senate so the next nomination the President makes to the Supreme Court would have to be a Souter clone to have a prayer of not having to face a filibuster, thanks to "maverick" John McCain. . .

I think some alarm might be in order.

The fact is that the GOP may be vastly superior to the Democrats in turning out its voters and getting them to the polls, but we cannot continue to cede the fence-sitters in the last days to an election to the Democrats and their 527s in the Fourth Estate. We're losing "Independents" (the most ignorant and therefore the most susceptible to Press/Democrat manipulation) 70:30 in all the polls I've seen, and rather than try to win them over and rally our own voters, we're counting on them not to show up. What's worse is that we're losing them to the Democrats over "macaca" and Foley's IMs when we could be winning them over on serious issues like the economy and national security.

I don't care how good the GOP's GOTV operation is, We simply cannot ever afford to be so complacent. Most especially in an electoral environment like this.

We have to be honest with ourselves here; we'd much rather be them looking at the polling numbers than us right now. All this bravado about how fake the polls are, how slanted the 2004 exit polls were, and how we're going to shock the pundits on the 7th is beginning to ring false.

I have a recurring nightmare about Redstate in a meltdown three days to the election when it's too late to do anything about our collective decision to keep fooling ourselves. . .

It's a long shot.

Redstate.

Clinton meeting old buddy Curt Weldon:

Then: CNN, August 22, 1998:

Republicans say the criticism of Starr hurt the president more than it helped him.

"It was a little bit like a temper tantrum," said Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa. "If he had said he was sorry, that would have won him some support, but now he's caused the whole thing to be triggered to another level."

Weldon, who sits on the special committee investigating whether Clinton permitted the transfer of sensitive missile technology to China, said his colleagues were angered by Clinton's speech -- and predicted that Starr and Republicans may now be even more motivated to go after the president.

"Clinton's arrogance was shining through, and it's being picked up by members I've talked to," Weldon said.

Now:

“I will not make a single stop in this campaign season that means more to me than this one — not one,” Clinton told a crowd of nearly 900 at a rally for Joseph Sestak at Valley Forge Military Academy."

But Clinton wasn’t talking much about Weldon Thursday. He was talking about Sestak, who served as director for defense policy on his National Security Council and has the best chance of turning the 7th District Democratic since 1986.

Clinton predicted that Sestak would pick up some votes from Republicans disillusioned with the performance of President Bush and Congress.

“It isn’t conservative to add $3 trillion to the national debt,” Clinton said, criticizing the “radical, right-wing ideology” he said led to the Iraq war and the concentration of wealth and power in America.

“If you have an ideology, you know the answer already, so the evidence becomes irrelevant,” he said. “That’s why they govern and campaign by attack — assertion and attack — because evidence and argument are the enemies of ideology. And there are serious consequences to this, and you see them in Iraq, you see them in Afghanistan, you see them on stem-cell research.”

Weldon spokesman Michael Puppio said Clinton’s visit is evidence that Sestak was sent to the district as part of a Democratic scheme to unseat the Congressman.

Any other news from the race? 

FBI is said to be probing Weldon over his influence

Weldon, apparently had not even been informed of the investigation.  Prosecutor doesn't like you much, does he Curt?  He's trying to strip you of your number one asset before he tries you.

Our day cometh.

Q:  What's more discouraging than watching Congressional Democrats hang their hopes on John McCain standing against the recent detainee bill? 

A:  Expecting China to support and implement a tougher sanction regime against North Korea.

Well, to be fair to the Chinese, they do have their own interests in regards to North Korea, not all of which coincide with our own.  Although the Chinese have carried a lot of water for us the last few years in the multi-lateral talks over ending the North Korean nuclear program, its hard to escape the fact that much of what the North Koreans are doing is directed not at Japan, Russia or China but (brace yourself)...the United States.  Just remember the Chinese aren't worried about being hit with North Korean nukes, we are.  Nor are the North Koreans worried about the Chinese bombing them back to the stone age.  Ironically, while we're hung up on not rewarding bad behavior, North Korea seems to think that's the only way we'll take notice.  I recommend Heather Hurlbutt's two cents on the matter over at Democracy Arsenal.

Not looking good for the GOP.

My first thought when I read articles like this is can't the President, who after all has a couple more years in office, veto any piece of legislation he doesn't like, including tax increases proposed by a Democratic Congress?  Right?  That is a power given the office by the Constitution and has been used to great effect by past Presidents-- even he himself used it once in six years.  In some ways its similar Mr. Bush's oft spoken pledge to make his tax cuts permanent; sounds good as a soundbite and you know where he stands on the issue but the fact remains that in a democratic republic any piece of legislation can be overturned by the actions of future Congresses.  Frankly despite the fact he rarely follows the intent of the bills he signs into law, the challenges of working with a Democratic Congress might be just what Mr. Bush needs to remind himself how the government actually is suppose to work, and best of all remind him of the extent and limits of his own duties as President.... or so we can hope?

How can you have hours of discussion at a government-sponsored conference on school safety that wouldn't have happened without a number of recent high profile, often deadly, school shootings-- the most recent a 13 year old firing an AK47 at a Joplin, MO middle school-- and no one save a few questioners is willing to directly broach the subject of gun violence in schools?  Evidently its pretty easy.  For example, according to Dana Milbank, the President, his Education Secretary and the Attorney General made it through several hours of panel discussion without once saying the word "guns".

Then in 2002, the Bush administration discovered the existence of a covert program in uranium, evidently an attempt to evade the Agreed Framework. This program, while potentially serious, would have led to a bomb at a very slow rate, compared with the more mature plutonium program. Nevertheless, the administration unwisely stopped compliance with the Agreed Framework. In response the North Koreans sent the inspectors home and announced their intention to reprocess. The administration deplored the action but set no "red line." North Korea made the plutonium.

Bill Perry, Republican.

Okay, since today we'll be working off a theme developed in my last post lets look at a few blunt words from the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations:

"This is the way North Korea typically negotiates, by threat and intimidation," he said. "It's worked for them before. It's not going to work this time."

Yes, John Bolton, the man who spent most of his time as Undersecretary for Arms Control at the State Department disrupting ongoing third party negotiations with allies over Iran, threatening the UN if it didn't get rid of IAEA chief Mohammad El-Baradei , purging longtime State Department weapons and arms treaty experts and pushing a new Bush administration policy that placed US interests in developing new generations of nuclear weapons over adhering to previously ratified international agreements like the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (and all its addendums) is out doing what he does best-- talking tough.  

Okay, let's sum up our current position vis-a vis North Korea: "Most of the people making decisions about arms control blew it and our options (isolating the most isolated regime on the planet)may be limited, but they're bad guys and since we didn't deal directly with them a few years ago, we're definitely not gonna do so now."  Not very inspiring but typical.

..... the failure of our policies demonstrates the need to adhere to our policies more rigidly.

I think this brief thought offered by Matt Yglesias on the failure of the Bush foreign policy team in respects to North Korea, and nuclear non-proliferation in general, pretty much sums up for me what's wrong with just about everything the Bush people do.  Between pursuing either ideologically rigid, poorly thought out and implemented "policies" and/or just reactively making things up on the fly, the response is always, "Don't blame us, the approach was sound and far from failing it validates everything we've said about the problem and necessitates a redoubling of our efforts!"

Laura Rozen introduces us to Amir Abbas Fakhravar who she says may be the "Iranian Ahmed Chalabi".  While the article is well-written and persuasive, all I needed to see was the following photos

to know that we don't want anything, and I do mean ANYTHING!!!, to do with him. 

Keep an eye out for Mr. Fakhavar because when he's hanging with Michael "I'm an Iran expert but I don't speak the language and never been there" Ledeen and Richard "The Prince of Darkness" Perle then he's probably already driving our policy towards Iran.

From Mark Schmitt, as usual:

What other potential leaders -- such as Conference Chair Deborah Pryce of Ohio -- will themselves lose reelection? If they go outside of leadership, usually it’s with a committee leader, as they tried to do with Livingston, who chaired Appropriations. Oh, too bad -- all their major committee leaders are at risk of indictment at any moment: Jerry Lewis, Duncan Hunter -- or already indicted: Ney, or generally disagreeable: Bill Thomas. (Rules Committee chair David Dreier is still available, but they are still homophobes after all.)

What a week.  This one promises to be better, given the pieces on the scandal board.

Update:  How bout this gem:

As the FRC said, Hastert and his colleagues "probably did not want to appear homophobic" by taking on Foley. A friend commented last night that, "We know the avoidance of homophobia is the guiding principal for the house leadership."

It's hard to watch the majesty of the circular firing squad enveloping the House leadership and not forget about what the House Republicans were going to run on this election cycle so here it is; prepare yourself for the aptly named " American Values Agenda".

Let's look at the legislative package, shall we?

• Pledge Protection Act (HR 2389; Akin)
  Summary: Protects the Pledge of Allegiance from attacks by activist federal judges seeking to rule it unconstitutional.
• Freedom to Display the American Flag Act (HR 42; Bartlett)
  Summary: Ensures an individual has the right to display the U.S. flag on residential property.
• The Public Expression of Religion Act (HR 2679; Hostettler)
  Summary: Ensures local officials and communities do not face financial ruin to defend their rights to free speech under the Constitution (provides that when state or local officials are sued over public expressions of religion, no monetary damages, costs, or attorney's fees may be awarded).
• Marriage Amendment (HJRes 88; Musgrave)
  Summary: Constitutional amendment declaring marriage to be between a man and a woman
• Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR 356; C. Smith)
  Summary: Requires that those performing late-term abortions inform the woman seeking an abortion of the medical evidence that the unborn child feels pain, and ensure that if she chooses to continue with the abortion procedure, she has the option of choosing anesthesia for the child, so that the unborn child’s pain is less severe.
• Human Cloning Prohibition Act (HR 1357; D. Weldon)
  Summary: Bans human cloning and the importation of products derived from a cloned human embryo (e.g. stem cells).
• BATFE Reform (HR 5092; Coble)
  Summary: Reforms the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE) to protect citizens’ rights.
• Internet Gambling Prohibition (Leach/Goodlatte):
  Summary: Addresses the issue of illegal internet gambling by making gambling laws apply equally to the internet.
• Permanent Tax Relief for Families
  Summary: Likely series of votes on the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, tax incentives for adoption, and other priorities for American citizens.
• Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act (HR 5013; Jindal)
  Summary: Prohibits governments from using federal funds to confiscate guns from law-abiding citizens during emergencies.

Hell ya! American Values with a capital "V"! 

No special interest sops here -- flag-burning, religious persecution, gay marriage, abortion, cloning, internet gambling, tax relief, and unregulated gun ownership are all things that I and the people I live and work with talk about on a daily basis.  In fact, I don't know how many worried conversations I've had about how Congress might spend most of its time trying to pass a budget instead of ensuring that if there's another natural disaster that hits New Orleans, the government can't come and take my guns away.  Luckily that never came to pass and although I don't actually have any guns at least I know my rights will be protected. 

I predict in the future when we look back in the history books at that Foley matter, it will be just a comma to an otherwise masterful legislative plan to cleanse and renew our great nation.

Okay, now I've heard everything.  Forget about the Masons, Illuminati, Jewish bankers, International Communism or even fluoridated water; turns out the world's most powerful and insidious secret cabal running the U.S. government is a network of gay Republican congressional staffers.  Yes, not content to rule the country, they evidently run a protection racket for child predators on the side and your average heterosexual, patriotic, church-going Republican Congressional leader is absolutely helpless when it comes to standing up to them.  

With all the subtly of an eighth grader the White House evidently won't rule out continuing the use of "waterboarding" as a mean of interrogating terrorist suspects because they don't want the terrorists to know "which practices they might face."  While this no doubt has dealt a serious emotional and professional blow to a few serious independent-minded, honorable, ....... Republican senators, Walter Pincus's article in the Washington Post points out the U.S. government and military have gone back and forth over the issue of using "waterboarding" for decades. 

 Lets look at the shorter version:

• 1947: U.S declares "waterboarding" a war crime and prosecutes Japanese officer for using it against an American civilian.
• Korean War:  Similar "touchless" water interrogation technique used by Chinese and North Koreans against U.S Airmen.
• 1963:  CIA looks at uses during Korean War and adds a similar interrogation technique relying on water tanks and sensory deprivation to its KUBARK Counterintelligence interrogation manual.
• 1968:  Washington Post front page photo of an American supervising the "waterboarding" of a captured NVA soldier leads to an official investigation.  Accompanying article notes technique is widely used because it is "unpleasant" but rarely causes permanent injury.
  
• Post-Vietnam:  Navy SEALs and Special Forces use in training to prepare their soldiers to resist interrogation.  Program discontinued when they realized the effectiveness of waterboarding in breaking trainees needlessly hurt their morale.
• Post-9/11:  Officially sanctioned by the U.S. government and cleared by Justice Department as an "approved interrogation technique".  Used to break Khalid Sheik Muhammad among others.

Okay, if you're still not sure what they're talking about when "waterboarding" comes up in the news then how about a few more pictures:

These are a couple pictures of an actual waterboarding table.  Note the shackles and the watering can.  And here's another picture illustrating its use by....

the Khmer Rouge. (via David Corn)

Rep. Ray LaHood's (R-IL) proposed solution to the Mark Foley scandal: eliminate the Congressional page system.  Next, do away with e-mail and text messaging because as this scandal has shown us the chances of abuse are just too great.